Venturing into the tunnel requires Jerry to possess a certain level of physical strength which he is not capable of displaying when he first visits the rocky bay. He spends a majority of his time and effort dedicated to pursuing the strength necessary to accomplish his goal of passing through the tunnel, pushing his body so hard that “his nose bled so badly ... he turned dizzy and had lie limply over the big rock.” (pg 3) His desire to be equal in strength to the older boys is so strong it allows him to push his body with a profound vigor seldom observed in a boy of his age. Most boys his age would see swimming through the tunnel as impossible and give up after realizing they do not have the lung capacity or strength to accomplish such a grueling task. However, Jerry forces himself to work through the low points so he can achieve something that he can take pride in. Doing so demonstrates his understanding of his own potential and power as well as his ability to comprehend that sometimes you need to suffer for a short time in order to prosper or succeed later on.
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At the start of the vacation Jerry is portrayed as childish and argumentative, but once he completes his journey through the tunnel he realizes that it is not worth it to be so demanding and insistent with his mother. She, in turn, realizes that he has matured and grown when she is “ready for a battle of wills” (pg 5) from Jerry due to his tendency to know what he wants and when he wants it, which can be seen when he “nagged and pestered her until she went with him” to buy goggles (pg 2), but instead is met with a peaceful surrender. His journey presents him with patience, gained from the time invested in preparing for his journey, as well as an independence from his mother, acquired by the completion of a challenge without her
At the start of the vacation Jerry is portrayed as childish and argumentative, but once he completes his journey through the tunnel he realizes that it is not worth it to be so demanding and insistent with his mother. She, in turn, realizes that he has matured and grown when she is “ready for a battle of wills” (pg 5) from Jerry due to his tendency to know what he wants and when he wants it, which can be seen when he “nagged and pestered her until she went with him” to buy goggles (pg 2), but instead is met with a peaceful surrender. His journey presents him with patience, gained from the time invested in preparing for his journey, as well as an independence from his mother, acquired by the completion of a challenge without her