Setting

The short story “Through the Tunnel” by Doris Lessing is set in a foreign country at the seaside, where the English characters usually spend their holidays: “…the crowded beach he knew so well from other years.” (l. 3). The fact that the main character Jerry says some random French words to a group of local boys suggest that the events might take place in France: “ ‘Bonjour! Merci! Au revoir! Monsieur, monsieur!’ ” (l. 94)

The story was published in 1955. Doris Lessing does not give any details that suggest a particular time setting, which indicates that it is supposed to be contemporary to the time of writing.

Physical setting

The short story includes extensive descriptions of the physical setting, using Jerry’s perspective. The events take place on two beaches and at the villa where the characters are staying. The initial seaside landscape is described using words like: “wild and rocky bay” (l. 2), “crowded beach” (l. 3), “wild-looking place” (l. 21), “red-brown rocks” (l. 34), etc.

The two beaches are described in antithesis. The beach where Jerry goes with his mother is filled with people, suggesting man’s control over nature. The other beach is in a wild and rocky bay, symbolising nature that needs to be conquered (from Jerry’s point of view).

The wild bay is described in vivid, colourful details:

From where he was, high up among red-brown rocks, it was a scoop of moving bluish green fringed with white. As he went lower, he saw that it spread among small promontories and inlets of rough, sharp rock, and the crisping, lapping surface showed stains of purple and darker blue. Finally, as he ran sliding and scraping down the last few yards, he saw an edge of white surf, and the shallow, lumin...