The Significance Of Figurative Language In Through The Tunnel By Doris Lessing

In the short story, “Through the Tunnel” by Doris Lessing, the author uses vivid language to show the significance of a passage for the work as a whole. Lessing conveys themes, includes imagery, and uses figurative language to bring out the meaning of the themes of the story.
First, Lessing conveys two important themes in the story. These themes involve determination and curiosity. “Then one, and then another of the boys came up on the far side of the barrier of rock, and he understood that they had swum through some gap or hole in it.” (2) This passage shows Jerry’s curiosity about the barrier of rock, and what the boys were doing. Jerry’s curiosity can also be seen in paragraph 14, “Jerry dived, shot past the school of underwater swimmers, saw a black wall of rock looming at him, touched it, and bobbed up at once to the

surface, where the wall was a low barrier he could see across.

There was no one visible; under him, in the water, the dim shapes of the swimmer had disappeared.” (2) This passage shows that Jerry was curious about where the boys were swimming to, and truly wanted to understand. In paragraph 22, Jerry also shows his determination, “Again and again he groped over the surface of the rock, feeling it, almost hugging it in the desperate need to find the entrance. And then, once, while he was clinging to the black wall, his knees came up and shot his feet out forward and they met no obstacle. He had found the hole.” (3) This section shows Jerry’s determination in finding the gap in the barrier. His determination can also be seen in paragraph 14, “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.” (2) Jerry was determined to win the approval of the boys. These passages of curiosity and determination help to convey the themes which are that curiosity can make a person do dangerous things, and determination can make a person reach out of their comfort zone.
Imagery is also used to make the passage significant for the whole work. In paragraph 13, Lessing writes, “After a long time, the boy came up on the other side of a big dark, letting the air out of his lungs in a sputtering gasp and a shout of triumph.” (2) This imagery allows the reader to understand the difficulty of the task the boys completed, and allows the reader to understand Jerry’s uncomfortable position he was put in because of his determination. In paragraph 21, Lessing writes, “Water sparkled as if sequins were dropping through it.” (3) This sentence shows the curiosity of Jerry, and further puts the setting in the reader’s eye. Finally, figurative language is used to allow the reader to compare an event, object, or character to something in the real world. For example, in paragraph 14, the author writes, “And now, in a panic of failure, we yelled up, in English, ‘Look at me! Look!’ and he began splashing and kicking in the water like a foolish dog.” (2) The phrase ‘like a foolish dog’ allows the reader to understand that Jerry is determined to be friends with the boys, even if that means making himself look like a fool. In paragraph 22, “(Jerry) shot his feet forward and they met no obstacle. He had found the hole.” (3) This sentence is a hyperbole; Jerry’s feet didn’t really ‘shoot’ forward, but it helped the reader to picture Jerry’s desperate attempt to find his way through.
In the story, “Through the Tunnel” by Doris Lessing, the author uses figurative language, imagery, and conveys themes to help the reader understand the passages and better understand the story.