GUIDE FOR READING

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Atmosphere is the mood or the overall feeling in a story. A v.

may establish atmosphere by describing specific details of the
ting in order to create a desired effect. For example, describi a
dark night, the noise of the wind, and tire appearance of light .d .

shadows will create an atmosphere of suspense and prepare yc :o

be frightened by the action. Dialogue and action may also contrI e
to the atmosphere.

Doris Lessing
(1919— ) was born in Per This story is about a boy who works hard to achieve a goal.
sia (now Iran) of British par goal would you like to attain? Using the format you see below
ents and raised in a remote your goal in a box. On the lines pointing to the box, list the wa,
area of southern Africa. She which you intend to reach your goal (use more than three hr.
left school at fifteen and had necessary). Then, as you read the story. evaluate what Jerry c
a variety of jobs, including chil to achieve his objective.
dren’s nurse, telephone oper
ator, and typist. She moved to
England in 1949 and pub
lished her first novel, The
Grass Is Singing, the following
year. Most of Lessing’s work
centers on social and political
questions. “Through the Tun Knowing the following words will help you as you read ‘Thr
nel,” however, focuses on the the Tunnel,”
inner life of a single child. (kn trish n) n.. A shrn) n: The act of a..
feeling of remorse for having humbly and earnestly (p
done something wrong (p. 147) (frànd) n.: A leaflike
(pram’ n tOr of seaweed (p. 150)
ez) n. High places extending (kn vul siv)
out over a body of water (p Marked by an involuntary..
147) cular contraction (p. 152)
(loO m ns) adj. (gout) n: A spurt. s. .“

Giving ott light (p. 147) a glob (p 153)

isup b ka’

146 Slio,i Stories

 Through the Tunnel
Doris Lessing

Going to the shore on the first morning path with her, he blurted out, “I’d like to go
of the vacation, the young English boy and have a look at those rocks down there.”
stopped at a turning of the path and looked She gave the idea her attention. It was a
down at a wild and rocky bay, and then over wild-looking place, and there was no one
to the crowded beach he knew so well from there; but she said, “Of course, Jerry. When
other years. His mother walked on in front you’ve had enough, come to the big beach.
of him, carrying a bright striped bag in one Or just go straight back to the villa, if you
hand Her other arm, swinging loose, was like.” She walked away, that bare arm, now
very white In the sun. The boy watched that slightly reddened from yesterday’s sun,
white, naked arm, and turned his eyes, swinging. And he almost ran after her
which had a frown behind them, toward the again, feeling it unbearable that she should
bay and back again to his mother. When she go by herself, but he did not.
felt he was not with her, she swung around. She was thinking, Of course he’s old
“Oh, there you are, Jerry!” she said. She enough to be safe without me. Have I been
looked Impatient, then smiled. “Why, dar keeping him too close? He mustn’t feel he
ling, would you rather not come with me? ought to be with me. I must be careful.
Would you rather—” She frowned, consci He was an only child, eleven years old.
entiously worrying over what amusements She was a widow. She was determined to be
he might secretly be longing for, which she neither possessive nor lacking in devotion.
had been too busy or too careless to imagine. She went worrying off to her beach.
He was very familiar with that anxious, As for Jerry, once he saw that his moth
apologetic smile. Contrition sent him run er had gained her beach, he began the steep
ning after her. And yet, as he ran, he looked descent to the bay. From where he was, high
back over his shoulder at the wild bay; and up among red-brown rocks, it was a scoop of
all morning, as he played on the safe beach, moving bluish green fringed with white. As
he was thinking of it. he went lower, he saw that it spread among
Next morning, when It was time for the small promontorles and inlets of rough,
routine of swimming and sunbathing, his sharp rock, and the crisping, lapping sur
mother said, “Are you tired of the usual face showed stains of purple and darker
beach, Jerry? Would you like to go some blue. Finally, as he ran sliding and scraping
where else?” down the last few yards, he saw an edge of
‘Oh, no!” he said quickly, smiling at her white surf and the shallow, luminous move
out of that unfailing impulse of contrition ment of water over white sand, and, beyond
—a ‘rt of chivalry. Yet, walking down the that, a solid, heavy blue.

