In the short story "Through the Tunnel" Jerry is with his mother at the beach when he sees the other boys disappear. He later learns they have gone through an underground tunnel someplace else. He is curious where they have gone and wants to go. However, getting through the tunnel had proven difficult, so he prepares himself.
The safe beach is his childhood where his mother is present to nurture and protect him.
The wild beach is stepping out into the world. It is the risk that all adolescents take. He challenges himself just as boys do to become men.
The tunnel is the journey from childhood towards manhood.
The tunnel trip is the accomplishment that shows that he can over come adversity in order to win his role as a man. His mother will never be able to understand the significance of the trip.
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