"Neighbours" is a short story written by the renowned Australian author, Tim Winton. It has been included in the class 12 English syllabus by NEB (National Examination Board) starting from 2078. In this article, we'll offer a concise yet comprehensive summary of "Neighbours," delve into its key themes, provide exercises and answers for practice. Additionally, Students can also learn about the characters and their functions in the narrative. For ease of reading, we have also provided a downloadable PDF version encompassing the summary, exercises, and answers.
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Short summary of Neighbours by Tim Winton
Neighbours is a story about a newly married couple living in a multicultural (बहुसांस्कृतिक) and multilingual (बहुभाषी) suburb neighborhood. It shows that cultural and linguistic (भाषिक) barriers (अवरोधहरू) cannot stop people from bestowing (प्रदान गर्नु) love and compassion.
Detailed summary of Neighbours
In the story, a newlywed (नवविवाहित) couple moves to a new neighborhood in Moreton Bay, Australia. The street is full of European migrants (आप्रवासीहरू), making the couple feel like outsiders in a foreign (विदेशी) land. They have a Macedonian family living on the left and an old Polish widower on the right.
The couple's house, though small, feels like an elegant (सुन्दर) cottage with high ceilings and paned windows. From the young man's study window, he can see the park where they walk their docile collie dog, and he can also observe (अवलोकन गर्नु) the activities of the neighbors.
The Macedonian family's loud conversations and the Polish widower's constant (लगातार) hammering (हतौडा पीटेको आवाज) initially irritate the couple, who are accustomed (अभ्यस्त) to quiet suburban living. It takes them six months to realize that the neighbors are just having conversations and not engaging in any violence.
The couple's lifestyle differs ( भिन्न हुनु) from that of their neighbors. The young man stays at home to work on his thesis, while his wife goes to work at a hospital. This draws disapproval (मन नपरेको) from the neighbors, who have more traditional expectations (अपेक्षा) of gender roles.
As autumn arrives, the couple decides to clean up their backyard (घरको पछाडिको आँगन) and start a farm. The neighbors watch them curiously (उत्सुकतापूर्वक) as they plant various vegetables. Gradually, the neighbors start offering gardening advice, and the couple learns from them. The big woman from next door even gives the woman a bag of garlic (लसुन) cloves to plant.
The couple also builds a henhouse, but it collapses (लड्नु). The Polish widower, uninvited (निमन्त्रणा नगरिएको), helps them rebuild it, though they don't understand his language.
As time passes, the couple begins to smile back at the neighbors and feel more connected (सम्बन्ध स्थापित गर्नु) to the community. They exchange gifts and feel proud when their parents visit. They also raise (पाल्नु) ducks (हाँस), and the Macedonian family teaches them how to slaughter (वध गर्नु) and prepare the birds.
Unexpectedly, the young woman becomes pregnant (गर्भवती), surprising both of them. The news spreads through the neighborhood, and everyone showers (उदारतापूर्वक दिनु) them with gifts and good wishes.
As the pregnancy progresses, the Polish widower builds a two-car garage, and the young man starts to feel annoyed (रिसाउनु) by the noise. However, the widower surprises them by bringing wood scraps (टुक्रा) for their fire.
When the young woman goes into labor, the young man is overwhelmed and seeks help from a midwife (प्रसाविका). The neighbors gather at the fences (बार), cheering and offering support. The baby boy is born, and the young man is moved to tears by the neighbors' care and concern (सहानुभूति).
The story concludes with the realization (अनुभूति) that the couple has built strong connections with their neighbors and experienced the joy of community and parenthood (अभिभावकत्व), despite the initial (प्रारम्भिक) challenges of moving to a new neighborhood.
Plot summary of Neighbours in 10 points
- A young couple (युवा जोडी) moves to a new neighborhood, feeling like outsiders among European migrants.
- Their neighbors, a Macedonian family, and a Polish widower, initially (सुरुमा) make them uncomfortable with their loudness.
