Through the Tunnel

by Doris Lessing

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Through the Tunnel

In Doris Lessing's "Through the Tunnel," Jerry, an 11-year-old boy, experiences significant character development through his interactions with older boys at a wild bay. Initially longing for...

19 educator answers

Through the Tunnel

In the short story "Through the Tunnel," it could be inferred that Jerry survives his underwater adventure because he is determined and daring. Jerry increases his chance of survival because of his...

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Through the Tunnel

Jerry prepares for his swim through the tunnel by practicing holding his breath, watching local boys to understand the challenge, and using swim goggles to familiarize himself with the underwater...

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Through the Tunnel

In "Through the Tunnel," Jerry's decision to swim through the tunnel was influenced by his desire for independence and a need to prove himself, especially given his family situation with an...

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Through the Tunnel

The boys in "Through the Tunnel" leave Jerry because they want to distance themselves from him. Jerry is younger, pale, struggles with their language, and his desperate attempts to gain their...

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Through the Tunnel

Jerry's determination to swim through the tunnel is exemplified by his resolve to practice breath control relentlessly, believing "the whole of his life, all that he would become, depended upon it."...

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Through the Tunnel

In "Through the Tunnel," Jerry faces significant physical challenges, such as holding his breath and swimming through a narrow underwater tunnel, which test his endurance and strength. Mentally, he...

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Through the Tunnel

At the beginning of "Through the Tunnel," the mother-son relationship is characterized by mutual respect and a balance between protection and independence. Jerry's mother, a widow, consciously allows...

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Through the Tunnel

Jerry cries due to a mix of fear, embarrassment, frustration, and humiliation after failing to match the diving skills of older boys. While attempting to earn their acceptance by diving with them, he...

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Through the Tunnel

In "Through the Tunnel," Jerry's character development is central as he evolves from a dependent boy to a determined individual. The setting—a beach with a challenging underwater tunnel—symbolizes...

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Through the Tunnel

Lessing's story helps suggest that men are expected to be chivalrous and protective toward women, and also that men ought to be given the freedom to make their own decisions in life.

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Through the Tunnel

Jerry does not tell his mother because he is content to know that he has grown up and that she cannot take the credit. If Jerry were with friends or his son years later, he might begin to describe...

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Through the Tunnel

Jerry insists to his mother that he needs a pair of goggles after spending a day on the beach because he has been unable to find the underwater gap that the other boys had been swimming through. This...

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Through the Tunnel

Jerry's impatience in "Through the Tunnel" is highlighted by his urgent demand for swimming goggles, insisting, "now, now, now!" and "nagged and pestered" his mother until she complied. He grabs the...

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Through the Tunnel

In "Through the Tunnel," the initial antagonists are the older local boys who challenge Jerry's abilities. However, the true antagonists evolve into Jerry's own physical limitations and fear as he...

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Through the Tunnel

Jerry initially meets a group of older boys who are local, experienced swimmers. He yearns to be accepted by them, hoping it will affirm his maturity. Initially, they seem to accept him as he joins...

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Through the Tunnel

The exposition of "Through the Tunnel" is the part of the short story that introduces the setting and background information; it is also an introduction to at least some of the characters.

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Through the Tunnel

Jerry's terrible nosebleed two days before leaving the beach makes him decide to wait a year before trying to swim through the underwater tunnel. However, he almost immediately changes his mind and...

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Through the Tunnel

Jerry gains acceptance from the native boys by demonstrating his swimming and diving skills. Initially, they ignore him due to the language barrier, but when he dives from the rocks, they watch and...

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Through the Tunnel

In "Through the Tunnel," Jerry is called the "English boy" to emphasize his status as an outsider and foreigner in the vacation setting, likely the French Riviera. This label highlights his cultural...

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Through the Tunnel

Jerry is attracted to the rocky bay because it represents a challenge and an opportunity for independence from his mother. The bay symbolizes his desire to transition from childhood to young...

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Through the Tunnel

Jerry attempts to get the boys' attention by acting foolishly after failing to follow them underwater. He splashes and kicks in the water like a dog, shouts in English, and uses the few French words...

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Through the Tunnel

The setting is not just any setting. It's a wild beach, which is the location where Jerry's inner conflict plays itself out. The wild side of the beach leads to an underwater tunnel that is too small...

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Through the Tunnel

Jerry feels humiliated in front of the older boys when they ignore him after realizing he is a foreigner. In a panic to gain their attention, he yells in English, "Look at me! Look!" and splashes...

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Through the Tunnel

Jerry's worst moment in "Through the Tunnel" occurs after he initially feels victorious upon seeing a crack of light while swimming through the tunnel. However, darkness looms ahead, and his oxygen...

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Through the Tunnel

Lessing compares the protagonist's grin to a scar to illustrate its artificial and tainted nature. Jerry's smile is a desperate, insincere attempt to gain acceptance from the other boys after...

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Through the Tunnel

The turning point in Doris Lessing's "Through the Tunnel" occurs when Jerry, the protagonist, decides to swim through the underwater tunnel. This decision marks his commitment to achieving his goal...

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Through the Tunnel

If "Through the Tunnel" were told in first-person narration from Jerry's mother's perspective, it would lack the narrative of Jerry's adventures and focus instead on her anxieties. From Jerry's...

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Through the Tunnel

Jerry is characterized as a boy on the cusp of manhood, torn between his attachment to his widowed mother and his desire for independence. He struggles with guilt when he seeks freedom but ultimately...

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