Why does Jerry decide to swim through the tunnel?
Like many kids of his age, Jerry wants to be able to do whatever the older boys do. In fact, he views being able to swim through the tunnel in the huge rock as a rite of passage. Initially, for Jerry “to be with them, of them, was a craving that filled his whole body.” He yearns for acceptance by the older boys.
Did Jerry die in through the tunnel?
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.
Why does Jerry feel he has to risk his life and go through the dangerous tunnel?
And, because the rejection of the older boys has made Jerry feel childish and inadequate, he feels he must be able to go through this hole himself as they have done.
What does Jerry do to prepare himself to go through the tunnel?
Jerry practices for his rite of passage through the tunnel by conditioning himself to be able to hold his breath. He obtains swims goggles and practices going underwater and finding the tunnel so that he will know exactly where it is when he swims through it.
What happens to Jerry in the tunnel?
Jerry, a young English boy, and his widowed mother are vacationing at a beach they have come to many times in years past. A strong swimmer, Jerry plunges in and goes so far out that he can see his mother only as a small yellow speck on the other beach.
What happens to Jerry as he nears his date to swim the tunnel?
As he swims through the dark tunnel, “[V]ictory filled him. But, soon his lungs begin to hurt and he know that he must continue in the darkness or drown. Finally, while he lapses in and out of consciousness. Jerry makes his way into the open sea and struggles onto the rock where, exhausted he lies for a time.
How does Jerry feel about himself after swimming through the tunnel?
How does Jerry feel about himself after swimming through the tunnel? He felt proud because he did what he set out to do.
What is Jerry trying to overcome in through the tunnel?
Jerry is jealous of the older boys—he watches them as they swim through a rock in which there is a narrow underwater gap. In an attempt to become equal to them, he begins to persistently practice holding his breath so that he too may swim through the rock.
Why might jerry be stuck counting past 100 and 15?
He felt he was dying.” When Jerry gets stuck on one hundred fifteen, he loses track of how long he’s truly been underwater, and we have no idea how much further he can make it (nor does he know).
What do the boys represent to Jerry?
Expert Answers The older boys, to Jerry, seem like “men,” and they represent his desire to grow up.
Why doesn’t Jerry care about going back to swim in the bay at the end of the story?
The final words in the story best summarise why Jerry did not challenge his mother’s instruction that he should not go swimming any more that day: It was no longer of the least importance to go to the bay. The reason for this is that he had just gone through an extremely difficult trial that he had put himself through.
Why is the journey so dangerous?
Expert Answers This is a dangerous undertaking for many reasons. First, the tunnel is completely underwater, and it is composed of rock. Jerry will have to be able to hold his breath for a very long time—perhaps two minutes or more—and once he is inside the tunnel, there can be no turning around or backing out.
What does a tunnel symbolize?
While tunnels certainly represent journeys, they more often symbolize the passage from one phase of life to another. In its most primal meaning, the tunnel symbolizes the birth canal. Just as a baby evolves and journeys outward, so do characters of a story.
Why is going to the bay no longer of the least important to Jerry?
It was no longer of the least importance to go to the bay. The reason for this is that he had just gone through an extremely difficult trial that he had put himself through. He had almost lost his life and had to overcome his fear and tremendous difficulties to complete the arduous task that he had set himself.
Why does Jerry leave his mother at the beach?
They left him because they thought he was too immature, or so he thought.
What does Jerry do whenever he is in a panic of failure?
Since they now ignore him, he commits a childish act that has always drawn his mother’s attention: And now, in a panic of failure, he yelled up, in English. “Look at me! Look!” and he began splashing and kicking in the water like a foolish dog.
What does a tunnel mean spiritually?
While tunnels certainly represent journeys, they more often symbolize the passage from one phase of life to another. In its most primal meaning, the tunnel symbolizes the birth canal.
What is the main message of Through the Tunnel?
One theme of Doris Lessing’s short story, “Through the Tunnel,” is that growing up is a difficult and sometimes painful process. We see Jerry mature throughout the story, at first nagging and pestering his mother for goggles and later being able to delay gratification for the things he wants.
What does the beach symbolize in through the tunnel?
In Doris Lessing’s “Through the Tunnel” the two beaches symbolize the two parts of Jerry that are in conflict. The safe beach, where his mother relaxes, represents the safety and maternal protection Jerry experiences as a child. It is at the wild beach that he sees the boys swimming through an underwater tunnel.
What does the tunnel symbolize?
