Every human being on this planet eventually goes through the unpleasant phase of adolescence. Growing up is something that we all dread, yet also secretly hope to do. We’d all love to stay children but we also want to grow up and become adults. The short story, “Through the Tunnel,” follows Jerry on his journey into adulthood. The author, Doris Lessing, uses literary elements such as symbolism and imagery to portray the message that maturing is never easy. During Jerry’s transition, he goes through a phase where he tries to live up to other people’s expectations. He sees a group of big boys and when he realizes that they passed through a tunnel underwater, he wants to be like them too because he doesn’t want to be “little” anymore.That day
