Adolescence is a stage in life that someone goes from being a child to a young adult. It is a period of dramatic rapid changes in life and it is definitely a difficult and confusing time in life. And for some, the stage of adolescence may be more dramatic than others. We see this in the short story “Through the Tunnel” by Doris Lessing when an 11-year-old boy named Jerry goes on a beach vacation with his mother. On this trip, he met these native boys and he would try to do anything to impress them. To do so, he set himself a goal to go through a dark tunnel that the native boys were able to go through. In this challenge of going through the tunnel Jerry went through, the author demonstrated the challenges one goes through in adolescence through characterization and symbolism. When Jerry met the native boys the author used characterization by telling us how Jerry felt at the moment he met them. As quoted from the story Jerry had a feeling “To be with them, of them, was a craving that filled his whole body” ( Lessing 358). In this sentence Jerry desperately wanted …show more content…
As quoted from the story “And yet, as he ran, he looked back over his shoulder at the wild bay; and all morning, as he played on the safe beach, he was thinking of it” (Lessing 356). When the author uses this, tension as it emerges in the first paragraph of the story when the “wild and rocky bay” is contrasted with the “safe beach.” When Jerry looked back at the “safe beach” and was going to the “ wild bay” he was letting go of childhood and was on to the stage of adolescence. The “wild and rocky bay” is to represent the stage of adolescents. She specifically used these two very descriptive words because adolescents is a time where times are rough and tumultuous. In contrast, Dorris used “safe beach” which symbolized childhood. She used the word “safe” because childhood is a time where one is protected and mostly
The two stories "Brothers are the Same" by Beryl Markham and "Through the Tunnel" by Doris Lessing are both about growing up and entering adulthood. "Brothers are the Same" about a boy named Temas trying to prove he was tough and could be called an adult. In a similar situation in "Through the Tunnel" a young boy named Jerry is determined to go through an underwater tunnel that he saw some older French boys go through. He wants to accomplish this goal to prove to himself that he could do it . The two stories share a similar theme, but the authors perspective on the topic differ.
n the short story, Tunnel by Sarah Ellis, humour is used to reflect the struggles of adolescence and the overall theme of change, maturity and growth overtime. The first use of humour as a form of criticism of adolescents is when the protagonist realizes that he is not properly trained to babysit his new child, Elizabeth or lb. He is shocked at the drastic different styles of play from his previous child. “In my babysitting course at the community centre they taught us about first aid, diapering, nutritious snacks and how to jump your jollies out. They did not teach Barbies.” The author uses juxtaposition and humour to criticizes the inherent pride that the youth carry with them about their knowledge. For example, the protagonist is prideful
“Tunnel” by Sarah Ellis is about a sixteen-year old boy who is looking for a job. He gets a job as a babysitter, and has to look after a girl name Elizabeth, Ib for short. Ib and Ken go for an exploration mission, as he calls it, ending up at a recognizable place from Ken's childhood. Ib enters this place, endangers herself, and requires assistance from Ken. Ken and Ib hear voices that will only disappear upon hearing Ken and Ib’s real name. Ken helps Ib, and they leave, trying to forget about the traumatic experience. This story was able to positively depict the elements of a short story through the point of view, theme, and the mood of the story.
Adolescence is filled with confusion, struggle, existential crises and questions; a time of transition that defines our future identity. Published in the 1950s and 1960s respectively, The Catcher in the Rye and The Bell Jar sparked controversy with their themes of sexuality, mental illness, commentary on culture, and their reflection of adolescence. Their protagonists seventeen year-old Holden Caulfield and nineteen year-old Esther Greenwood both undergo severe breakdowns in adolescence, causing them to question the moral values of the society they live in. Metaphors, characterisation, symbolism, repetition and structure are utilised by J. D. Salinger and Sylvia Plath to emphasise the inner conflict adolescents undergo to relate to their peers
Every single person on earth has gone through the stage of middle childhood in their lives; it is inevitable. This stage is an important time in an individual’s life as it provides them the opportunity to experience new challenges and to make new friends and relationships. Middle childhood is a time of slow yet steady growth of a person in the aspects of physical, mental, and emotional development. In the movie The Sandlot, the young boys show visible signs of school-age development which include the concept of self-esteem, showing interests in the opposite sex, and overcoming challenges. While there are many other things that imply development in school-age children, these three topics are the most prominent in the film.
