Themes and message

The main theme of the story “Through the tunnel” is coming of age, which means becoming an adult, typically as a result of an event or a rite of passage.

The message of Doris Lessing's story is that the transition to adulthood can often be painful and challenging, and that it is usually a private experience that others are excluded from or cannot understand.

Coming of age (rites of passage)

The story explores the theme of transition to adulthood through Jerry, the main character. Set on the beaches of a foreign country, the narrative follows 11-year-old Jerry as he conquers his fears by going through the dangerous experience of swimming through an underwater tunnel, after he sees some local boys doing it.

In the beginning of the story, Jerry is still a child torn between the safety of his mother’s protection and his need for autonomy. This need for independence is conveyed through the fact that Jerry wants to go to a wild beach alone. Jerry meets some older local boys there whom he wants to befriend and whom he sees as men. The fact Jerry wants to be like the boys suggests he wants to become an adult and be accepted as such by his peers.

Failing to go through an underwater rock tunnel like the local boys did triggers Jerry’s determination and ambition. The story follows him as he looks for the hole in the rock and trains every day to hold his breath long enough to pass through it. He goes through this process al...