Through the Tunnel Group at eNotes

Jerry's and his mother's separate conflicts ring true, I think, as they...

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 22:51:20 PST

Jerry's and his mother's separate conflicts ring true, I think, as they both deal with his moving into adolescence, especially considering that she is a widow. Jerry feels the need to break away from her and be on his own, to some extent, but he feels guilty when he wants to go to the wild beach without her. She knows he is starting to grow up, and she worries about how she should deal with it: She was thinking. Of course he's old enough to...

Jerry, a boy of eleven, has come to the shore with his mother. She is...

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 21:50:00 PST

Jerry, a boy of eleven, has come to the shore with his mother. She is very protective of him, treating him as the little boy he has always been, although she is aware that he growing up and worries that she might be "keeping him too close." At their vacation site, the path divides, one way leading to the crowded, "safe" beach where they usually swim and the other leading to the "wild and rocky bay." Although he feels guilty for sending his...

In "Through the Tunnel," why is it so important to Jerry to be with the...

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 19:44:37 PST

In "Through the Tunnel," why is it so important to Jerry to be with the boys on the wild beach?

Adolescence is a time when many changes takes place in life of a person....

Fri, 22 May 2009 09:27:29 PST

Adolescence is a time when many changes takes place in life of a person. Thees include both physical changes in body as well as psychological changes in mental make up. A person may feel anxiety due to these changes. Another major problem of adolescent is of identity. Adolescents must stop behaving like children and stop behaving like adults. This change does not come overnight, and during this extended process of change they may have...

Adolescence is probably the most tumultuous time for any individual. As...

Fri, 22 May 2009 05:08:56 PST

Adolescence is probably the most tumultuous time for any individual. As young people search for their identity and place in the world, parents have to cope with the results of that searching and discovery, whether it is good or bad. No matter how hard parents try to do the best they can, adolescent peer pressure is even stronger. It is a constant battle between growing up and ensuring that young people grow up. The best that any one can do...

Not only is adolescence emotionally and hormonally charged, but it is...

Thu, 21 May 2009 12:47:03 PST

Not only is adolescence emotionally and hormonally charged, but it is also the period of time when children tend to rebel more overtly against their parents because these kids are in search of their own identities separate from mama and daddy. In "Through the Tunnel" Jerry faces this very problem: he is afraid to venture out on his own, but he cannot just stay mama's little boy either.

Adolscence is something difficult to cope with for both: parents and...

Thu, 21 May 2009 09:14:23 PST

It should be related to Through the Tunnel and to The Madnees within him.

Find ten examples of imagery that pertain to SHAPES AND COLORS

Tue, 5 May 2009 07:26:35 PST

Find ten examples of imagery that pertain to SHAPES AND COLORS

What does "Through the Tunnel" symbolize, and how is it related to life?

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 13:35:41 PST

What does "Through the Tunnel" symbolize, and how is it related to life?

A symbol is something "real" or concrete that stands for an idea, so the...

Sun, 19 Apr 2009 12:26:46 PST

A symbol is something "real" or concrete that stands for an idea, so the story itself is not a symbol. However, within the story is a major symbol that communicates the story's theme: the tunnel. The tunnel is a dark and dangerous place; to swim through it requires great skill and courage. Within the context of the story, the tunnel can be interpreted as symbolizing the passage from childhood to adulthood. At the beginning of the story, Jerry...

This story is a classic coming-of-age story. It tells the universal...

Thu, 26 Mar 2009 19:49:40 PST

This story is a classic coming-of-age story. It tells the universal story of growing up when the main character must face an obstacle and overcome it. Many people worldwide must face obstacles as they mature to adulthood. In this case, Jerry must face the tunnel and learn to swim through it in order to show the native boys that he is "worthy" of their friendship. Jerry's tenacious quest to find a passage through the tunnel and then be able...

How does this story relate to the world?

Thu, 26 Mar 2009 15:49:14 PST

How does this story relate to the world?

Very interesting question. Overtly, "Through the Tunnel" is not a moral...

Thu, 12 Mar 2009 16:17:58 PST

Very interesting question. Overtly, "Through the Tunnel" is not a moral story, rather it focuses on the "rite of passage" that Jerry goes through to move from childhood into manhood. However, one of the larger moral questions which I think this story asks concerns our fears in Western society about exposing our children to risk and danger, and therefore robbing them of the chance to prove themselves and go through a "rite of passage" existence...

By the end of the story Jerry has gone through a journey from childhood...

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 20:28:01 PST

By the end of the story Jerry has gone through a journey from childhood to manhood, symbolised most stridently in his journey through the tunnel. At the beginning of the story we are introduced to a character who is on the cusp of adolescense, and very clearly feels responsible for his mother due to their enforced intimacy. Yet despite his feelings of responsibility towards his mother, he nonetheless feels drawn to the "wild beach", which is...

What breakthroughs has Jerry acheived by the story's end?

Mon, 9 Mar 2009 19:16:19 PST

What breakthroughs has Jerry acheived by the story's end?

At first, the tunnel is simply something that is in his way of his...

Sun, 8 Mar 2009 11:29:31 PST

At first, the tunnel is simply something that is in his way of his friendship with the native boys where he is vacationing. However, as the story progresses, the tunnel becomes an obstacle that he must overcome for his own self-esteem. Once his is able to get through the tunnel on his own, "He could see the local boys diving and playing a half mile away. He did not want them." Knowing that he can work hard and overcome an obstacle in life is...

In "Through the Tunnel", what does the tunnel symbolize to Jerry?

Sun, 8 Mar 2009 11:20:02 PST

In "Through the Tunnel", what does the tunnel symbolize to Jerry?

There are several themes in the story that are related to the plot...

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 21:02:32 PST

There are several themes in the story that are related to the plot itself. Plot usually drives the theme; it is the text of thematic content. One theme in this story is that of loneliness and alienation. To emphasize this theme, Lessing has a character in-between childhood and adulthood, who is fatherless, with a polite but tense relationship with his mother. She emphasizes his loneliness when he sees the foreign boys swimming and to...

The plot of the story consists of the series of related events...

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 20:55:10 PST

The plot of the story consists of the series of related events concerning Jerry, his mother, and the minor characters. The events develop one or more conflicts in the story. As these events unfold and the conflicts are developed, Lessing's theme--the truth or meaning of the story--takes shape and is finalized when the plot reaches its dramatic climax and the conflicts are resolved. All of the events in the story lead us to believe that Jerry...

In "Through the Tunnel" by Doris Lessing, how does the plot relate to...

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 20:37:54 PST

In "Through the Tunnel" by Doris Lessing, how does the plot relate to the theme?