Through the Tunnel vocab and study guide answers PDF

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“Through the Tunnel” (p. 376) by Doris Lessing Write A for true or B for false: __T___Jerry is an only child. ___F__The boy is a poor swimmer for his age. __T___Jerry often clowns around to get attention. ___F__The native boys are much older than Jerry but better swimmers. __T___Belonging is important to Jerry. __F___He swims in the tunnel the day before he is leaving. – 2 days before he leaves ___F__He brags about the dive and the swim to frighten his mother. ___T__His mother worried about being overly protective of her son. Questions: Answer in complete sentences! 1. Describe in detail the mother-son relationship at the beginning of the story. The mother is torn between being “neither possessive or lacking in devotion” (p. 376); she struggles with being protective, yet giving him room to grow up. Jerry wants to grow up and not be so protected, but he likes knowing that she’s there if he needs her. He looks back at her beach several times to make sure she’s there. They do not share their feelings with each other. 2. Why does Jerry’s mother feel she is too protective? She feels she is too protective because she’s a widow and sometimes doesn’t consider what Jerry wants. 3. Why does Jerry leave his mother at the beach? He wants to be independent and explore the other beach. 4. Where does Jerry go on the second day of his vacation? What makes Jerry feel humiliated in front of the older boys? He goes to the wild bay and jumps off the promontories. He feels humiliated because he can’t swim through the tunnel.

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5. What steps does he take to prepare for the swim? Provide four. He buys goggles He finds the hole He practices holding his breath using rocks to help him stay down He skips a day b/c his mom tells him to, which helps him w/his breath holding. He makes a plan when to try to swim through and does so 2 days before.

6. Why is the journey so dangerous? It’s dark, he hasn’t been there before so he doesn’t know where to go, he could die, he could get trapped by seaweed, the pressure hurts his ears and gives him nose bleeds. 7. Describe his fears. (Notice, FEARS, plural!) Dying, octopus, getting tangled in seaweed, he’ll pass out in the tunnel 8. Why was it so important for Jerry to swim through the tunnel? He wants to be with the older boys and be grown up 9. How does Jerry feel about himself after swimming thought the tunnel? Why?

He’s scared because he almost died, so he feels a little accomplished but feels foolish. He had mixed emotions because it was traumatic and he was in shock. 10. Describe Jerry’s relationship with his mother at the end? What has changed? Jerry’s isn’t as reliant on his mom. He’s a little more open with her because he tells her he held his breath. They talk a little more; Jerry is more willing to open up to her because of his experience, but not completely; he doesn’t tell her that he swam through the tunnel. 11. What important lesson did Jerry learn about himself? He learned he could do anything he can put his mind to, but shouldn’t push himself. He learns to overcome his fears. 12. Why do you think it is so important to Jerry to take the risk he did? Think about his age and family situation, his interactions with the older boys, how he reacted when the boys left, and what he was trying to prove to himself. He proves to himself that he can do what the older boys do. They left him because they thought he was too immature, or so he thought....