Through the Tunnel Lesson Plan

Why does Jerry not like seeing his mother walk away from him even though he asks to go off on his own?

Jerry doesn't like seeing his mother walk away from him because he is torn between the safety of his mother and his desire to explore the world on his own terms. This is the fundamental internal struggle that Jerry has throughout the story. It becomes apparent to him that he could go back to his mother at any moment, but her knows that if he were to do that, he would not be able to live with the knowledge that he gave up on diving with the boys, or traversing the tunnel.

What does the narrator mean when it notes that Jerry's initial deference to his mother is a...