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Introducing the Story Literary Focus: Symbolic Meaning Reading Skills: Re-reading and Reading for Details Through the Tunnel by Doris Lessing Feature Menu
Introducing the StoryLiterary Focus: Symbolic MeaningReading Skills: Re-reading and Reading for Details
Through the Tunnelby Doris Lessing
Feature Menu
Through the Tunnelby Doris Lessing
Decision is a risk rooted in the courage of being free.
Paul Tillich (1886–1965)
Through the TunnelIntroducing the Story
Jerry, the main character of this story, is a young British boy vacationing on a foreign coast with his mother.• Exploring on his own, Jerry meets some local
boys who swim through a long underwater tunnel in the rock.
• Although he is terrified of the tunnel, Jerry becomes determined to swim through it.
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Through the TunnelIntroducing the Story
A symbol is a person, place, thing, or event that stands both for itself and for something beyond itself.
heart lovescales justice
Through the TunnelLiterary Focus: Symbolic Meaning
A story often has its own unique symbols—elements that suggest or reveal a special meaning within the story.
The symbolic meaning of the story emerges from an overall interpretation of these symbols.
catcher’s mitt
boy’s desire to follow in the footsteps of his father, a famous baseball player
Through the TunnelLiterary Focus: Symbolic Meaning
As you read “Through the Tunnel,” look for elements that could be symbolically significant. Ask yourself the following:• What idea or theme does this element seem to
represent?• What does it tell you about the larger meaning
of the story?
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Through the TunnelLiterary Focus: Symbolic Meaning
• reveal important details or clues that you missed during the first reading
Some stories need to be read more than once. Re-reading a story may
• provide answers to questions that you have about characters and events
• help you uncover the story’s core meaning
Through the TunnelReading Skills: Re-reading and Reading for Details
Plan to read “Through the Tunnel” twice. After the first reading, ask yourself• What puzzles me?• What seems unclear?
The second time you read the story, look for important details and answers to your questions.
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Through the TunnelReading Skills: Re-reading and Reading for Details
