Through the Tunnel by Dorris Lessing

Setting: The story unfolded during a summer holiday, at a wild and rocky bay.

Plot:

Jerry and his mother arrived at the holiday distination which was a wild in rocky bay.
The next morning Jerry and his mother went to the bay, his mother went to her beach and he went to the bay.
He saw some boys who were of the coast diving, he wanted to be their friend so he swam closser, they were a little uneasy at first, but later they accepted him.
He began to dive with the boys, one of the bigger boys dive in and only come up after a long time on the other side of a big dark rock.  Immediately the rest of them dive in, Jerry followed them.  After a while all the other swimmers dissapeared into the rock.  He understood that they had swum through some hole or gap in it.  He plunged down again but could'nt find the gap because the salt was so painfull in his eyes that he could not see.  He asked his mother to buy him goggles, after he searched for the gap a number of times, he finally found it.  It was an irregular dark gap.  At that moment he knew he must find his way through that tunnel and out on the other side.
The next day he started learning how to control his breath under water.  This made his nose bleed and his head dizzy, but he exercised his lungs as if everything depended on it and studied the entrance of the tunnel.  The day came that he decided he will do it, at first he was frightened but then he decided, now was the moment.  Finally he put on his goggles fitted them tight, tested the vacuum then he drew himself into the tunnel.  He was in a small rock-bound hole filled with yellwish grey water, which was pushing him up against the roof which was sharp and paint his back.  At first their was no strain on his lungs, then his lungs began to hurt.  His head was swelling but he had to go for it.  Finally he got out of the tunnel and was in the open sea, he put his face towards the air.  He was so weak, he could not even swim the few feet back to the rock. After a while his heart quited and his eyes cleared. He swim to the rock and saw some local boys diving, but he did'nt want them anymore, he just wanted to go home and lie down, so he did.

The main character:

A young english boy named Jerry, eleven years old, an only child.  He was an attention seeker.  Was emotionally attached to his mother, because she was a widow.
He was a good swimmer.
He did not like failure,as he had bad memories associated with it.
He was diligent , very determined to get what he wants.
Does'nt just make hasty decisions but thinks everything over carefully