Well, if you are focussing on theme, you will want to
consider how this story uses locations symbolically to highlight the theme Lessing is
trying to convey. You need to understand that this is a short story that is taught to
show symbolism in use, and clearly the symbolism is linked to the meaning and message
the author is communicating. I will point you in the right direction to begin
considering these important questions.
You need to consider
the three settings firstly: the wild beach, the safe beach, and the tunnel. Tell what
you think each setting must symbolise for Jerry. Then consider the larger symbolic
meaning of Jerry's passage through the tunnel. What does his trip represent? Why is it
such a powerful symbol? How is the Jerry after this trip different from the Jerry
before?
These should help you get started, but just to give
you an extra helping hand, consider how the wild beach is
described:
He
went out fast over the gleaming sand, over a middle region where rocks lay like
discoloured monsters under the
surface...
Compare this with
the safe beach where his mother is:
There she was, a speck of yellow under an
umbrella that looked like a slice of orange
peel.
You would do well to
consider the dangerous, scary but adventurous way in which the wild beach is described
and the domesticated, safe and boring imagery used to describe the safe beach. I mean,
which would you rather have - rocks like monsters or orange
peel?
Pick out quotes to consider the symbolism of the
tunnel and hopefully you will find lots of examples to show and prove that this story is
all about a coming of age - and of course, the passage through the tunnel symbolises
that transition from child to adult.
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