Every kid has felt compelled to prove their maturity once, in “Through the tunnel” by Doris Lessing, an eleven year old British boy named Jimmy does just that. The short story symbolizes the maturation that occurs during adolescence in which the boy stays away from his mother on the trip, for what seems like the first time. “He did not ask for permission, on the following day, to go to his beach. He went, before his mother could consider the complicated rights and wrongs of the matter.” The story begins when he leaves his mother to swim in the rough rocky bay, where he sees boys older than him dive down under a rock, and emerge a minute later dozens of meters away. This activates something in him, and becomes the drive that completes him to practice all day for the next three days. He becomes an adolescent in that moment, stubbornly refusing to give up. An interesting aspect of the short story, is also that we get to see what his mother is thinking at a few intervals. “She gave the idea her attention. It was a wild­looking place, and there was no one there; but she said, “Of course, Jerry. When you’ve had enough, come to the big beach. Or just go straight back to the villa, if you like.”Training for the dive takes a toll on him“That night, his nose bled badly. For hours he had been under water, learning to hold his breath, and now he felt weak and dizzy.” but eventually, he swims through the tiny tunnel underneath the rock, it takes him 200 seconds, he enters the until a child, and he leaves it a teenager. “She was ready for a battle of wills, but was surprised when he gave in at once. It was no longer of the least importance to go to the bay.” When at first he was scared to leave his mother’s side, now it is almost natural, he’ll still find it hard to leave the house, but that’s still a few years away.

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