Narrator and point of view

“Through the Tunnel” by Doris Lessing is a third-person narration. The narrator is outside the plot of the story and conveys the events using the characters’ combined point of view.

The story begins by showing readers the setting and the character of the mother using Jerry’s perspective: “The boy watched that white, naked arm, and turned his eyes, which had a frown behind them, toward the bay and back again to his mother.” (ll. 4-5). Because Jerry is the protagonist, most of the narration conveys his point of view on the events:

However, we also get the mother’s perspective and thoughts on Jerry: “She frowned, conscientiously worrying over what amusements he might secretly be longing for which she had been too busy or too careless to imagine.” (ll. 10-11)

Using the characters’ point of view allows the...