Through the Tunnel

Elements of a Short StorySetting, Theme, Point of View,

Characters & Plot

Setting, Theme, Point of View

Setting: A vacation spot with a sandy beach and rocky bay where they do not speak English.

Theme: Growth often requires risk and struggle (a rite of passage).

Point of View: 3rd person

limited or omniscient ?

Omniscient: We know the thoughts of Jerry and his mother!

Characters

Jerry-11 years old, wants independence but also wants to please his mother; good swimmer; has a need to prove himself and will risk killing himself trying to do it; places himself in danger.

Mother- worries about her son but also wants to give him freedom; only parent; a bit indulgent; has kept him close.

Plot: Exposition

Jerry and his mother have returned to a yearly vacation spot for a week.

There is a beach and a rocky bay near where they are staying.

They spend the first day on the sandy beach where Jerry can swim in the ocean but he is attracted to the rocky bay.

Plot: Rising Action

Jerry swims and sees native boys are diving off of the rocks. He wants to join them; he feels accepted by them even though he is not accepted. They dive into the water and swim through a tunnel to the other side of the rocks. This frightens Jerry at first because he does not know about the cave. He tries unsuccessfully to find it. Jerry returns to the villa his mother is renting and demands to have a pair of swim goggles. His mother purchases a pair after Jerry refuses to stop pestering her for them.

Plot: Rising ActionWith the goggles, Jerry is able to find the cave. It cave frightens him at first because of the seaweed and lack of light. He spends the next few days training himself to hold his breath for two to three minutes. The training causes Jerry to have terrible nose bleeds, headaches and dizziness. The day before they leave to go home Jerry tries to swim through the cave. He is underwater so long that he starts to have blackouts, his nose bleeds and his head throbs.

Plot: ClimaxJerry decides to go through the tunnel.

He gets the largest rock, sinks and thrusts himself into the tunnel.

The roof scrapes him, he struggles to get through…

Finally, he breaks through the other side and makes it though the tunnel.

Plot: Falling Action

He swims to the rock and rests, his nose has bled and he is exhausted.

He goes home and collapses to rest. When his mother returns he hurridly washes and greets her.

Plot: Resolution

He tells his mother how long he can hold his breath for. She is proud of him, but suggests he should not swim any more today.

He doesn’t fight with her, but agrees to go to the beach with her.