2. The quote
• “To be with them, of
them, was a craving
that filled his whole
body. He swam a little
closer; they turned and
watched him with
narrowed, alert dark
eyes. Then one smiled
and waved. It was
enough.
3. Step 1: The Speaker
• Jerry is a twelve-year-
old English boy who is
on vacation with his
mother in a foreign
country. He wants to go
swimming in “the wild
bay”.
4. Step 2: Context: What’s Going On?
• At this point, Jerry sees
the older boys
swimming in the
bay, and Jerry wants to
swim with them.
5. Step 3: Significance: So what?
• Jerry wants to swim
with the older
boys, because Jerry
doesn’t want to feel like
a boy, and wants to
start feeling like a man.
6. Step 4: Interpretation: What does this
mean to you?
• Many cultures have
rites of passage from
childhood to adulthood.
Jerry sees the tunnel as
his rite of passage from
childhood to adulthood.
