As kids grow up they desire to do things that older kids their age could do, in order to show that they are also capable of accomplishing it as well. In the short story, “Through the Tunnel,” by Doris Lessing, she describes an English boy, Jerry, an 11 year old boy who wants his freedom from his single mother to become an adult like the French boys at the beach. Through the characterization of Jerry, Lessing shows that even though you can accomplish and proved that you are like others, at the end it just about accepting yourself. Through the story the characterization of Jerry and his mother change. In the beginning Lessing portrays Jerry’s mother, as a single mother who would rather want her son to be by her side but doesn’t want to be possessive as Lessing mentions in paragraph five. Though Lessing also mentions how Jerry and his mother are both starting to slowing see how they detaching from each but still care for one another, “… he almost ran after her again, feeling unbearable that she should go… She was thinking, of course he’s old enough to be safe without me.” The exposition shows that even though they both would want things to change but eventually it will happen. …show more content…
The characters throughout the story change how the rising point and climax will turn out to be. The characters in a story usually have to decide whether to go down the path of either good or bad. Most of the characters decisions can either benefit the character or could be a disadvantage. Lessing’s character, Jerry wants to be like the big boys and doesn’t really like who he is therefor he wants to fit in with the crowed. He is trying to not only to prove to himself but to the other boys that he could also swim through the tunnel. Even though he is pushing himself very hard is doesn’t care if he gets really bad noise bleed, to him the only thing that matters is to swim through that