Jerry, his swim through the tunnel, and us...
This response is due before class starts on Sept. 17, 2008
In the short story "Through the Tunnel," Jerry makes a treacherous swim through an underwater tunnel. It was not an easy accomplishment, but at the end of the story, Jerry is changed by his experiences. Although he is 11 years old in the story, we all can share in his ordeal.
In what way can you relate to Jerry? How are his experiences like some that you've had? What is it that makes Jerry similar to you or to typical teenagers?
Look to go beyond the purely literal in your answer. Don't just view his swim through the tunnel on a literal level. Think about what it can represent as a part of his growing up process.
photo credit: boy swimming in the big blue ocean by NanakofiAcquah on Flickr
31 comments:
Jerry expierences growing up, trying to fit in, and in a way peer presure, through out the story, "Through the Tunnel". I think that everyone can relate to him in the fact that almost everyone has tried to do something cool to fit in, which makes him similar to teenager. I've expierenced what Jerry did when I was younger. I would always try to do stuff my older sister and her friends did because I thought they were "cool". I guess in that way I relate to Jerry but I'm sure everyone has done something to impress or try to be like others.
Jessica B.**
Period 5
When Jerry swam through the tunnel it was his rite of passage to hang out with the other boys. This is like most teenagers because most teens have to do a rite of passage to join certain clubs or groups. These rite of passages can be dangerous to you and to others. Also when he swam through the tunnel he proved to himself that he can do something without his mother at his side.
Josh Per. 5
I can relate to Jerry. When he first found out that he could hold his breath underwater he kept challenging himsself to holding it longer and longer each time. I can relate to that when I got a new trick in gymnastics and i kept wanting to do it over and over again to try and get it even better each time. Also I think that other people have acted like him before. Most teenagers try to fit in when they meet other people for the first time.
Leanne
Period 5
Reading about Jerry swimming through the tunnel i felt like he was trying to prove himself and his maturity. We all have that defining moment when we try so hard to do one thing that makes us feel mature and lets us break free from our old rules a little bit. For me my breakthrough to freedom was a little more simple, like going out with my friends after school and being able to manage my own time.
Margaret P.5
I can relate to jerry like once when i was at my house and my cousins were climing a tree and i couldnt do it and i felt left out. jerry is a kid who wants to play and hang out with his friends and jerry is simular to teenagers by the way he trying to fit in.
ian p5
I can relate to Jerry by not giving up. Like when I wanted to show the guy that I use to work for that I can paint the cars. I complained because I hated to sand and there was a lot of sanding to do, but the only thing that kept me there was the cars. The work was hard on your back and your legs. He always told me that if you did that you had to love those cars. Then I started to work there and then I started to figure out what he meant. It was not all the cars it was the R/C 5 foot long wing planes. Then he let me go in all the cars. I found out how much trouble it was to get in and out of the cars. I did try to make friends with all the people that my father use to work with at his old job. After a while I made friends with them and I started to work there. He makes him similar to people is that he just wants to make friends and he would do anything to fit in.
Steven P6
I can relate to Jerry because once he found out that he could keep is breath under the water he kept on pushing himself. This is much like me because what ever I put my mind into I push my self until I make it happen. Jerry is a typical teenager because he like any other teenager does not like to be left out.
Carla 6
I can relate to Jerry, when I was growing up I always wanted to be like my older brothers and cousins. Everything they did I would follow and do the same. Most of the time it was very stupid things and I didn’t realize that but I did. I looked up and wanted to be cool like them.
Jill per.6
Well jerry can relate to most teenagers because they really will fo to great lenghts just to be accepted. Some go to the point of physical damage. Also to the point self distructin. Him and I arent very diffrent because I have been faced with difficult dissions in my life and some I made were the right ones but no ones perfect. That to me is also another main point of the story.
Bryan
Per. 6
I can relate to Jerry more through his desires then his experiances.
I've always been socially accepted, so i never had to preform any act of bravery to prove my worth. When i was younger, i was more concerned with doing whats right, rather then whats popular.
I understand Jerrys motives very well.
He wants something simple, yet
important, acceptence.
Jerry wants nothing more then to be accepted, to have his skill and worthyness reconized by the other boys.
We all want that don't we? to have the everlasting aprroval Of our peers, its only natrual.
I can relate to Jerry by his desires. I haven't had a great number of experiances like his, but the Desire, the emotion he felt, is certainy with me.
Jake 6th period
I can relate to Jerry because when I was little I looked up to my older sister and always tried to do the things she did.Sometimes teenagers try to fit in by doing things that impress other teenagers. In Jerry's case, trying over and over to get through the tunnel like the others did was his way of helping himself become accepted.
Kristy Per 6
I can relate to this because many people do things just to fit in. I remember I was the same, I would do things that others do just to be popular and to have more friend. Sometime you do things for yourself. But if you want to gain respect you have to try to fit in. Now I see that I should be a leader and do my own things and not listen to others. Jerry is like a typical tenn because we all want to fit in and have friend. Sometime it makes you feel stronger and know that you can do things others can do. No one ever wants to be left out. I would know how that feel. Like me being the new kid in Branford I had to make some decisions in order to have friends. Its just how the world works.
jovanny
p 5
He is expiriencing gorwing up and trying to fit in. Most teenages try to fit in, and all teenagers grow up. Him swimming through the tunnel is a way for him to show that he is big enough to swim through, old enough to swim through it, and also that he is brave enough to swim through the tunnel. He is trying to be popular and trying to fit in. When i was younger i was trying to fit in, i did not try to swim under a tunnel and risk my life, but i am sure i did some dangerous thing like he did.
