What is Jerry's age and family situation in "Through the Tunnel"?

The protagonist of Doris Lessing's story, Jerry, is an eleven-year-old English boy at the threshold of puberty whose father has died, leaving him as the only child of his widowed mother.

On holiday with his mother at a foreign seaside resort, Jerry vacillates between wishing to join his mother at their customary beach and desiring to go to the wild bay and explore it because he is at an awkward age. When he tries to join the foreign boys who are older than he, they reject him as childish because he acts silly, splashing the water and calling out, "Look at me! Look!" as he kicks in the water "like a splashing dog."

His venture to this wild bay proves to be a rite of passage for Jerry, though, because he strives to achieve what the older boys have done. Secretly, he practices holding his breath and diving down to the underwater tunnel. He demands swim goggles, and his considerate mother purchases them for him. Finally, Jerry is successful at passing through the tunnel in the large rocks. Now, he no longer wants the other boys.

Once back at the villa, Jerry feels his new sense of maturity as he responds to his mother's questions:

"Have a nice morning?"
"Oh, yes, thank you," he said.
"You look a bit pale....How did you bang your head?"
"Oh, just banged it...."
"Mummy,....I can stay under water for two minutes--three minutes, at least." It came bursting out of him.
"Can you, darling?....Well, I shouldn't overdo it. I don't think you ought to swim any more today."

Having made his rite of passage, it is no longer important to Jerry to go to the bay. He has proven to himself that he, too, can swim through the rock tunnels.

What is Jerry's age and family situation in "Through the Tunnel"?

Jerry is described as "the young English boy" in the first line of the story, but the narrator later specifies that he is eleven years-old.  He is at an age where he is still impulsive and childlike at times, still longing for his mother's approval; however, he also very much desires increased independence and freedom from his mother.  We learn that his mother is intensely aware of this as she worries over his safety without her but tries to reassure herself that he's old enough to be alone.  She doesn't want to smother him with her affection and attention, but she also doesn't want to give him more freedom than he can handle. 

As far as his family situation, Jerry is an only child, and his mother is a widow.  This likely increases his mother's concern, that she has to be both mother and father to Jerry and has no one to consult with about his development into an adult.

In Doris Lessing's short story "Through the Tunnel," describe Jerry's age and family situation.

Lessing's young protagonist is eleven years old and he is on vacation with his mother who is a widow. The story begins by explaining a conflict within the boy; he feels the need to stay with his mother out of duty but also wants to explore another beach on his own. The mother recognizes his desire to leave her side and permits it so she won't be too stifling to his growth. In fact, the author reveals the mother's thoughts by saying, "She was determined to be neither possessive nor lacking in devotion. She went worrying off to her beach."

The characters represent a real situation in life as a single mother strives to rear a son to become a man. Without a father figure in his life, she must play both roles and that can be difficult. Jerry's mother, though, does a great job by permitting him to go exploring on his own, but always being near for help if he needs her. After Jerry struggles through learning to hold his breath and daring to swim through the tunnel--and having gone through many headaches and nose bleeds in the process--his mother never over reacts or loses her composure. For example, Jerry tells his mother that he can hold his breath under water for two or three minutes and her reply is "Well, I shouldn't overdo it. I don't think you ought to swim any more today." Luckily, he was done with achieving his goals and agreed to stay out of the water.

What is Jerry's family situation in "Through the Tunnel"?

Jerry is "an only child, [of] eleven years old," and his mother is a widow.  As a result, he seems to feel very responsible for her.  "He was very familiar with [her] anxious, apologetic smile," a smile she offers him when she fears that he longs for more independence and greater freedom from her.  When he sees this smile, "Contrition sent him running after her."  Thus, he appears to feel somewhat guilty for desiring some time alone and new adventures.  He even feels "a sort of chivalry" toward her as well, a sense that he must be courteous and generous as a man would be toward a woman for whom he cared.

It is likely her status as a widow, someone who must be both mother and father to Jerry, that prompts the extent to which she fears smothering him or, alternately, seeming to neglect him.  "She was determined to be neither possessive nor lacking in devotion."  Keeping him too close would prevent him from developing properly and could lead to his resentment of her.  Giving him too much freedom could be dangerous or make it seem like she doesn't love him as much as she does.  It's a tough age for a boy without a father.

What is Jerry's class background in "Through the Tunnel"?

In the short story "Through the Tunnel" by Doris Lessing, an 11-year-old English boy named Jerry is on holiday with his mother at a beach area in an unspecified location. Instead of going to the crowded beach where most people go, he decides to swim alone in a rocky bay. There he meets a group of local boys who adventurously dive into the water and swim through a tunnel in a large rock. The local boys leave, but Jerry continues to practice holding his breath and swimming until he too, at great personal danger, manages to swim through the tunnel. For him it is sort of a rite of passage.

Jerry's class background is not specified in the story, but we can deduce from Lessing's descriptions that he and his mother are from an upper-middle class or upper class background. Jerry's mother is a widow, and yet they are staying in a villa by the beach. This means that they either own it or can afford to rent it. This villa is also in a country where the local people speak a language other than English, making it even more expensive to go there.

Another indication of their upper-class status is the way that Jerry's mother is so solicitous of his every desire. She appears to be incapable of refusing him any request. When he asks for the goggles, she immediately complies. Additionally, they are excessively polite with each other, as if it is a habit backed by tradition.

What is Jerry's class background in "Through the Tunnel"?

Readers are not expressly told what social class Jerry and his mom belong to, so readers are going to have to infer this answer. I think it is safe to assume that they belong to a middle class or higher. Jerry's family obviously has enough money to vacation to another country for more than a day or two. On top of that, their vacation is a beach vacation, and that location alone will drive up the cost of the trip. I believe readers could go farther and say that Jerry's family is probably quite wealthy. Jerry demands the goggles in a way that suggests he is used to getting material possessions when he demands them. His expectations are met with quick results as well. His mom buys the goggles soon after Jerry starts his pestering, and she never once questions the associated cost.

Finally, their vacation doesn't seem to have a specific end date. They appear to be on location until it suits them to leave. The mother's comment about having to go home is quite casual. It seems that she has grown tired of the vacation and has decided that they will go home in the next few days.