Through the Tunnel- Literary Devices

 Alex Brown 

English 

Mar 7, 2019 

Starting Points: Through the Tunnel 

Literary Device #1: Flat and Round Characters 

1. Jerry is depicted as a round character, this is shown by his determination to achieve his goal which is later resolved which then leaves him satisfied and disinterested. The author focuses on Jerry’s immaturity and youth to accentuate the struggle of doing such a feat.  

2. Jerry’s mother is a flat character, she remains unchanging throughout the story. The author chooses to write her this way to emphasize Jerry’s change at the end of the book. When the two characters are compared at the end jerry’s experience becomes even more meaningful because he has changed but his mom has not. 

3. The native boys are round characters, this is shown when they are friendly towards Jerry at first but then quickly grow tired of him and swim to another bay. The author chose to write them this way to act as a boost of motivation for Jerry and to make his accomplishment more meaningful. When Jerry decides not to join them at the end this proves he has changed and no longer needs to prove himself to them because he has proved himself that he is capable of the task. 

Literary Device #2: Third Person Omniscient 

1. We know that Jerry is committed to the task when he  

2. Jerry is shown to be very determined to go through the tunnel when he begins slowly training his lungs to be able to stay underwater for the amount of time needed to go through the tunnel and when he begs his mom for goggles so he can properly see. His mom was unaware, almost ignorant to his ambitions despite him coming home with bloody noses and blurry eyes every night. This stage took days compared to the commitment stage which only took a few minutes. 

3. Jerry’s doubt is shown first when he is frightened by a tendril of seaweed brushing across his face and second after he gets a nose bleed, he becomes afraid that he will get dizzy in the tunnel and drown despite his training. 

4. Jerry claims to himself that he will complete the task even if it kills him. He makes the final decision to go through the tunnel then plunges down to the entrance. Jerry reaches the moment when “He was at the end of what he could do.” when he reaches a part of the tunnel where light is shining through by a crack, he has reached 115 seconds in the tunnel. It is important to understand the story from this point of view because it gives us insight to what the character’s thought process is while he is in the midst of a struggle.  

5. Jerry Experiences triumph when he exclaims proudly to his mother that he can hold his breath for three minutes. However, no other character is aware of his accomplishment and what it did for him. 

Literary Device #3: Symbolism 

1. For Jerry, the beach symbolizes ordinary life, something that presents no challenge. He characterizes the beach his mother lays on as a safe place for children, which drives his motive for wanting to move past it. 

2. The bay symbolizes independence and freedom to Jerry, he sees the regular beach as safe and uninteresting. To Jerry, it is a wild place full of opportunity and adventure. 

3. For Jerry, the tunnel symbolizes the unknown or a challenge. The tunnel’s low visibility and unpredictable terrain make it an appropriate symbol for this.