Randy period 2
I have been in a similar situation as Jerry. Trying to fit in in a new crowd, I've been through that before. You do all these stupid things so it makes you think the people you hang around with like you, like Jerry and him attempting to swim through the tunnell and him holding his breath that long. It's something at the moment that you look at and say, " If i do this everyone will like me". But after you do it and you look back on what you did you think to yourself how could I be that big of an idiot trying to attempt to to that.
Mark B Period 5
i can relate to Jerry because i remember when i was younger around his age i would try to fit in with my brothers and his friends and try to be as cool as them so that they would hang out with me. I think that everyone has a time in their life where they try to fit in with others.
*tessa*
period 2
Jerry relates to me because before Walsh i went to wheight wood. And then i started at Walsh in fith grade and most of the population came from Mary R. Tisko School. So for a wial i was lost. Kinda like Jerry i just had to fit in.
Nick.L
period: 6
I can relate to Jerry because when I was younger I used to think running was really important for some reason so I kept trying to run a mile in less than 8 minutes. I pushed my self too hard and gt really winded every time. Eventually, I just stopped worrying about it and quit running.Jerry is similar to the typical teenager because he wanted to fit in with those boys. A lot of times when people are younger they look up to someone or a group of people and wish they could become friends with them.
Katrina
Period 2
I can relate to Jerry in a lot of ways. Like things I had to do to get peoples respect. What really happened to Jerry is that he gave in to peer pressure, which a lot of teens give in to. They do this to fit in or to be part of a group of kids that won't accept them, unless they do something that the group does. This story can really relate to teens and peer pressure.
Joe Period 2
I've had people ditch me and i was nevice be for something but after i felt great and wanted to do it again. I've done so things in the water like staying on the bottem for a while. he acts like some do, he wants to be accepted by people.
Andrew p5
I had a hard time learning how to swim. One of my friends took me swimming at WIS. She showed me how to swim under water. I got flippers to help me learn how to swim.
Michele C P.5
I can relate to jerry trying to be like the older kids. Also hanging out with the older kids in my school. I think this makes you feel more excepted as a person. It also proves to your piers that you are more grown up then them thats why jerry and I are alike.
Ian
p 2
I can relate to jerry aswell. I remember how when I first started lifting I saw every one lifting more then me so I pushed my self more and more each day to try to catch up to every one around me. This is how I relate to jerry and how he pushed him self swimming through the cave
Nando
P2
All Jerry wanted was to fit it and be like the older boys he saw. He just wanted to be able to hang out with them without feeling left out. It is just a part of growing up. I had to go through this as well. A couple of years ago i went to this sleepaway camp where i knew no one so i had to find a way to make some new friends and i probably did some stupid things. Everyone goes through it sometime in their lives.
Tory S.
Period 6
Back in the day when my older brother had his friends over I would always follow them and try to impress them somehow. Like the foreign kids in the story my brother and his friends would try to ignor me. If they did something I would try to do it or one up it.These similar experiences are what I can relate to with Jerry. I think that Jerry, like most teenagers, try to be accepted by other people.
John S.
Per. 6
He is trying to impress people and try and show off. He learns that if you have to show off to someone, then it is not worth it. I can experience this because when I meet someone new, I try to impress them by telling them something or trying to fit in.
-Dan L P5
In the short story, Jerry strives to be socially accepted and prove not only to others but also himself that he can do it. Going through the tunnel became more than anything a rite of passage to maturity, independence and adulthood to Jerry. I can certainly relate to this because I can relate to wanting to be socially accepted and a moment which can changes your maturity level and view of yourself. In any new situation, I always find myself hoping that everyone likes me and is friendly towards me. When Jerry finds the foreign boys he desperately wants to be accepted and that was what originally caused him to endeavor upon swimming through the tunnel though his motive changes through the story in my opinion. Another similar experience that was like Jerry’s going through the tunnel relates to Jerry’s confidence and maturity changing once he successfully swam through the tunnel. My moment was not swimming through a tunnel but rather a high ropes course during my peer mediator training in the middle school. I attempted many times to finish the course and didn’t give up. When I finally went down the zip-line in the end, I gained a sense of independence and accomplishment by proving to my self that I could do it. I think my maturity level changed and I became much more independent and less concerned with what people thought of me which is what happened to Jerry. What makes Jerry similar to other teenagers is that need for acceptance. I think everyone, especially teenager, want to be accepted to some degree and it becomes of less importance as time goes on. In addition he is similar because of his attempting a dangerous or stupid thing just to fit. I think every teen does (to a degree) this at some point to fit in.
Ella Period 6
Jerry was nervous the people he had met on the diving rock would not like him so he did something that they thought was foolish and stupid. I've been through that plenty of times where I'd get nervous and say or do something stupid not even thinking about it sometimes. I think that's where I can relate to Jerry the most.
Jerry was nervous the people he had met on the diving rock would not like him so he did something that they thought was foolish and stupid. I've been through that plenty of times where I'd get nervous and say or do something stupid not even thinking about it sometimes. I think that's where I can relate to Jerry the most.
Raquel
Period-5
I had people ditch me like they did to jerry. Not all the tim, but once and awhile. He seems like a dearful person, but at the same time worries about it before he does it. It relates to me alot because i too am a dearful person, but at the same time worry about nonsense.
chris
p-6
I can relate to jerry because i think as a teenager we all do stuff kind of like what jerry did to fit in. And as teeneagers we all do stuff like that to fit in Wether its wearing something that everyone else is wearing or doing something stupid at the moment that everyone else is doing.
sarah p-2
I can relate to Jerry because I wanted to be like a group of kids i saw. I had to change the way I act because the kids I wanted to be with acted different. I was already good at some of the stuff they do and did things to get their attention. I think a lot of teenagers are like this because they want to fit in with groups and make friends. Also because they could be interested in that group or club and makes them want to get there attention so they can be in it.
Fardin Per. 6
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