 |
| Neb English Support Class 12 |
Neighbours by Tim Winton
MAIN INTRODUCTION
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Neighbours by Tim Winton
Who is the author of the story "Neighbours".
Name: Tim Winton
Full Name: Timothy John Winton
Date of Birth: 4 August 1960
Nationality: Australian
Birth Place: Subiaco, Western Australia
Occupation: Novelist
Notable Works: Cloudstreet, Dirt Music, Breath, Shallows, Blueback
Notable Award: Miles Franklin Award
ABOUT THE STORY
The author of this story is Tim Winton, a writer from Australia. This story was written in 1985 and is extracted from a book called 'Migrants of Australia', edited by a person named Harwood Lawler. This story is about a false judgment.
Example: In our life, we meet many people and make judgments about them in no time. We become judgmental, especially with negative judgments, without knowing their background. This attitude is not right, and later we may feel regret. So, we should not be judgmental in no time. This is the concept.
Hence, this story is about false judgment.
THEMES
Every story, poem or anything is based on a thematic concern. This story has also a beautiful theme, which is the concept of humanity - human relationships are above everything. Human relationships are supreme. Therefore, the main theme of this story is the concept of humanity, human relationships, etc.
MORAL LESSONS
After reading this story, we get moral lessons too. We can learn many ethical lessons from this story, such as: humans need other humans in every essential need; human relationships go beyond linguistic and cultural barriers; and we should never be judgmental in life because our judgments may later prove wrong.
SETTING
Regarding the setting, it is set in Moreton Bay, near the seaside, with a community nearby. This is a suburban area where families from different European countries live. It is a community filled with European immigrants, with different lifestyles, languages, and cultures.
CHARACTERS
There is a newly married couple, a husband and wife, who are the main characters, presented namelessly. The man is called the "young man," and the woman is the "young woman."
The Young Man:
The young man is a writer, an intellectual person. He recently moved from a spacious outer suburban area to this small suburban area with his wife. His wife works outside as a nurse in a hospital, while the young man, being a writer, stays home, handling household chores and working on his thesis, which is about the development of the 20th-century novel.
Macedonian Family:
There is also a Macedonian family living on the left side of the couple, speaking a different language and having a different lifestyle. They are the second major characters.
Polish Widower:
On the right side, there is a Polish widower living alone, without a wife. He is a carpenter by profession and is another major character.
SUMMARY
Now, let’s move to the story.
As the seasons change, the story shows changes in people’s mentality and thinking. The young man, the main character, writes about his experiences in this new place in his thesis as a writer. They moved from a spacious outer suburban area to this new place, a small community filled with European immigrants from different countries, located near Moreton Bay. Initially, both the husband and wife consider themselves strangers or temporary residents because the place’s lifestyle, language, culture, and traditions feel strange to them. They feel surprised, wondering where they have ended up. They live in a small, beautiful house with high ceilings and window panes in every room. From the young man’s study room, there is the fine sight of Moreton Bay, a park, and beautiful rooftops. Everything is nice, and living in this house gives the feel of an elegant cottage.
Note: A small house, high ceilings, window panes, and from the study room, you can see Moreton Bay, the park, and rooftops, giving an elegant cottage feel.
For many days, they stayed inside the house, not going out, feeling awkward when they did. The wife works at the hospital, while the young man stays home. Both are very cautious because they don’t like the neighbors, their language, or their lifestyle. The main source of irritation for the husband and wife comes from two families: the Macedonian family on the left and the Polish widower on the right. The Macedonian family is very loud, with no fixed sleeping time. They make noise all the time, as if there’s a fight in their house. Even for normal talks, they are extremely loud, causing disturbance to the young man and young woman. This family is the main source of irritation for them. The Polish widower, an old man, eats early in the morning, then comes to his courtyard with a hammer and nails, continuously hammering nails into wood. You might think he’s making furniture, but no. He used to be a carpenter, and that instinct remains. He hammers nails all day and pulls them out in the evening, repeating the cycle daily. This useless task disturbs the young couple with the constant hammering noise. These two neighbors are the most irritating for the newly married couple.
