Through the tunnel is a grate example of a short story with heavy symbolism. In the story you can tell that Jerry is staring to be at that independent age. In some cultures there are rights of passages you have to complete to be a man. in other cultures like in ours, our youth might feel compelled to prove themselves even though no one is forcing the right of passage. This comes from the human nature to be excepted/ recognized by others. People in high school deal with people they hate to feel like their popular all the time. I think that's what Jerry was trying to do here with the tunnel.

In the begging you see that he wants to go away from his mom which is one of the first few stages of growing up. He decides to go to the rocky beach. From there he goes swimming were he watches him mom for a bit. Later he hears some other older boys playing. he decides to check it out. He finds they are diving under a rock through what appears to be tunnel. He try's to go under but can only find the opening of the tunnel and he can't hold his breath very long. He ends up training himself and making it through the tunnel after grate pain and danger. Mean while his mom has no idea the pain he is putting himself through. Even after he almost died he still doesn't want her to know what he this is weakness. I think the theme is he wants to prove himself a man but he feels he cant show weakness at the same time, but they go hand in hand because even when he made it through the tunnel he was still banged up.