The characters of several stories such as, “The Necklace,” “A Retrieved Reformation,” and “Through the Tunnel,” go through physical and emotional challenges to acquire knowledge and wisdom. In the story of “The Necklace,” a young man and his wife are invited to a grand ball. The wife wanted an extravagant gown to wear at the ball. The husband then spent a vast amount of money to acquire a dress for his wife to wear, yet she was still ungrateful. She then wanted a fine piece of jewelry. The husband did not have a sufficient amount of money to purchase a new piece of jewelry. Hence, the wife had to borrow jewelry from another lady. She prized this jewelry very much. The husband and wife then went to the ball where she was complimented on her attire, and had a grand time. After leaving the ball, to her dismay, the wife noticed that the necklace was missing. She had to replace the necklace, but it had such a high cost. She and her husband had to take out loans and planned to take on more jobs just to pay off the necklace. Years later the wife confronted the lady, who lent her the necklace, on the street. She spoke of how this lady had ruined her life. The lady inquired as to how she had done such a thing. The wife spoke of how she was miserable for years trying to pay off the necklace. This is when the woman informed the wife that the necklace was not even real—it was a fake! In “Through the Tunnel,” a mother and son went on vacation. They went to a beach where kids would play. It seemed to be a very safe place to play and many children were there. The son watched the other kids playing near the rocks where he could see them diving into the water. He noticed that they would dive into the water in one location but come out in another. It appeared that a tunnel existed under the water where the kids were diving. He wanted to join in the fun with the other kids, but he knew he could never hold his breath long enough to make it through the tunnel. So, he watched and...