Exercise of Neighbours by Tim Winton: Question & Answers | Class 12 English
Short Story: Neighbours Exercise, Complete Question Answer Solution Notes, Class 12 English.
Understanding the text and Answer the following questions.
a. Describe how the young couple’s house looked like.
➜ Although the young couple's home was tiny, its high ceilings and paned windows gave the impression of a beautiful cottage. The young guy could view used car lots and Moreton Bay figs in the park where they walked their dog from the window of his study, which overlooked the roofs.
b. How did the young couple identify their neighbours at the beginning of their arrival?
➜ The young couple had a negative impression of their neighbours when they first arrived. Many things irritated them. The cries and shouts of their neighbours came first, followed by the toddler urinating in the street and peering at the fence. In addition, the young man despised the neighbours’ involvement with their gardening efforts.
Their neighbours were also concerned about their dog, raised eyebrows when they awoke late, and disapproved of the young man being at home while his wife worked outside.
c. How did the neighbours help the young couple in the kitchen garden?
➜ The neighbours assisted young couple in the kitchen garden by offering advice on planting vegetables about spacing, hilling, and mulching. Moreover, they also gave them a bagful of garlic cloves to plant.
d. Why were the people in the neighbourhood surprised at the role of the young man and his wife in their family?
➜ The people in the neighborhood were surprised at the role of the young man and his wife in their family because they did everything together, including cooking and cleaning, which was not the norm in their culture.
e. How did the neighbours respond to the woman’s pregnancy?
➜ The neighbors were very happy after knowing about the woman's pregnancy. They responded it positively and offered them small presents.
f. Why did the young man begin to weep at the end of the story?
➜ The young guy starts to cry at the story's conclusion, reflecting the young couple's realization after the baby was born.
It helps the couple to discover their neighbors' support on an emotional level. Significant events like the birth of a child also provide the opportunity to recognize our common humanity. The infant had fresh, unique perspectives on the neighbors, precisely as it was stated in the required paragraph.
g. Why do you think the author did not characterize the persons in the story with proper names?
➜ The author did not give the characters a definitive name or identity because he wanted to represent individuals from various cultures and languages living together in peace. The author wants the reader to get influenced or inspired from the story by characterizing the persons of the story without finite names.
Second reason could be, Tim may not want his readers to get too involved in the characters, rather feel the way people interact with each other in a diversified community.
Reference to the context
a. The story shows that linguistic and cultural barriers do not create any obstacle in human relationship. Cite some examples from the story where the neighbours have transcended such barriers.
➜ The story shows how linguistic and cultural barriers don’t create obstacles in human relationships. The newly wed couple have moved to a new place which is full of European migrants. The young couple’s language and culture is different to that of the neighbours. The society is a mixed-up society in the matter of culture and language.
Living in the new place seems to be quite troublesome to the young couple due to linguistic and cultural differences. There are some examples in the story where the neighbours have transcended such barriers.
Despite knowing the language, the young couple follow the advice given by the Macedonian woman. The Polish widower helps to rebuild the henhouse, brings barrowful of wood scraps for fire and builds two-car garage however his language is incomprehensible. During the time of pregnancy, the neighbouring women give her presents of chocolates, cigarettes and baby suit.
The neighbours show their love, care and best wishes through their behaviours, gestures and body languages. This shows that language and culture are not obstacles to build a strong human relationship.
b. The last sentence of the story reads “The twentieth-century novel had not prepared him for this.” In your view, what differences did the young man find between twentieth-century novels and human relations?
➜ Although the couple had not planned for a pregnancy, the young woman becomes pregnant in the spring, and their neighbours become aware of it after a short time. Everyone is willing to assist and is courteous. All of their neighbours are delighted and wish them well after the births of their child. For the young man, the birth is a marvel, and he learns in the end that the twentieth-century novel had not prepared him for it.
