Neighbours Exercise (Question Answers) Class 12 English

Exercise of Neighbours by Tim Winton: Question & Answers | 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.

➜ 

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.

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