In the Macedonian family, there’s a naughty, mischievous child, described as a bald, devilish child, mostly seen with a shaved head, causing trouble. The author finds this child the naughtiest. Even though they have a toilet at home, this child urinates in the alley in front of the young man’s house and was once seen urinating on a cat. The line is: “Once that small kid was seen spraying over the cat.” The young man, the writer, records all these experiences in his thesis on the 20th-century novel, describing how they feel frustrated and nervous in this new community, how their neighbors are, and how they don’t feel like going outside. They also have a small dog, which makes the neighbors cautious. However, the neighbors often stare, peek, or glance at the couple.
The neighbours are also surprised by the young couple because they have never seen such roles before: the man staying home, doing household chores, while the wife works outside. They disapprove of the concept of the woman working outside and the man working inside the house, finding it strange. Most of the time, they are cautious of the couple’s dog, feeling scared. The wife, working at the hospital, shared daily complaints with her husband about the hospital’s poor administration, management, and eccentric patients.
The story shows that as seasons change, so do people’s mentalities and behaviours.
In autumn, the young man and young woman plan a kitchen garden in their backyard, deciding to plant Brussels sprouts, leeks, onions, and cabbage. While working, neighbours gather at the fence, and one neighbour, in their own language, gives advice on hilling, mulching, and spacing. The young man listens carefully, marking their first interaction with the neighbours. A big woman with butcher-like arms and dark eyes from the neighborhood gives the young woman a bag full of garlic cloves to plant. This happens in autumn, showing a change in people’s behaviour and the start of interaction.
The young couple also plans to build a henhouse, but it collapses. The Polish widower, without being invited, brings his hammer and nails, quickly repairs the henhouse, talking non-stop in Polish, which the couple doesn’t understand. He completes the repair and leaves. This proves the concept that humans need humans in every small need.
As days pass, seasons change, and so do people’s mentalities. The young couple starts going outside, smiling at neighbours they once avoided. Relationships grow stronger. The family that once felt awkward in the alley now walks confidently with pride. The young man writes: “We walked in the alley with pride, heads held high. Smiles and care were exchanged. We spent evenings with the Macedonian family, warming by the fire, enjoying their fractured dialogue.” Their unfamiliar language starts feeling dear, intoxicating them. This shows the pride of living in a place, the joy of exchanging smiles, and enjoying a language despite not understanding it. The fractured dialogue, the Macedonian family’s language, was strange to the couple, but they grew fond of it, even though they didn’t understand a single word. The Macedonian family wasn’t fighting; they were just talking normally. It took six months for the young man to realize this.
The young man and woman had no plans to become parents, but the young woman becomes pregnant. The young man wants to keep it a secret, but when the neighbours find out, their behavior changes. They show more care and kindness in their smiles and actions. For example, a shopkeeper at a daily gives the young woman a packet of cigarettes and chocolates, wrapped as a well-wish because she is pregnant. The Polish widower, once a source of irritation, brings a bag full of wood scraps for warmth, good for the baby. In summer, an Italian woman suggests various names for the unborn child. Another time, a Greek woman stops the young woman on the street, touches her belly, and predicts she’ll have a boy. Toward the end of summer, a neighbour knits a suit for the baby. As days pass, the care from neighbors grows.
When the time comes for the baby’s birth, the young woman endures great labour pain. In the backyard, the Macedonian family gathers at the fence, with the young man counting 12 faces waiting for good news. After great effort, a son is born, breastfeeding from his mother. When the baby briefly stops suckling and cries loudly, the neighbors cheer loudly, celebrating. Seeing this, the young man’s eyes fill with tears. He realizes, “Oh my God, I thought these people were my enemies, but they are my closest well-wishers.” He cries, realizing his false judgments. His 20th-century novel didn’t prepare him for this.
SHORT SUMMARY
Neighbours by Tim Winton
Write a short summary of "Neighbours" by Tim Winton.
"Neighbours" by Tim Winton is a very short story of false judgement. This story has shown the concept that human relationships go beyond linguistic and cultural barriers. The story is about a newly married young couple who have recently moved into a new neighbourhood. At first, they notice that their new surroundings are full of European migrants. Their house is small and beautiful. They feel quite disgusted at first because of their neighbours and their activities. They get irritated listening to the loud conversations of their next-door neighbours, a Macedonian family, and the hammering of their other next-door neighbour, a Polish widower.
