In the short story "Through the Tunnel" a young boy, Jerry, and his mother are visiting a beach in another country. Some significant events in the short story are as follows. Jerry sees a group of boys native to the country. He wants to socialize with them. He is invited to join them when one waves to him. He wants acceptance in this group of older boys, but there is a language barrier.
The boys go on with their play, but Jerry is still an outsider in the group. Jerry joins the boys who dive from a high rock into the water, but one disappears. He panics and jumps into the water. He realizes that the boy has slipped into some other place under the water. When other boys do the same and then come back he does not know what is going on. This is important because it makes him curious.
He is determined to swim through the tunnel to find out where the boys had gone before. He gets some goggles and practices holding his breath underwater. He impulsively goes through the tunnel. His journey in the tunnel is important because it it very difficult and he thinks he will drown.
He reaches the other side. He is exhausted and does not even care what is going on. He just wants to be able to make it back to his mother. He makes it back and the experience has been a very important one for Jerry. He has proven to himself that he could do it. However, upon telling his mother, her response is simple, and she accidently minimizes the importance of his quest. She just tells him:
"Don't over do it."
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