25 pages 50 minutes read

Doris Lessing

Through the Tunnel

Fiction | Short Story | Adult | Published in 1955

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Symbols & Motifs

The Tunnel

The tunnel is so symbolically central that the story is named after it. Lessing thereby calls readers’ attention to this element before they even enter the narrative. The tunnel’s chief symbolism involves Jerry’s journey into manhood: The journey and the tunnel are one and the same, and only once he makes it through the tunnel is his journey complete. On one side of the tunnel is his boyhood and immaturity, and on the other is manhood and independence. Jerry’s mother never encounters or even knows of this tunnel, as the rite of passage is for Jerry and Jerry alone. This symbol largely expresses the story’s rite-of-passage theme, though it also embodies the self-discipline theme as it becomes the task that he must overcome through self-discipline. The tunnel thus transcends its physical attributes and takes on new meaning as a symbol of manhood, self-discipline, and perseverance.

Swimming Goggles

The swimming goggles that Jerry insists his mother buys for him symbolize the insight or new perspective that is necessary for a transition into adulthood. Before Jerry gets the goggles, he is unable to even view the tunnel that

Related Titles

By Doris Lessing

Study Guide

logo

A Woman on a Roof

Doris Lessing

A Woman on a Roof

Doris Lessing

Plot Summary

logo

Briefing for a Descent Into Hell

Doris Lessing

Briefing for a Descent Into Hell

Doris Lessing

Plot Summary

logo

Martha Quest

Doris Lessing

Martha Quest

Doris Lessing

Study Guide

logo

No Witchcraft for Sale

Doris Lessing

No Witchcraft for Sale

Doris Lessing

Plot Summary

logo

Prisons We Choose to Live Inside

Doris Lessing

Prisons We Choose to Live Inside

Doris Lessing

Plot Summary

logo

The Fifth Child

Doris Lessing

The Fifth Child

Doris Lessing

Study Guide

logo

The Golden Notebook

Doris Lessing

The Golden Notebook

Doris Lessing

Study Guide

logo

The Grass is Singing

Doris Lessing

The Grass is Singing

Doris Lessing

Study Guide

logo

To Room Nineteen

Doris Lessing

To Room Nineteen

Doris Lessing