They try to keep their distance from them. They don't feel happy at first to find the strange and sometimes disgusting customs of their new neighbours. The neighbours also don't like their dog, as well as the young man's act of sitting at home and his wife working outside.
As time passes, the young couple gets help from their neighbours in the matter of the kitchen garden and henhouse. They are getting used to their new surroundings. The young couple starts smiling and liking their neighbours. They notice that their neighbours aren't that bad at all. They start passing time with their neighbours, sharing and learning things. They feel proud to be a part of the neighbourhood.
When the young woman becomes pregnant, the neighbours immediately find out about it and start smiling at the young couple, providing them with help, gifts and good tips. They care for the new couple very much. The neighbours become a part of the young couple's celebration. The young couple isn't used to that friendliness. The young man is surprised when all his neighbours celebrate birth arrival of the new baby boy. The young man weeps to find his neighbours cheering for his baby's birth at last. His opinion about migrants turns out to be wrong.
The story presents the concept that different people from different countries' backgrounds can live peacefully together, although they have different languages, cultures and lifestyles. The human relationship is quite important and beyond other aspects.
CLICK HERE 👇 TO READ
NEIGHBOURS BY TIM WINTON CLASS 12 ENGLISH DETAILED INFORMATION
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Discuss the following questions:
[2079 NEB BOARD ASKED QUESTION]: What does 'fractured dialogue' mean in the story? (Neighbours)
Answer:
This is the story of a false judgement. This story has presented the concept of humanity. This story has shown the concept that human relationships go beyond linguistic and cultural barriers. The 'fractured dialogue' in the story means the broken and colloquial language that the neighbours of the new couple speak most of the time. During winter, the new couple hears their variety of stories and seems so intoxicated in their fractured dialogues that they even involve themselves in shouting along with them.
a. How many languages are spoken in your community? Do people in your community understand each other’s mother tongue?
Answer:
There are various languages spoken in my community. Yes, people in my community understand each other's mother tongue. The people in my community are habitual speakers of each other's mother tongue because of their long-term relationship.
b. How do the neighbours help each other in your neighbourhood?
Answer:
Neighbours in my community help each other through various means. The neighbours in my community are very helpful and cooperative. They are humanitarians. During times of crisis, they try their best to help each other being united. They always live in peace and harmony with love and co-operation.
UNDERSTANDING THE TEXT
Answer the following questions.
a. Describe how the young couple’s house looked like.
Answer (75 Words)
The young couple's house looked so nice. Their house was situated in a suburban community. It was somewhere beside Moreton Bay. Their house looked small but very beautiful from both inside and outside. The house had high ceilings with window panes in each room. From the study room of the young man, there was a fine view of rooftops, Moreton Bay, the park, etc. It was such a cosy house. That particular beautiful house provided them with the feeling of elegant cottage.
b. How did the young couple identify their neighbours at the beginning of their arrival?
Answer:
At the beginning of their arrival, the young couple identified their neighbours through their bad experiences with them. They built-up a very negative attitude towards them due to their languages, cultures, behaviours and activities. They felt quite bad and irritated to find a loud Macedonian family on their left next door. The Macedonian family used to make noise through their loud conversations all the time. Similarly, an old Polish widower on their right used to create disturbance through his useless activities of hammering and nailing. They identified these two neighbours as the main source of their irritation.
c. How did the neighbours help the young couple in the kitchen garden?
Answer:
The neighbours helped the young couple in the kitchen garden by providing them with advice related to gardening. They got this chance to converse with the young couple after many months when they saw the young couple planting vegetables in their kitchen garden. They helped them by advising on various things related to gardening such as spacing, hilling and mulching. A big woman also provided them with a bagful of garlic cloves to plant.
How did the neighbours help the young couple in the kitchen garden? (2 Marks)
Answer (75 Words):
During autumn season, the couple decided to plant vegetables in their kitchen garden. While they were busy in their task of planting, the neighbours approached them. A neighbouring man provided them with his advices regarding kitchen garden. He advised the young man on different methods of gardening such as hilling, mulching, and spacing. A big black woman with black eyes helped them with a bag full of garlic cloves to plant in the garden.
d. Why were the people in the neighbourhood surprised at the role of the young man and his wife in their family?