Through the Tunnel 147

 4—’.,
$

THE $EACH TREAT (detail)

Suzanne Nagler f’hotograph © Stephen Tucker
Collection of Mr. and Mrs. X. Daniel lcafcas

He ran straight into the water and began them, but kept his distance at a stone’f
swimming. He was a good swimmer. He throw. They were of that coast; all of them
went out fast over the gleaming sand, over a were burned smooth dark brown and speak
middle region where rocks lay like discolored ing a language he did not understand. To b
monsters under the surface, and then he with them, of them, was a craving that filled
was in the real sea—a warm sea where his whole body. He swam a little closer; they
Irregular cold currents from the deep water turned and watched him with narrowed.
shocked his limbs. alert dark eyes. Then one smiled and waved.
When he was so far out that he could It was enough. In a minute, he had swum in
look back not only on the little bay but past and was on the rocks beside them, smiling
the promontory that was between It and the with a desperate, nervous supplication.
big beach, he floated on the buoyant surface They shouted cheerful greetings at him: and
and looked for his mother. There she was, a then, as he preserved his nervous, uncom
speck of yellow under an umbrella that prehending smile, they understood that he
looked like a slice of orange peel. He swam was a foreigner strayed from his own beach,
back to shore, relieved at being sure she was and they proceeded to forget him. But he
there, but all at once very lonely. was happy. He was with them.
On the edge of a small cape that marked They began diving again and again from
the side of the bay away from the promon a high point into a well of blue sea between
tory was a loose scatter of rocks, Above rough, pointed rocks. After they had dived
them, some boys were stripping off their and come up, they swam around, hauled
clothes. They came running, naked, down to themselves up, and waited their turn to dive
the rocks. The English boy swam toward again. They were big boys—men. to Jerry.

148 Short Stories

 He dived, and they watched him; and when Through his hot shame, feeling the pleading
e swam around to take his place, they grin on his face like a scar that he could
made ‘,ay for him. He felt he was accepted never remove, he looked up at the group of
and he divt’c again. carefully, proud of him- big brown boys on the rock and shouted,
self. ‘Bortjour! Merci! Au revoir! Monsieur, mon
soon the biggest of the boys poised him 1 while he hooked his fingers round
sieur!”
self. shot down into the water, and did not his ears and waggled them.
come up. The others stood about, watching. Water surged into his mouth; he
JerrV after waiting for the sleek brown head choked, sank, came up. The rock, lately
to apper let out a yell of warning; they weighted with boys, seemed to rear up out of
looked it him idly and turned their eyes the water as their weight was removed. They
back toward the water. After a long time, the were flying down past him, now, into the
boy came up on the other side of a big dark water; the air was full of falling bodies. Then
rock, letting the air out of his lungs in a the rock was empty in the hot sunlight. He
sputter rig gasp and a shout of triumph. counted one, two, three.
Jrnediatdly the rest of them dived in. One At fifty. he was terrified. They must all
moment, the morning seemed full of chat be drowning beneath him, in the watery
tering boys; the next, the air and the surface caves of the rock! At a hundred, he stared
of the water were empty. But through the around him at the empty hillside, wondering
heavy blue, dark shapes could be seen mov if he should yell for help. He counted faster.
ing and groping. faster, to hurry them up. to bring them to
Jerry dived, shot past the school of un the surface quickly. to drown them quickly
derwater swimmers, saw a black wall of —anything rather than the terror of count
rock looming at him, touched it, and bobbed ing on and on into the blue emptiness of the
up at once to the surface, where the wall was morning. And then, at a hundred and sixty,
a low barrier he could see across. There was the water beyond the rock was full of boys
no one visible; under him, In the water, the blowing like brown whales. They swam
dim shapes of the swimmers had disap back to the shore without a look at him.
peared. Then one, and then another of the He climbed back to the diving rock and
boys came up on the far side of the barrier of sat down, feeling the hot roughness of It
rock, and he understood that they had under his thighs. The boys were gathering
swum through some gap or hole in it. He up their bits of clothing and running off
plunged down again. He could see nothing along the shore to another promontory.
through the stinging salt water but the They were leaving to get away from him. He
blank rock. When he came up the boys were cried openly, fists in his eyes. There was no
all onthe diving rock, preparing to attempt one to see him, and he cried himself out.
the feat again. And now, in a panic of fail It seemed to him that a long time had
ure, he yelled up, in English, “Look at me! passed, and he swam out to where he could
Look!” and he began splashing and kicking see his mother. Yes, she was still there, a
in the water like a foolish dog. yellow spot under an orange umbrella. He
They looked down gravely, frowning. He swam back to the big rock, climbed up, and
knew the frown. At moments of failure,
when he downed to claim his mother’s at
tention, a was with just this grave, embar 1. BonJour! . . . monsieur (hOn zhmr’.,. ma syO):
Babbling of commonly known French words: “Hello!
rassed inspection that she rewarded him. Thank you! Goodbye! Sir. sir!”

