Two stories "Shaving" by Leslie Norris and " Through the tunnel" by Dories Lessing is about two boys going through experience that helps them mature. The story "Shaving" is about Jerry a seven-teen year old that is independent, responsible, and caring. "Through the tunnel" is about Berry an eleven year-old boy who is impatient, immature, spoiled, and a mamma's boy. Both Jerry and Barry reach and change to a higher level of maturity.

In the beginning of each story the characters are each different, Jerry is Childish and Berry has a scene of responsible. Norris shows how mature Jerry is when he is invited out to celebrate his football win with a cup of coffee but turners it down to go home and help his mother with his father who is deadly sick. Jerry is trying to impress a group of young French men on the bay and not...