Answer:
The people in the neighbourhood were surprised at the role of the young man and his wife in their family because they found the young man staying at home and doing household tasks whereas his wife was doing a job in the hospital outside. The people of the neighbourhood disapproved of the concept of males sitting in the house and females working outdoors.
e. How did the neighbours respond to the woman’s pregnancy?
Answer:
The neighbours responded in a very fine and polite manner to the woman's pregnancy. They started smiling at the young couple most of the time and caring for the young woman a lot. They tried their best to support her in various ways. All her neighbours responded by being quite responsible. They provided her with various gifts, pieces of advice and care related to her pregnancy.
f. Why did the young man begin to weep at the end of the story? [2079 NEB BOARD ASKED QUESTION]
Answer:
The young man began to weep at the end of the story because he realized his neighbours' care, love and support. When he found all of them on his fence cheering for his newborn baby boy, he failed to control his emotions. He wept in joy to find his neighbours' happiness in his good time. His concept regarding his neighbours changed. He realized the concept of human relations.
g. Why do you think the author did not characterize the persons in the story with proper names?
Answer:
I think the author did not characterize the persons in the story with proper names because he wanted to show the people of mixed groups in one place with varieties of languages and cultures with the feeling of humanity. He wanted to give more importance to ethnic identities than individualities. With the help of this story, he wanted to present the fine concept that different people from different countries and backgrounds can live peacefully together, although they have different languages, cultures and lifestyles. The human relationship is quite an important aspect and beyond other aspects.
What forms of help did they get from the neighbours in the story? (5 Marks)
Answer (150 Words)
During the autumn season, the couple decided to plant vegetables in their kitchen garden. While they were busy in their task of planting, the neighbours approached them. A neighbouring man provided them with his advice regarding kitchen gardens. He advised the young man on different methods of gardening, such as hilling, mulching, and spacing. A big Black woman with black eyes helped them with a bag full of garlic cloves to plant in the garden. Later, when they built a henhouse, they got help from the Polish widower when their henhouse collapsed. The Polish widower helped them selflessly. Later, when the young woman got pregnant, she got help, love, care, advice, presents, etc. The neighbours' care provided her with a sense of security. The young man felt grateful to find such a helpful neighbour. His false judgements towards his neighbours changed at last. He even wept to find his neighbours so supportive and close.
Who were the major sources of irritation for the young man and young woman? ( 2 Marks)
Answer (75 Words):
REFERENCE TO THE CONTEXT
a. The story shows that linguistic and cultural barriers do not create any obstacle in human relationships. Cite some examples from the story where the neighbours have transcended such barriers.
Answer:
Here in this story, we find many instances where the neighbours have transcended linguistic and cultural barriers. These barriers have been broken due to human relationships. Some examples are as follows:
1. The neighbours offer them advice related to the kitchen garden, though they don't know their language.
2. The help of an old Polish man to rebuild their henhouse can be taken as unselfish help in human relationships.
3. The young couple learns things from the Macedonian family and the way they shout, even though they don't even know their language.
4. Their care, love and respect for the young pregnant woman as well as their happiness for the baby's birth show a fine example of a human relationship. The human relationship goes beyond linguistic and cultural aspects.
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?
Answer:
The young man found unexpected differences between twentieth-century novel and human relations. As a writer, he kept on writing his thesis on a twentieth-century novel using his opinions or thoughts regarding European migrants. He had his own perspective on the lifestyle of migrant people. His arrival in a new neighbourhood and his experience made him feel bad about all the migrants in his neighbourhood. His concept of a twentieth-century novel turns out to be wrong at last. He had never expected such acts of togetherness from his neighbours before. The activities of migrants made him weep and realize the important concept of humanity at last. He realised the importance of human relationships. Human relations are far more practical than written things in novels. Many events occurred in the young man's life that were quite unexpected for him. He became a father; his neighbours showed their care for his family; they showed extreme happiness in his joy; he cried to find such awesome neighbours etc. All these things were possible due to their good relationship with their neighbours. The twentieth-century novel hadn't prepared him for this. The human relationship made him realise the value of living with neighbours in a neighbourhood.
The 20th-century novel had not prepared him for this. Explain.
