Through The Tunnel Symbolism

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Often, younger generations rush to mature to prove that they fit in. Through the use of characterization and symbolism, Doris Lessing emphasizes that the road to manhood has many obstacles. The choices made upon the arrival at these obstacles determines where a person lands on the maturation scale.
Through “Through the Tunnel,” Lessing uses symbolism to emphasize how past experiences can affect maturity. Jerry, an 11 year old boy, finds older kids that he looks up to. The older boys, as Jerry describes them, are all “burned smooth dark brown.” Lessing portrays the older boys as having darker skin than Jerry and his mother. The difference in skin color implies that the older boys have something that Jerry doesn’t have, but he is determined …show more content…

In “Through the Tunnel,” Jerry practically wants to be the older boys. Through the use of 3rd person point of view, the story states, “They were big boys, men, to Jerry. He felt he was accepted. He was with them.” This quote indicates that Jerry does not have an older male role model in his life since his father died. He looks up to the brown boys and aspires to be them. Once he completed the task of swimming through the tunnel just like the other boys, the narrator states, “Victory filled him [Jerry].” This quote reiterates that since Jerry had swum through the tunnel, he felt that that moment in his life had grown him into a man. As already mentioned before, Jerry is 11 years old; however, he seems to want to mature faster than he should. For example, “I want some swimming googles… But now, now, now! He [Jerry] must have them this minute, and no other time.” This quote illustrates that even though Jerry is trying to develop his sense of maturity, he is still juvenile based on his actions. Finally, Jerry quickly learns that maturity occurs naturally. For example, “He didn’t want them. It was no longer of the least importance to go to the bay.” Jerry was finally was one of the older boys after seeing his brown skin, but he realized that he wasn’t ready to be one of them. In conclusion, these quotes illustrate how the characterization of Jerry led to his struggles with maturity and experience.

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