In my view, the major differences the young man found between the twentieth-century novels and human relations are that, unlike characters in novels, humans have to deal with and overcome a variety of unpredictable and startling situations throughout their lives. Everything does not go as well in real life as it does in the novel. To overcome these situations, one must prepare himself in ways that novels can teach.
c. A Nepali proverb says “Neighbors are companions for wedding procession as well as for funeral procession.” Does this proverb apply in the story? Justify.
➜ Neighbours are the real companions of life who keep on passing their lives with us in various situations. Neighbours are needed in every step of life no matter joy or sorrow. They are the campanions for a wedding procession as well as a funeral procession.
Yes, this proverb applies in story. Here in this story, we find the neighbour’s involvement in various events. The story has mainly focused on three close neighbours who are seen living their lives sharing and caring for each other. We find the concept of share, care and help among the neighbours in the story. The young couple’s family was advised and helped by their both next-door neighbours.
The young couple’s is also sheen sharing things in their neighbourhood. During the time of pregnancy, the young woman was cared, assured the presented gifts by the people of her neighbourhood. These neighbours are seen passing time teaching each other, enjoying, laughing and shouting.
Living in a neighbourhood, the sense of pride within the young couple is seen. The sharing of job is seen at last when all the neighbours cheer to hear the baby’s first find baby’s first cry. The young man also weeps to find his neighbours cheering for his baby. Thus, the neighbours in the story are seen as the best companions as mentioned in the proverb.
d. The author has dealt with an issue of multiculturalism in the story. Why do you think multiculturalism has become a major issue in the present world?
➜ Multiculturalism is the practice of giving equal attention people from different cultural background living in a particular setting. In such a situation, the location is a shelter home of different cultures, languages, lifestyles without any interferences. One person can’t assimilate another person’s culture because of prevailing language barrier and sense of superiority. Same situation is dealt in this story.
The story is set in a place where people from different countries have been migrated to. There is a lack of communication between the newly migrated couple and the existing migrants. In the beginning the couple doesn’t like to establish a health relation to their neighbours because of predominated concept about the people from different social backgrounds.
Because of different reasons people have to migrate from home land to different countries and they have to acclimate the new environment. It is difficult to adjust the environment, if the migrant has prejudice and biasness to other people.
Reference beyond the text
a. Write an essay on Celebration of Childbirth in my Community.
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Celebration of Childbirth in my Community
Childbirth is an important occasion. This occasion is well celebrated in most parts of the world.
In the context of my community, childbirth is a kind of ritual. Childbirth is splendidly celebrated by whole family members as well as relatives. The news of childbirth makes all family members and relatives happy. The family members and relatives cheer for the newly born baby. They get highly excited to cheer and welcome the mother and newly born baby. The entry of a new member into the family provides family members with a new relationship.
Family members and relatives get a new relationship with the child. Both mother and infant are provided with much more care. They are provided with blessings and gifts. The naming ceremony of the newly born baby is well celebrated.
For this occasion, all the relatives of the family are invited to celebrate this occasion. Relatives enjoy this occasion a lot. They get a chance to bless the child and mother. Both mother and infant get gifts. There is feasting and dancing till nighttime. All of the family members and relatives cheer in the name of the child. There is happiness among members and relatives all around.
The mother of the child is given much more respect after giving birth to a child. Both mother and child are the centres of attraction for all. The love, care and togetherness of all make the mother feel so happy and secure.
b. Do the people in your community respond with similar reactions upon the pregnancy and childbirth as depicted in the story? Give a couple of examples.
➜ Yes, the pregnancy and delivery described in the narrative elicit comparable responses from members of my community. Community members (particularly women) will visit a lady at her house after learning about her pregnancy and spend time talking with her about the mother's situation. They also provide the mother suggestions on how to maintain both her own and her child's health during this time.
The relatives of expectant women are also showered with presents, candy, and clothing in my neighborhood. They also come up with a ton of names, both male and female, for the unborn child.