Answer:
As an intellectual writer, he wrote his experiences in his thesis with jealousy and irritation, describing disturbing neighbours and their strange lifestyle. But when he realized his mistake - that these people were not enemies but his closest well-wishers - he cried. Those he thought were enemies turned out to be his dearest friends. This proves that language, culture, or traditions don’t matter; humanity connects people.
c. A Nepali proverb says “Neighbours are companions for wedding procession as well as for funeral procession.” Does this proverb apply in the story? Justify.
Answer:
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 companions for a wedding procession as well as a funeral procession.
Yes, this proverb applies to the story. Here in this story, we find the neighbours' 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 sharing, caring and helping among the neighbours in the story. The young couple's family was advised and helped by their two next-door neighbours. The young couple is also seen sharing things in their neighbourhood. During the time of pregnancy, the young woman was cared, assured and presented gifts by the people of her neighbourhood. These neighbours are seen passing time teaching each other, enjoying themselves, laughing and shouting. Living in a neighbourhood, the sense of pride within the young couple is clearly seen. The sharing of joy is seen at last when all the neighbours cheer to hear the 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.
CLICK HERE 👇 TO READ
OLD IS GOLD CLASS 12 ENGLISH GUIDE 》ALL ENGLISH PAPERS AND THEIR SOLUTIONS
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?
Answer:
Multiculturalism refers to characteristics of a society, city etc. that have many different ethnic or national cultures mingling freely.
Here, the writer has dealt with the issue of multiculturalism in the story. I think multiculturalism has become a major issue in the present world because in multiculturalism, discrimination of cultures between people of different ethnic groups is mainly seen. People don't try to be very interested in each other's cultures and traditions. Cultural discrimination creates a kind of gap between people. The concept of multiculturalism brings about upheaval in the community. The way of life of people, their different languages and many other factors make people distant from each other. Concepts like humanity and human relations are merely dead due to the concept of multiculturalism. In the present world, due to this concept of multiculturalism, the people are facing disastrous results through violence, war and various negative aspects. People are badly affected as well as discriminated against in every sector due to this concept of multiculturalism. This concept has brought many bad results in the history of this world. Due to this concept, the world will certainly face disastrous results in the upcoming future.
REFERENCE BEYOND THE CONTEXT
a. Write an essay on Celebration of Childbirth in my Community.
Answer:
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 form 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. On this occasion, all the relatives of the family are invited to celebrate. Relatives enjoy this occasion a lot. They get a chance to bless the child and mother. Both the mother and the 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.
Answer:
Yes, the people in my community respond with similar reactions to pregnancy and childbirth as depicted in the story. In our Eastern traditional societies, both pregnancy and childbirth are well celebrated. It is a kind of ritual where all the relatives as well as neighbours participate to celebrate this occasion. During pregnancy or childbirth, the woman is given much more preference. She is given proper care and love.
In our societies, a pregnant woman is blessed by all her relatives. She is given a lot of advice regarding her health. She gets lots of care from her family members. She gets blessings and various gifts. She is properly cared, loved and respected. Her pregnancy is also well-celebrated.
In the matter of childbirth, all the family members and neighbours are keenly waiting for the good news of the baby's birth. At the first cry of the baby, the family members are congratulated by their relatives and neighbours. All of them cheer for the newlyborn baby. The birth of a child is so well celebrated. The mother of the baby is warmly welcomed by all family members and relatives.
CLICK HERE 👇 TO READ
CLICK HERE 👇 TO READ
CLASS 12 ENGLISH GUIDE MODEL QUESTION PAPER
Thank u sir
ReplyDeleteWelcome dear
DeleteThanks 👍 uh are doing well sir ☺️
ReplyDeleteWelcome dear❤
Delete😍
ReplyDelete❤❤
ReplyDeletesir have you any idea about teaching and learning process of language development section of the text book. Is it necessary to teach all the twenty units line by line ? please kindly help me by providing your view.
ReplyDeleteDear...every Chapter of language development is for language skill development. If you move on thoroughly, you won't finish your course. Try to summarise the chapters with MAIN points only...ask the students to solve questions..provide them your authentic answers at last. Grammar portion is must and should be taught with rules.
DeleteThus, quick idea about passage, questions and Answers, grammar and free writing related to chapters
How do dounlod sir this notes
ReplyDeletenice
ReplyDeleteUseful post...thanks a lot
ReplyDeletePost a Comment