The stories Through the Tunnel and The Way Up are similar in several ways. Both stories deal with the themes of growing into manhood, reaching a goal, and taking risks while being adventurous.In Through the Tunnel, Jerry, and in The Way Up, Jamie, both try to grow into manhood by accomplishing a great feat. Eleven-year-old Jerry is on a winter holiday with his mother when he discovers a secretive rocky bay. When he goes there, he meets some native boys who are accomplishing what Jerry feels is a most spectacular thing. These boys are diving down into the beautiful blue ocean and coming up about one hundred and sixty seconds later on the other side of a gargantuan rock. Jerry tries to do this but has to train for several days before he is able to reach his goal. Upon completing this task, Jerry does not brag about it but keeps to himself, for he feels that he has begun to reach manhood by doing this. Jamie is a senior in high school whose friends are poking fun at him one day after school because he does not have any accomplishments listed under his picture in the yearbook. Therefore, Jamie decides to take a great risk and climb the school water tower, which would result in expulsion if he were caught in the act. He collects the supplies he needs to perform this monumental task, but he must postpone his plan because of bad weather. On the third night, he manages to succeed with a great deal of difficulty. After accomplishing this, he feels he is closer to reaching his manhood. Jerry and Jamie both reach their goals in the stories by taking a risky adventure that, when accomplished, causes them to feel closer to reaching manhood. Jerry and Jamie would probably make great brothers or friends if they were ever to meet in the literary world. I feel that the many similarities in the stories suggest that Doris Lessing, author of Through the Tunnel, and William Hoffman, author of The Way Up, would make great friends if they ever ...