Through the Tunnel 149

 dived into the blue pool among the fanged ping through It. Fish again—myilads f
and angry boulders. Down he went, until minute fish, the length of his fingern 1,
he touched the wall of rock again. But the were drifting through the water, and ir d
salt was so painful in his eyes that he could moment he could feel the innumerable tii v
not see. touches of them against his limbs. It . s
He came to the surface, swam to shore like swimming in flaked silver. The gre. t
and went back to the villa to wait for his rock the big boys had swum through ro
mother. Soon she walked slowly up the sheer out of the white sand—black, tuft 1
path, swinging her striped bag, the flushed, lightly with greenish weed. He could see i
naked arm dangling beside her. “I want gap in it. He swam down to Its base.
some swimming goggles,” he panted, defi Again and again he rose, took a
ant and beseeching. chestful of air, and went down. Again and
She gave him a patient, inquisitive look again he groped over the surface of the roe i.
as she said casually, “Well, of course, dar feeling It, almost hugging It in the despera
ling.” need to find the entrance. And then, onct
But now, now, now! He must have them while he was clinging to the black wall, h:s
this minute, and no other time. He nagged knees came up and he shot his feet o;;d
and pestered until she went with him to a forward and they met no obstacle. He h;
shop. As soon as she had bought the gog found the hole.
gles, he grabbed them from her hand as If He gained the surface, clambered abot
she were going to claim them for herself, and the stones that littered the barrier rock unti
was off, running down the steep path to the he found a big one, and, with this in hi
bay. arms, let himself down over the side of tht
Jerry swam out to the big barrier rock, rock. He dropped, with the weight, straigh
adjusted the goggles, and dived. The impact to the sandy floor. Clinging tight to th
of the water broke the rubber-enclosed vac anchor of stone, he lay on his side an
uum, and the goggles came loose. He under looked in under the dark shelf at the placf
stood that he must swim down to the base of where his feet had gone. He could see tht
the rock from the surface of the water. He hole. It was an irregular, dark gap; but h
fixed the goggles tight and firm, filled his could not see deep into it. He let go of hir
lungs, and floated, face down, on the water. anchor, clung with his hands to the edges o
Now he could see. It was as if he had eyes of the hole, and tried to push himself In.
a different kind—fish eyes that showed He got his head in, found his shoulders
everything clear and delicate and wavering jammed, moved them In sidewise. and wa
in the bright water. inside as far as his waist. He could set
Under him, six or seven feet down, was a nothing ahead. Something soft and clamm
floor of perfectly clean, shining white sand, touched his mouth; he saw a dark frond
rippled firm and hard by the tides. Two moving against the grayish rock, and pani
grayish shapes steered there, like long. filled him. He thought of octopuses, of cling-
rounded pieces of wood or slate. They were ing weed. He pushed himself out backward
fish. He saw them nose toward each other, and caught a glimpse, as he retreated, of a
poise motionless, make a dart forward. harmless tentacle of seaweed drifting in the
swerve off, and come around again. It was mouth of the tunnel. But It was enough. He
like a water dance. A few inches above them reached the sunlight, swam to shore, and
the water sparkled as if sequins were drop- lay on the diving rock. He looked down into

