Through the Tunnel

In the exposition of the story “Through the Tunnel,” Jerry and his mother go to visit a foreign country. The theme in the beginning is maturity. Jerry doesn’t see his attachment to his mother in the beginning. After seeing her laughing at what he thought was humiliating to him, he wanted space to be independent. He desires to fit in with the older boys and wants to feel mature. The older boys look at him like a child or in a childish way. Jerry couldn’t do what the other kids did. He couldn’t swim underwater. He demands goggles so he can see underwater and practice. Jerry swims independently in the bay, and he practices going underwater so that he can be like the older boys. The theme’s conflict is Jerry cannot do what the older native boys do.

        Finally after getting some goggles, he is able to practice his technique for holding his breath underwater longer. He now knows he can hold his breath for two minutes or one hundred twenty seconds straight. Giving the tunnel a last attempt, Jerry is trapped and begins to lose air because of him panicking. He almost dies trying to swim underwater underneath the rocks where the older boys swim by the bay. After having a near death experience, he now knows he isn’t truly grown up. He finally reaches the sea and starts to gasp for breath. The resolution (Denouement) is very emotional because he realizes that he is going to live. Knowing he is not fully grown up, he knows he isn’t ready for roaming around. Jerry stays closer to his mom and agrees with her when she says swimming is out for the day.