DORIS LESSING Through the Tunnel

Protagonist Point of View Jerry  Age?  11  Family?  No siblings  Father deceased  Mother  Culture?  British  On “holiday” Third Person - Limited Omniscient  Jerry  The mother  Boys? Through the Tunnel

Point of View: Third Person - Limited Omniscient Jerry  “He was very familiar with that anxious, apologetic smile.” The mother “She was thinking, Of course he’s old enough to be safe without me. Have I been keeping him too close? He musn’t feel he ought to be with me. I must be careful.” Through the Tunnel

Conflict External Internal “And now, in a panic of failure, he yelled up, in English, ‘Look at me! Look!’...” Through the Tunnel “The were big boys—men to Jerry.”

Setting France  British “holiday”  Familiar with beach “…and then to the crowded beach he knew so well from other years.”  Jagged rocks “..wild and rocky bay…” “…among the fanged and angry boulders.”  Villa Through the Tunnel

Symbolism Beach Rocks Through the Tunnel Setting

Symbolism Objects Goggles “Now he could see. It was as if he had eyes of a different world…” Stone Anchor Leaves stone behind “Weapon” Nose Bleed Mark of adulthood “Badge of Courage” Physical sacrifice Tunnel Portal of manhood Between two worlds “Belly of the Beast” Cannot return to previous world “Rebirth” - BIRTH Through the Tunnel

Themes Style Imagery and Similes “It was like a water dance … the water sparkled as if sequins were dropping through it. Fish again —myriads of minute fish, the length of his fingernail[...]he could feel the innumerable tiny touches of them against his limbs. It was like swimming in flaked silver…” Through the Tunnel man vs. nature alienation vs. loneliness boyhood vs. adulthood individual vs. himself Others?