Book Report: Through the Tunnel
Through the Tunnel Analysis
In ‘Through the Tunnel’, symbolism of innocence to maturity is widely portrayed throughout the story. Jerry goes through a tunnel underwater painfully with fear, but starts to reach the end. “An immense, swelling pain filled his head, and then the darkness cracked with an explosion of green light.”(Lessing 338) From the quote, author symbolizes the ‘tunnel’ as a challenge. Jerry goes through a challenge he has feared before. The green light appears as Jerry stands at the edge of ending the journey, meaning that Jerry has gone through the challenges of fear and innocence to maturity. Tunnel can also be said to be a passageway for Jerry to go from a boy who’s always dependent on his mother to mature and independent child.
When Jerry travels to the safe beach and sees his mother, he feels sudden relaxation, while rocky bay is full of challenge and danger. “It seemed to him that long time has passed, and he swam out to where he could see his mother. Yes she was still there, a yellow spot under an orange umbrella.” (Lessing 332) The beach symbolizes Jerry’s childhood, a time when he had to rely on his mother because his innocence and dependency has not left him. Rocky bay symbolizes the difficulties of adulthood, and independence where the danger and challenge lies, which is what Jerry wish for. Jerry’s journey of maturity has been described widely by symbolism, as painful and fearsome situations are described as a challenge while achievement and success of the challenge is symbolized as development of maturity.
In ‘Through the Tunnel’, symbolism of innocence to maturity is widely portrayed throughout the story. Jerry goes through a tunnel underwater painfully with fear, but starts to reach the end. “An immense, swelling pain filled his head, and then the darkness cracked with an explosion of green light.”(Lessing 338) From the quote, author symbolizes the ‘tunnel’ as a challenge. Jerry goes through a challenge he has feared before. The green light appears as Jerry stands at the edge of ending the journey, meaning that Jerry has gone through the challenges of fear and innocence to maturity. Tunnel can also be said to be a passageway for Jerry to go from a boy who’s always dependent on his mother to mature and independent child.
When Jerry travels to the safe beach and sees his mother, he feels sudden relaxation, while rocky bay is full of challenge and danger. “It seemed to him that long time has passed, and he swam out to where he could see his mother. Yes she was still there, a yellow spot under an orange umbrella.” (Lessing 332) The beach symbolizes Jerry’s childhood, a time when he had to rely on his mother because his innocence and dependency has not left him. Rocky bay symbolizes the difficulties of adulthood, and independence where the danger and challenge lies, which is what Jerry wish for. Jerry’s journey of maturity has been described widely by symbolism, as painful and fearsome situations are described as a challenge while achievement and success of the challenge is symbolized as development of maturity.