He wants to be independent and explore the other beach.
Why does Jerry leave his mother at the beach?
He wants to be independent and explore the other beach.
How does Jerry react to his mother telling him not to swim for the rest of the day?
Jerry tells his mother that he can stay underwater for 2-3 minutes and she tells him that he shouldn’t swim anymore that day. How does he respond? He gave in at once because going to the bay was no longer important to him.
Why does Jerry keep this feat from his mother through the tunnel?
Jerry does not tell his mother about the feat he has accomplished—swimming all the way through the underwater tunnel through the rock—because he understands it would make his mother very worried about him. … Telling her about the tunnel would only make her worry more.How has Jerry changed in the course of this story Why is going to the bay no longer of the least importance?
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.
How does Jerry feel at the end of the story through the tunnel?
When the boys ignore him, diving underwater and swimming through a tunnel in a rock, Jerry becomes determined to do the same and spends the remainder of the story preparing to perform this task. By the end of the story, Jerry has proved his abilities to himself, and no longer seeks the approval of the older boys.
How does Jerry's journey end?
The tunnel represents Jerry’s passageway from youth to maturity, a symbolic journey from boyhood to manhood. In the end, Jerry’s climatic swim through the dark, dangerous tunnel proves his strength and endurance. Jerry’s boyish ways are cast off and his manhood is embraced. Finally…
How is Jerry described in through the tunnel?
Jerry is the main character in the short story. His outer characterisation reveals that he is a “young English boy”, “an only child, eleven years old”. We also know that he does not have a father, as his mother is a widow. Jerry is on holiday with his mother in another country and he does not speak the local language.What is Jerry's relationship with his mother?
Jerry’s relationship with his mother is complicated. She does her best to raise him how she wants, but then finds herself worrying over what amusements he might secretly be longing for (Lines 10-12). His mother was the one to open up the door to Jerry’s tunnel encounter.
How does Jerry get to the entrance of the tunnel?In “Through the Tunnel,” how does Jerry get to the entrance of the tunnel? He holds onto a heavy rock to push himself down. He dives down from the highest point on the rocks. He pulls his way down by gripping a rock wall above the tunnel.
Article first time published onWhy do you think Jerry wants to go to the wild bay instead of the beach he is used to?
To Jerry, the wild bay represents adventure, danger, and an opportunity to exert his individuality. In previous years, Jerry has always stayed on the sandy beach with his mother. To him, the beach possibly represents safety, comfort, and the unyielding sense of being tied to his mother’s apron strings.
How is Jerry's beach different from his mother's?
How is Jerry’s beach different from his mother’s? 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 does Jerry cry after his first dive into the bay?
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. … In his immaturity and frustration, Jerry acts like a clown in order to recapture their attention.
What does this suggest about how Jerry has changed?
The eleven-year-old Jerry changes his personality during his adventure. The challenges of diving through the tunnel change Jerry’s character. He turns from cowardly to brave, overprotected to independent, and childish to mature. In short, the adventure changes his personality.
Why does Jerry so desperately want a pair of goggles?
Though he understands that he may never befriend the group of boys, Jerry still wants to figure out the mystery of swimming through this tunnel. As an outsider to the area, he has to use goggles to see where the boys already know to swim, and a heavy rock to reach a depth they have no trouble diving to.
Why does the Bay draw Jerry's attention what does it represent to him explain?
For Jerry, the wild bay seems to represent adulthood and maturity. He’s a young adolescent, and so it seems natural that he no longer wants to accompany his mother to their usual, “safe beach,” the beach they’ve always gone to in the past.
What conflict arises within Jerry and his mother at the beginning of the story?
At the beginning of the story, Jerry is torn between exploring the “wild and rocky bay” and spending time with his mother on the “crowded beach he knows so well.” Jerry is only eleven years old. He is the only child of his widowed mother, and therefore, is understandably protective toward her.
What steps does Jerry take to prepare for the swim in the story through the tunnel?
Expert Answers 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.
How does Jerry feel about 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 breakthroughs Does Jerry achieved by the story's end?
He trains himself to hold his breath, and by the end of the story, he manages the feat. It has required pain and the loss of blood, a symbol of the price he has to pay to grow-up. Through this rite of passage, Jerry literally swims through the tunnel from childhood to manhood.
What important lesson did Jerry learn about himself?
Jerry learns an important lesson about proving himself in ‘Through the Tunnel. ‘ Desperate to fit in and relieve his lonely feeling, Jerry slips away from his mother and finds the company of native boys near an arrangement of rocks away from the main beach.
What does the tunnel symbolize in through the tunnel?
The tunnel represents Jerry’s passageway from youth to maturity, a symbolic journey from boyhood to manhood. By proving himself worthy, Jerry is showing the world that he is no longer a child. In the end, Jerry’s climatic swim through the dark, dangerous tunnel proves his strength and endurance.
What are the two opposing forces in Jerry's internal conflict?
First of all, Jerry is fighting both against himself and his mother. On one hand, he wants to please his mother while wanting to be independent. On the other hand, the other conflict is with…show more content…
What is the theme of 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.
How does Jerry prepare for his big test?
How is Jerry’s preparation unlike the real test? He sleeps the rest of the day. His mom tells him not to swim anymore that day and he agrees.
What is Jerry's family situation through the tunnel?
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.
Which word best describes Jerry's journey through the tunnel?
The diction, or word choice, of Doris Lessing’s description of Jerry’s swim through the tunnel is suspenseful as it creates anticipation of Jerry’s successful passage, and the sense of danger is certainly created through the selective use of certain words.
How is Jerrys growth and evolving maturity reflected in his relationship with his mother?
Jerry’s growth and evolving maturing is reflected in his relationship with his mother by the presence of a new distance between the two. His mother’s approval and love is no longer enough for him, and he seeks acceptance in a group of older boys who he meets while on vacation.
What is Jerry's mother's reaction when Jerry says that he can hold his breath for 3 or 4 minutes?
What is Jerry’s mother’s reaction when Jerry says that he can hold his breath for 3 or 4 minutes? She does not believe him, and tells him not to overdo it.
What hints of conflict between Jerry and his mother appear in the story's exposition?
1) jerry is introduced as “english,” indicating that him and his mother are in a foreign country. 2) although jerry denies wanting to go with his mother, he looks over his shoulder at the bay while he runs behind her.
Why was the adventure necessary for Jerry?
The quote refers to the instance when the adventure that is so necessary to Jerry is brought closer. Why is the adventure necessary to Jerry? It is to prove that he can, literally, swim with the big boys, that he has left his childish ways behind, and that he is ready to navigate new challenges and conflicts in life.