What risks are worth taking? In the story “Through the Tunnel” by Doris Lessing, Jerry is a young boy who has always done what he is told, always followed the rules and always been very eager to please his mother. When Jerry decides he is sick of the old familiar beach, he wants something new and exciting. Jerry wants to be independent and show his mother and himself what he is capable of accomplishing. Jerry makes a very believable character because of these emotions and traits. He has emotions and feelings just like regular people even though he is fictional.
In the story Through The Tunnel, Doris Lessing shows Jerry's transformation from childhood to adulthood. This maturity is shown in multiple ways.
The usual interpretation is that the "safe beach" represents the comfort and security of Jerry's childhood and his mother and the rocky, "wild beach" represents the unknown adolescent future without his mother. The "tunnel" is a challenge or rite of passage or test Jerry must pass to gain access to that future.
Joel Knox, a young boy off to meet his father for the first time and encounters some really interesting people on his way and while there. The theme Coming of age is presented in the novel as Joel establishes a relationship with his stepmother’s cross dressing homosexual cousin Randolph and realizes that he too is homosexual. The relationship that he forms with Randolph is an important relationship Joel has while living with his father. It is a relationship that he longed to have with his father but unfor...
Adolescence is the stage in life when you are no longer a child, but not yet an adult. There are many things that still need to be explored, learned and conquered. In the film Thirteen, the main character, Tracy Freeland, is just entering adolescence. While trying to conquer Erikson’s theory of Identity vs. Role confusion, Tracy is affected by many influences, including family and friends that hinder her development. Many concepts from what we have learned in class can be applied to this character from identity development, to depression, to adolescent sexuality and more. In this film Tracy is a prime example of an adolescent and much of what I have learned this year can be applied to her character.
Adolescence. The point in life where the world´s biggest problems begin. Two authors Jean Davies Okimoto of “My Favorite Chaperone” and Alma Luz Villanueva of “Golden Glass” written a narrative about two adolescents who experiences the situations of the world. As they use Maya the main dynamic character of “My Favorite Chaperone” and Ted the main dynamic character of “Golden Glass” both ventures through the trials of their families and their social reputation.
The stories “Brothers are the Same” by Beryl Markham and “Through the Tunnel” by Doris Lessing share common themes throughout the stories, yet are based on two vastly different cultures. Both stories have their main characters going through a rite of passage, both in their own ways, so how do they compare? Well first it is important to know the background of these two stories.
In Doris Lessing’s “Through the Tunnel”, she uses Jerry’s journey in order to show the audience how maturity happens at one point, no matter the age. In the story “Through the Tunnel”, Jerry’s journey describes him going from childhood to manhood and becoming mature. In the story Lessing writes, “To be with them, of them, was a craving that filled his whole body”(2). Jerry explains the way he felt towards the boys which was unexplainable to him. This is the beginning of when Jerry starts acting differently and realizes new things about himself, for the audience this is the first sign of Jerry closing the door from childhood and opening the door to manhood. Therefore, Jerry expresses his feelings towards the boys to show maturity and to take a stand for his feelings. Throughout the journey the audience receives more details in the steps Jerry takes to maturity.
The tunnel represents the journey that comes with being mature and independent or a rite of passage. Growing up there are going to be ups and downs. Everyone will face conflict especially the older and more mature we become. When Jerry was swimming through the tunnel, it was described as, “He felt he was dying. He was no longer quite conscious. He struggled on in the darkness between lapses into unconsciousness” (Lessing 366). In the tunnel he was in a major conflict, trying to get through the tunnel to save his life. The conflict in the tunnel represents the conflict one will experience in life and growing up. When the mom asked Jerry to take a break from swimming, it says, “She was ready for a battle of wills, but he gave in at once. It was no longer of the least importance to go to the bay” (Lessing 366). This symbolically shows that Jerry knows his place in life right now. Jerry is a kid and shouldn’t rush to be independent, and needs to stay on the “beach” and be dependent on his mother.
Interesting would be a great word to describe the article “The Light at the end of the Tunnel”, by Xavier Mc-lrath-Bey. He wrote a personal narrative for a large range of different people. When reading through this, my eyes were astonished when analyzing every paragraph of the read. Not many people are very educated about Juveniles in adult prisons, as a matter of fact, I never knew that was such a thing. It was very intrigued and interested in what Xavier had to say. Readers would most likely not want to put this article down. Xavier posted this on a blog that eventually reached many social media sites such as Facebook, twitter, YouTube, and Huff Post Crime. The title was labeled community letter. Xavier was convicted of first-degree murder