150 Short Stories

 di of water. He knew he must find going to try yet. A curious, most unchildlike
the
• :roiigh that cave, or hole, or fun persistence, a controlled impatience, made
other side. him wait. In the meantime, he lay underwa
nel. 1J ,ut the
ter on the white sand, littered now by stones
Fir t. lie thought, he must learn to con
He let himself down into he had brought down from the upper air,
trol hi hrthing.
r big stone In his and studied the entrance to the tunnel. He
the w tr’r with anothe
he could lie effortlessly on the knew every jut and corner of it, as far as it
arms, o that
the sea. He counte d. One, two, was possible to see. it was as if he already
bottom a
ounted steadily. He could hear felt its sharpness about his shoulders.
three
chest. Fifty He sat by the clock in the villa, when his
the m ,verrient of blood in his
0 His chest was hurting. He mother was not near, and checked his time.
one. 11[V1
and went up into the air. He He was incredulous and then proud to find
let go t the rock
rushed to the he could hold his breath without strain for
aw that the sun was low. He
supper. two minutes. The words ‘Iwo minutes,”
villa and found his mother at her
and authorized by the clock, brought close the
She said only ‘Did you enjoy yourself’?”
adventure that was so necessary to him.
he said Yes.”
All arht the boy dreamed of the water- In another four days, his mother said
casually one morning, they must go home.
filled ca’.e in the rock, and as soon as break
On the day before they left, he would do it.
fast w IS over he went to the bay.
That night, his nose bled badly. For He would do It if it killed him, he said
hours !i had been underwater, learning to defiantly to himself. But two days before
hold hi breath, and now he felt weak and they were to leave—a day of triumph when
dizzy. His mother said, “I shouldn’t overdo he increased his count by fifteen—his nose
things darting, if I were you.” bled so badly that he turned dizzy and had to
That day and the next, Jerry exercised lie limply over the big rock like a bit of
his lungs as if everything, the whole of his seaweed, watching the thick red blood flow
life, all that he would become, depended onto the rock and trickle slowly down to the
upon it. a.ain his nose bled at night, and his sea. He was frightened. Supposing he
mother insisted on his coming with her the turned dizzy in the tunnel? Supposing he
next day. It was a torment to him to waste a died there, trapped? Supposing—his head
day of his .arefu1 self-training, but he stayed went around, in the hot sun, and he almost
with her on that other beach, which now gave up. He thought he would return to the
seemed r place for small children, a place house and lie down, and next summer, per
where h:s mother might lie safe in the sun. haps, when he had another year’s growth in
It was not his beach. him—then he would go through the hole.
He iid riot ask for permission, on the But even after he had made the decision,
following day, to go to his beach. He went, or thought he had, he found himself sitting
before his mother could consider the compli up on the rock and looking down into the
cated rithts and wrongs of the matter. A water; and he knew that now, this moment,
day’s rast, he discovered, had Improved his when his nose had only just stopped bleed
count by ten. The big boys had made the ing, when his head was still sore and
passage vhile he counted a hundred and throbbing—this was the moment when he
Sixty. He had been counting fast, in his would try. If he did not do It now, he never
fright. Pr hably now, if he tried, he could get would. He was trembling with fear that he
through that long tunnel, but he was not would not go; and he was trembling with

