A coming-of-age story, Doris Lessing's "Through the Tunnel" uses symbols to represent Jerry's state of being and his rite of passage. The tunnel of the large rock under the water out in the "wild bay" symbolically represents this rite because swimming through this long passage requires manly discipline and stamina.Correspondingly, why is it so important for Jerry to swim through the tunnel?
It is very important for Jerry to swim through the tunnel so that he can prove to himself as well as the older boys and his mother that he is not a child.
Subsequently, question is, what does the beach symbolize in through the tunnel? The usual interpretation is that the "safe beach" represents the comfort and security of Jerry's childhood and his mother and the rocky, "wild beach" represents the unknown adolescent future without his mother. The "tunnel" is a challenge or rite of passage or test Jerry must pass to gain access to that future.
People also ask, does Jerry accomplish what he wants by swimming through the tunnel?
After his rejection by the older native boys in the wild bay, Jerry's goal is to accomplish what these boys have done by swimming through the underwater tunnel on his own. In this way, he can attain his own rite of passage.
What is the significance of Jerry's being referred to as the English boy in through the tunnel?
Explanation: By alluding to Jerry as "the English Boy," Lessing coordinates our consideration far from what may make Jerry an individual and causes us to comprehend that he can be translated as a kind of each man character.
Why does Jerry's mother feel she is too protective?
Jerry's mother worries that she is too protective because she feels that she may be causing her son to feel obligated to be with her, a condition which can lead to his loss of independence. Jerry's mother's faith in him allows the boy the opportunity to become independent later.Why is it so important to Jerry to be with?
Expert Answers info Jerry wants to strike out on his own and join in with the other boys as proof that he is old enough to be safe without his mother. When Jerry reaches the rocks, he notices that there is an "edge of white surf" and the shining movement of water over white sand.What is the theme for through the tunnel?
In Through the Tunnel by Doris Lessing we have the theme of connection, isolation, determination, failure, independence, conflict and coming of age. Narrated in the third person by an unnamed narrator the reader realises after reading the story that Lessing may be exploring the theme of connection.What do the goggles symbolize in through the tunnel?
Jerry must first learn how to use goggles and then once that happens, everything looks different. The goggles can therefore really only be seen as symbols of experience gained through trial and error; a mark of maturity.How is Jerry's Beach different from his mother's?
How is Jerry's beach different from his mothers? They are older, tanner, and speak another language. They're friendly at first, but leave when he starts acting silly. His mom tells him not to swim anymore that day and he agrees.Why is Jerry upset?
Jerry cries from fear, embarrassment, frustration, and humiliation. At the beach, Jerry gets permission from his mother to swim away from her over by the rocks, a good distance from her. There he sees native boys, who are older than he, jumping and diving.How does Lessing build suspense in this passage?
Lessing uses suspense and descriptive language when talking about Jerry's attempt to swim. It makes the reader feel a lot of suspense whether Jerry will make it or not and will be able to swim. Lessing uses this strategy when describing Jerry's each attempt to swim.What is the point of view in through the tunnel?
This story is written from a third-person omniscient point of view. The narrator knows Jerry's mother's thoughts and feelings.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.Which of the following is a character trait of Jerry in through the tunnel?
The character traits that described Jerry in the novel ' Through the Tunnel' are COMPETITIVE AND STUBBORN.Can you elaborate on the symbolism in through the tunnel?
The answer is: A. Jerry's passage through the tunnel is symbolic of his passage into manhood.How does Jerry prepare for his task?
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.Why does Jerry insist to his mother that he needs a pair of goggles?
Jerry insisted on being bought a pair of googles after spending the day on the beach because he saw most people at the beach in them, he did not just decide because he saw people, it is also because he saw that they looked cool in them and wanted to also look cool like them.What is Jerry's relationship with his mother in through the tunnel?
Because he has no father, Jerry's mother, perhaps, feels more protective of her son than a married woman would, yet she is "determined to be neither possessive nor lacking in devotion." And, while Jerry feels the loss of his father, he thinks that he must be more attentive to her, acting from an "unfailing impulse ofWhy does Jerry practice holding his breath?
Jerry practices for his rite of passage through the tunnel by conditioning himself to be able to hold his breath. It is important for Jerry to swim through the tunnel, on a literal level, because he wants to be able to fit in with the older, local boys who could do it.Which statement best captures Jerry's accomplishment in through the tunnel?
The statement 'he becomes a man' best captures Jerry's accomplishment in "Through the Tunnel". Explanation: Jerry, the character of a young English boy depicted by Doris Lessing in his short story 'Through the Tunnel' is faced by a number of ups and downs during the course of his life as a young lad.What does a tunnel represent?
Metamorphosis. 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. 
