Symbolism In Through The Tunnel, By Doris Lessing

There comes a time in life where everyone must learn to grow up and face the challenges that come their way. In the short story “Through the Tunnel,” Doris Lessing symbolizes change and blossoming into adolescence by having a young boy, Jerry, step out of his comfort zone, which is represented by the safe beach and gaining independence, which is characterized through the wild bay. Also, throughout this piece of literature, the use of symbolism is often demonstrated through these two locations, as well as creating a story behind a simple act of going through a tunnel, which represents a test for the future. To begin, the safe beach acts as a beloved home and represents Jerry’s childhood, while the wild bay helps symbolize Jerry’s coming of age. During the beginning of the story, Jerry is a scared, young boy who is constantly by his mother’s side, revealing Jerry is still a growing boy who needs a guardian to help protect him. His mother is scared of losing her little boy, but she questions herself, saying, “Of course he’s old enough to be safe without me. Have I been keeping him too close? He mustn’t feel he ought to be with me. I must be careful” (402). Jerry’s mother and the safe beach both act as a secure home, but they both prevent Jerry from expanding his horizons and growing up. Also, the safe beach acts as a sheltered life of a child; it keeps Jerry inviolable from the precarious parts of the world. Later, Jerry finds himself wanting a new source of adventure, so he

Also, the final passage through the tunnel acts as a test of life, revealing if Jerry can uphold the challenges that may come his way as an adult. All three of these locations symbolize something different, but they all help shape Jerry into a new, confident