Through The Tunnel

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Through the Tunnel- critical Evaluation

Choose a short story which deals with the theme of leaving childhood behind and shows how the author puts across this theme by using the craft of the short story.

I have chosen to write about a short story which deals with the theme of leaving childhood behind. It is called “Through the Tunnel” and was written by Doris Lessing.

There is a contrast between the two main settings, the bid, crowded safe beach and the wild, rocky bay. Jerry grows tired of the big safe beach. He notices a wild, rocky bay which intrigues him. The boy and his mother are on holiday in the south of France. They have a villa that they go to every year. Jerry has always gone to the safe beach with his mother.

 “The crowded beach he knew so well from other years”.

As they walk down the path towards the crowded beach jerry stopped at a turning in the path and glanced down at the wild and rocky bay.

 Throughout the story the bay is described as being dangerous and unsafe.

 “Inlets of rough, sharp rock”.

Colours are also used to signify the danger.

 “Stains of purple and darker blue”.

The colours create a sense of danger. The colours are of bruises as if someone had fallen down the sharp and dangerous rocks.

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 “Rocks lay like discoloured monsters”

This simile makes the rocks seem scary as if they might harm or cause damage.

 “Irregular cold currents”

 This describes the atmosphere and feel of the cold, unsafe water.

 In the middle of the story jerry gets a pair of goggles and goes back to the rocky bay. When he goes under the water he sees things in a whole different perspective, everything seems clear like he is seeing it for the first time as if he had fish eyes.

 “The water sparkled as if sequins were dropping through it”

 This simile shows that the ...

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