Through the Tunnel 151

 horror at that long, long tunnel under the must be swimming fast, and he was fright
rock, under the sea. Even In the open sun ened of banging his head if the tunnel nai
light, the barrier rock seemed very wide and rowed.
very heavy: tons of rock pressed down on A hundred, a hundred and one.. Tll.

where he would go. If he died there, he would water paled. Victory filled him. His lungs
lie until one day—perhaps not before next were beginning to hurt. A few more strok
year—those big boys would swim into it and and he would be out. He was counting wik
find It blocked. ly; he said a hundred and fifteen, and then.
He put on his goggles, fitted them tight, a long time later, a hundred and fifteer.
tested the vacuum. His hands were shaking. again. The water was a clear jewel-green all
Then he chose the biggest stone he could around him. Then he saw, above his head, a
carry and slipped over the edge of the rock crack running up through the rock. Sun
until half of him was in the cool, enclosing light was falling through it, showing th’
water and half in the hot sun. He looked up clean, dark rock of the tunnel, a singl.
once at the empty sky, filled his lungs once, mussel shell, and darkness ahead.
twice, and then sank fast to the bottom with He was at the end of what he could do
the stone. He let it go and began to count. He He looked up at the crack as if it were filled
took the edges of the hole in his hands and with air and not water, as if he could put hic
drew himself Into It, wriggling his shoulders mouth to It to draw In air. A hundred and
in sidewise as he remembered he must, fifteen, he heard himself say inside his head
kicking himself along with his feet. —but he had said that long ago. He must gn
Soon he was clear inside. He was in a on Into the blackness ahead, or he would
small rockbound hole filled with yellowish- drown. His head was swelling, his lungs
gray water. The water was pushing him up cracking. A hundred and fifteen, a hundred
against the roof. The roof was sharp and and fifteen pounded through his head, ano
pained his back. He pulled himself along he feebly clutched at rocks In the dark
with his hands—fast, fast—and used his pulling himself forward, leaving the brief
legs as levers. His head knocked against space of sunlit water behind. He felt he was
something; a sharp pain dizzied him. Fifty, dying. He was no longer quite conscious. He
fifty-one, fifty-two... He was without
.
struggled on in the darkness between lapses
light, and the water seemed to press upon into unconsciousness. An immense, swell
him with the weight of rock. Seventy-one, ing pain filled his head, and then the dark
seventy-two. . . There was no strain on his
.
ness cracked with an explosion of green
lungs. He felt like an inflated balloon, his light. His hands, groping forward, met noth
lungs were so light and easy. but his head ing: and his feet, kicking back, propelled
was pulsing. him out into the open sea.
He was being continually pressed against He drifted to the surface, his face turned
the sharp roof, which felt slimy as well up to the air. He was gasping like a fish. He
as sharp. Again he thought of octopuses, felt he would sink now and drown; he could
and wondered if the tunnel might be filled not swim the few feet back to the rock. Then
with weed that could tangle him. He gave he was clutching it and pulling himself up
himself a panicky, convulsive kick forward, on to it. He lay face down, gasping. He could
ducked his head, and swam. His feet and see nothing but a red-veined, clotted dark.
hands moved freely, as if in open water. The His eyes must have burst, he thought: they
hole must have widened out. He thought he were full of blood. He tore off his goggles and

152 Short Stories

 .‘.‘ .. ..
.,
‘ ‘

‘. :.

