Yes. That's why you are confined in those two little rooms and why you loop back.
Also, the room with the vertical corridors is designed to teach you the mechanics by sheer drilling. That way, the controls are easier to internalize.
I also tried to make you accidentally find the solution. Because when you can carry three items, you have eight possibilities to try, which is quickly tiresome. So, the level is arranged to minimize the number of tries.
It's also why you have doors where you must leave everything behind. It was for my sanity too.