- The couple's house is small but charming (सुन्दर), and the young man can see a park from his study window.
- They struggle to understand their neighbors' customs (रीति-रिवाज) and lifestyle, causing tension and discomfort (कष्ट).
- The couple decides to start a vegetable farm in their backyard, and the neighbors offer (प्रदान गर्नु) gardening advice.
- Unexpectedly, the Polish widower helps rebuild their collapsed henhouse, forming a subtle (सूक्ष्म) connection.
- Over time, the couple and neighbors build friendships, exchanging gifts and enjoying each other's company.
- The young woman's pregnance was revealed, and the neighborhood shows excitement and support.
- During the pregnancy, the Polish widower builds a two-car garage, which annoys (रिस उठाउनु) the young man.
- The story ends with the woman going into labor, and the neighbors gather outside, offering care and cheering, highlighting the strong bond (सम्बन्ध) formed between the couple and their neighbors.
Characters and their roles of the story Neighbours
The Young Man: He is part of the young couple who moved into the neighborhood. He stays at home to work on his thesis and takes care of the house. He learns about cultural (सांस्कृतिक) differences and builds connections with their neighbors over time.
The Young Woman (His Wife): She is the wife of the young man and works at a hospital. She experiences (अनुभव गर्नु) the support and kindness (करुणा ) of their neighbors during her pregnancy. She also forms bonds (सम्बन्ध जोड्नु) with the women in the neighborhood.
The Polish Widower: He is the neighbor on the right side of the young couple's house. He spends his time hammering nails (कीला ठोक्नु) into wood but doesn't seem to build anything with it. He shows kindness by helping the couple rebuild their henhouse and becomes a supportive (सहयोगी) neighbor.
Macedonian Family: They are the neighbors on the left side of the young couple's house. Initially, their loud conversations and behaviors make the young couple feel uncomfortable (असहज). However, they eventually (अन्ततः) become more familiar and friendly with each other.
Big Woman with Black Eyes: She is a neighbor who offers the young woman a bagful (झोला भरिएको) of garlic cloves for planting. Her act of kindness helps the young couple in their gardening.
Italian Women: They are neighbors who suggest names for the baby, showing their interest and care for the young couple's growing family.
Greek Women: They are neighbors who stop the young woman in the street and offer their predictions about the baby's gender, adding a sense of community and excitement during her pregnancy.
The Woman Next Door: She knits a suit, complete with booties (बच्चाको ऊनको मोजा) and a beanie, for the baby, showing her thoughtfulness and care.
The Polish Man: He is the Polish widower's neighbor who gives the young couple a barrowful of wood scraps for their fire, showing his support and friendliness.
Themes of the story Neighbours
Different Cultures: The story shows how people from different cultures (संस्कृति) can have misunderstandings when they first meet. |
Friendship and Kindness (मित्रता र दया): It teaches us the importance of being friendly and kind to our neighbors. |
Helping Each Other (एकअर्कालाई सहयोग): The story shows how neighbors can help each other in times of need, like rebuilding a henhouse or giving gardening advice. |
Accepting Differences (भिन्नताहरू स्वीकार): It's important to accept and respect each other's differences, like different customs or ways of doing things. |
Building Connections: The story highlights the value of building good relationships (सम्बन्ध) with our neighbors. |
Becoming Parents (अभिभावक बन्ने): It also shows how becoming parents can be a surprise, but having supportive neighbors makes it a joyful experience. |
Learning from Others (अरूबाट सिक्ने): The young couple learns new things from their neighbors, which is a valuable lesson in life. |
FAQ - Summary of Neighbours
What is the story "Neighbours" about? |
"Neighbours", a short story written by Tim Winton, is about a young couple who moves into a new neighborhood (छिमेक) and their experiences with their European migrant (प्रवासी) neighbors. |
How do the neighbors help the young couple in the story? |
The neighbors offer gardening advice and assistance, leading to the young couple's successful kitchen garden. |
What changes in the young couple's relationship with their neighbors over time? |
