Doris Lessing's "Through the Tunnel" has both internal and external conflicts in the story.
Externally, the conflict is a man vs. nature conflict. Jerry wants to swim through an underwater tunnel that he saw some native boys swim through. It's not an easy swim. Jerry will need to be able to hold his breath for more than two full minutes. Much of the story is his training to do this swim. Near the end of the story, Jerry finally decides to try it. This conflict is life or death for Jerry. He either makes the swim or dies trying it.
One internal conflict deals with Jerry's journey toward manhood and independence. When the story first begins, Jerry wants to get some independence from his mom. It's why he so desperately wants to go to the "wild looking" rocks. Jerry's mother struggles with giving permission to Jerry. She worries about his safety, even though she knows he's old enough to take care of himself.
She was thinking, Of course he’s old enough to be safe without me. Have I been keeping him too close? He mustn’t feel he ought to be with me. I must be careful.
Jerry's mother isn't the only character who is internally struggling to come to terms with Jerry's more independent spirit. Jerry struggles with it, too. He feels a bit guilty that he left his mother alone on the beach.
He swam back to shore, relieved at being sure she was there, but all at once very lonely.
The swim that Jerry is attempting to make is also an internal conflict for Jerry. He's scared. He knows he might die, and getting up the courage to attempt the swim is a major man vs. self struggle for Jerry.
He was frightened. Supposing he turned dizzy in the tunnel? Supposing he died there, trapped?
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