.4..
COAST SCEItE. ISLES OP SHOAlS. 1901
Chflde liassam
The Metropolitan Museum of Art

nose “Have a nice morning?” she asked, lay

a gout of blood went into the sea. His
the ing her hand on his warm brown shoulder a
was bleeding. and the blood had filled
moment.
goggles.
“Oh. yes, thank you,” he said.
He scooped up handfuls of water from
“You look a bit pale.” And then, sharp
the cocA, salty sea, to splash on his face, and
and anxious, “How did you bang your head?”
did not know whether it was blood or salt
“Oh, just banged it,” he told her.
water he tasted. After a time, his heart
She looked at him closely. He was
quieted, his eyes cleared, and he sat up. He
could see the local boys diving and playing strained; his eyes were glazed-looking. She
half a mile away. He did not want them. He was worried. And then she said to herself,
wanted nothing but to get back home and lie Oh, don’t fuss! Nothing can happen. He can
down. swim like a fish.
In a short while, Jerry swam to shore They sat down to lunch together.
and climbed slowly up the path to the villa. “Mummy,” he said, “I can stay under
He flung himself on his bed and slept, wak water for two minutes—three minutes, at
ing at the sound of feet on the path outside. least.” It came bursting out of him.
His mother was coming back. He rushed to “Can you, darling?” she said. “Well, I
the bathroom, thinking she must not see his shouldn’t overdo it. I don’t think you ought
face with bloodstains, or tearstains, on it. to swim any more today.”
He came out of the bathroom and met her as She was ready for a battle of wills, but he
she wailced into the villa, smiling, her eyes gave in at once. It was no longer of the least
lighting op. importance to go to the bay.

Through the Tunnel 153

 ‘r’)\I1\ TO ill Si 11(1 lO\
when Jerry abandons his mothers beach.
leaves behind the carefree atmosphere of a ‘

cation resort, and you expect him to have so

1 What qualities do you admire in terry? Which snrt of adventure
dont you admire? Explain your answers 1. Compare the atmosphere of the two beach’
2 Do you think Jerry’s victory is worth the pain 2. Describe the atmosphere when Jerry is und
and risks entailed? Why or why not? water.
3 In what way does the atmosphere affect yc
3. Describe Jerry’s encounter with the local expectations when Jerry starts swimmii
boys What effect does it have on him through the tunnel?
2
4 How does Jerry prepare for his task?
l11\KIN(, ..\\I) XVRITlN(

5. Describe Jerrys relationship with his mother

at the beginning of the story How does it Look at the pieces of fine art used on paqr
change by the end of the story? Cite specific 148 and 153 in this story. For each piece of a’
instances in the story that helped you form list details that create the atmosphere of the wo
your opinions. Then write a few paragraphs in which you discu
6. What must Jerry prove to himself by swim whether you think these pieces appropriately car
ming through the tunnel
7 ture the atmospheres of Jerry’s world and h
7. Jerry experiences both external and internal mother’s world. It you think they do not, expIa
conflicts as he swims through the tunnel. Ex why. When you revise your work. add sensory d
plain both his conflicts. tails that appeal to more than one sense in yor
8 There are both literal and figurative aspects descriptions of the atmospheres in the paintino
to the title. Explain both
9 How has Jerry changed in the course of this
story? Why is going to the bay “no longer of I! AJ\I\(, OI I

the least importance”? 1. Art. Doris Lessing uses vivid word pictures
describe the setting of this story. Using h
10. Why do many young people set up situations words as a guide, draw a picture to illustrate tI
story. You may wish to show the bay. the rock
in which they challenge themselves? Give
or the underwater tunnel. You may add any dr
some examples.
tails that you wish. but be sure to include the e
ements described by the author
/r, JJ Ii i Id 2 Cross-curricular Connection. If you were
produce this story on television or in a mov
what music would you use? In a group of thrcr
Atmosphere is the prevalent feeling created or four people, exchange ideas about what typE
by a ctory or a scene Descriptions of a story’s of music would best accornoany the story. Yot
setting often help establish the atmosphere. hut group might have specific suggestions in mino
dialogue and action may also play a role in defin or you might need to listen to several pieces c
ing a storys mood The atmosphere developed music before choosing one When your group
in a story sets up your expectations about the has made its selection, bring in the music no’
events and the outcome In Through the Tunnel” play it for the class
A

I 154 Shot /