Question

In at least 100 words, explain how Lessing's "Through the Tunnel" may be read as a story about a boy's rite of passage into manhood.

Answer 1

"Through the Tunnel" tells the story of Jerry, who is on vacation with his mother. Though he is only a young boy, the story can be read about his passage into manhood.

While he is at the beach, he sees a group of older boys swimming. At times they appear to be diving, because they go under the water for a bit without immediately coming back up. When they do come up for air, they are on the other side of a large rock. Jerry realizes they must be swimming through an underwater tunnel. He feels ashamed he is unable to follow them and vows he will do it too.

He begins to practice holding his breath but this causes his nose to bleed and he feels sick. He is afraid and wants to give up. At this point, the end of their vacation is getting closer, and Jerry knows the time is now. Basically, he's afraid to do it and he's afraid not to do it.

Eventually, Jerry jumps into the water and swims through the tunnel. He's afraid but he keeps going anyway. After a few minutes he appears on the other side -- he's accomplished his goal and feels triumphant.

This quite literally mimics a boy moving into adulthood. He has set a challenge for himself and is scared by the thought of it. Likewise, growing up is challenging and scary. He has moments when he thinks he cannot possibly continue, but he does. Growing up is the same way.
 
At the end of the story, he emerges on the other side a new person -- one who has moved through his fear and is now triumphant. In this way, swimming through the tunnel symbolizes a boy growing into a man.

Answer 2

Answer & Explanation:

In "Through the Tunnel," a boy is in a foreign land and must overcome his fear of the tunnel. He also wants to impress the other boys, but more than that, he wants to impress himself. The way in which Jerry swims through the tunnel can be also be seen symbolically as his passage into manhood. In fact, by the end of the story, Jerry even changes as a person. It is no longer important to go to the bay since he has overcome his fear. It could be said that by the end of the story, Jerry has become a man.

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