Through the Tunnel by Dorris Lessing

1.SETTING

place : On the beach and in the sea in the foreign country

Time : During Summer season

2.PLOT SUMMARY

The story revolves around a young boy by the name Jerry,who had decided to swim through the tunnel as other big boys were doing.Besides his though,he didn't knew if he would do it.After he shows the boys he has the guts to jump off the rock, he wants to prove that he is man enough to swim through the tunnel in the rock as tey were doing. Although, those big boys were not able to communicate with Jerry due to language barrier,he decided to accomplish this feat to maintain his pride as man.Jerry knew at first, that he would not be able to swim throughout the tunnel without taking a breath of air, so he did exercises that overcomed this constraint.So,Jerry convinced his mother to buy him goggles, which he needed to see where the tunnel begins because without them he could not see very well.On the day before Jerry and his mother were leaving for home, Jerry decided that it was the time to show what he was made of, and swim through the tunnel. He put on his googles,fitted them tight,tested the vacuum and dived. At first he felt like an "inflated balloon", he could hold his breath forever, but as the tunnel became darker,he started to panic and lose his control. Jerry kept swimming and counting the seconds, until he came to a point with a darkness up ahead with an expoltion of green light and no more oxygen left in his system. He thought he was going to die. Eventually, Jerry saw a light in the distance, and he swam to the surface. Although his nose was bleeding, and he was in extreme pain, Jerry has proved to himself what he was capable of doing.Jerry swam to the shore  and climbed slowly up the path leeding to villa.

3. MAIN CHARACTER : Jerry

Jerry is an eleven-year old English boy,who went for vacation with his mother on a beach.Jerry's mother was a widow and she sometimes overprotective.Jerry  had attempted to make friends with some older boys who were on the beach.In an attempt to become equal to them, he begins to persistently practice holding his breath so that he too may swim through the rock. He was determined to be able to hold his breath for a sufficient time so he can accomplish this feat.Jerry was jealousy older boys who were swimming through the tunnel,something he could not do.