In the short story, "Through The Tunnel." written by Doris Lessing, the eleven-year-.
old boy Jerry, is going through the different stages from childhood to manhood, which .
changes his character. He goes through this rite of passage by separating from his safe .
mother, by disciplining himself to reach his goal and by courageously overcoming his fears .
to become a whole new person.
In the beginning of the story, Jerry is portrayed as a young boy who is still very .
much attached to his mother. He would accompany her to the "safe beach"(Lessing 67,50 for .
the routine of swimming and sunbathing with his mommy. The young "English boy" shows .
early signs of transition by not wanting to stay at the "big beach"( 67,50) and going .
to the "wild and rocky bay"( 67,50). This represents Jerry wanting to explore the .
wonders and dangers of manhood. "He saw that it spread among small promontories and .
inlets of rough sharp rock and the crisping, lapping surface showed stains of purple and .
darker blue"( 67,50). Even though the boy is alone he still needs the security of his .
mother to fall back on. "There she was a speck of yellow underneath the umbrella.".
(67,51). Jerry was torn between being independent and having the security of his mother, .
"Relieved at being sure she was there but all at once feeling lonely". ( 67,51). Jerry .
also wanted to fit in, be a part of a crowd, to have someone older to look up to, "to be .
with them, of them was a craving that filled his whole body. ( 67,51). The local boys saw .
Jerry as a "foreigner" but the protagonist sees the boys as role models due to the loss of .
his father and his need for manly direction. "They were big boys-men, to Jerry" ( 67,51). .
There was no one to teach Jerry how to become a man so these big boys substituted that .
void. "He was an only child. She was a widow"( 67,50). Jerry's separation from .
his mother is one the many steps to manhood, which leads into maturity.
By disciplining himself to reach his personal goal, Jerry is at the beginning of his .