Initially, the young couple feels uneasy (असहज), but over time, they build strong connections (सम्बन्ध), exchange gifts, and feel proud to be a part of the neighborhood. |
How does the story explore the theme of multiculturalism (बहुसँस्कृतिवाद)? |
The story shows how people from different cultural backgrounds can overcome (परास्त) barriers and build connections through understanding and shared experiences. |
Why does the young man weep at the end of the story? |
The young man weeps because he realizes the care and affection (स्नेह) of his neighbors during his wife's labor and the birth of their child. |
Neighbours Class 12 Exercise
Understanding the text
Answer the following questions
Describe how the young couple’s house looked like. |
The young couple's small house had high ceilings and big, old-fashioned paned windows which made it feel like an elegant (सुन्दर) fancy cottage rather than a plain small house. From the windows, the couple could see over the neighborhood to the fig trees in the park. |
How did the young couple identify their neighbours in the beginning of their arrival? |
When the young couple first moved in, they did not know the neighbors well enough to use their actual names. They just identified the neighbors by their ethnicity (जातियता) - there was a family from Macedonia living on one side of them and an elderly Polish widower (विधुर) living on the other side. |
How did the neighbours help the young couple in the kitchen garden? |
The neighbors generously (खुला मनले) offered gardening advice on things like plant spacing, hilling, and mulching when the couple was working in their kitchen garden. The big Macedonian woman even gifted them garlic (लसुन) cloves to plant. When their chicken coop (खोर) fell down, the Polish widower kindly came over uninvited and rebuilt it for them. |
Why were the people in the neighborhood surprised at the role of the young man and his wife in their family? |
People in the neighborhood were surprised (आश्चर्यचकित हुनु) at the role of the young man and his wife in their family because traditionally the wife would stay home to care for children while the husband worked outside the home. But this young couple did the opposite - the wife worked while the husband stayed home. |
How did the neighbours respond to the woman’s pregnancy? |
The community was very supportive (सहयोगी) and excited (उत्साहित) about her pregnancy. The deli owner gifted chocolates, women on the street felt her belly and offered baby name suggestions, and the next door neighbor even knitted an entire (सम्पूर्ण) baby outfit complete with a suit, booties, and a beanie hat. |
Why did the young man begin to weep at the end of the story? |
The young father cried happy emotional tears at the end because he was so deeply moved by the entire neighborhood gathering to cheer (प्रसन्न हुनु) and welcome his newborn baby boy. He hadn't expected such a loving communal (सामुदायिक) response. |
Why do you think the author did not characterize the persons in the story with proper names? |
By avoiding using proper character names and instead identifying people by their ethnicity, the author makes the story more universal (सर्वव्यापी). This helps readers imagine themselves in the role of the young couple. |
Reference to the context
The story shows that linguistic and cultural barriers do not create any obstacles in human relationships. Cite some examples from the story where the neighbours have transcended such barriers. |
In the story, the neighbors find ways to connect across barriers (बाधा). They transcend (पार गर्नु) linguistic and cultural differences by supporting the young couple. One example is when the neighbours offer gardening advice to the couple. Even though they may speak different languages, their shared love of gardening allows them to communicate and help. Another example is the Polish widower rebuilding the fallen henhouse. Despite not understanding each other's words, he and the couple are able to communicate through gestures (भाव प्रदर्शन) and actions. The diverse (विभिन्न) neighborhood women also provide gifts and support during the pregnancy. The shared joy of a new baby helps bridge (अन्तर मेटाउनु) cultural gaps. Finally, all the neighbors gather to celebrate the birth. This demonstrates (साबित गर्नु) their shared joy has become a universal language. It connects the community beyond cultural barriers. These examples show that through common ground the neighbors moved beyond initial differences. Finding shared experiences and emotions enabled them to transcend linguistic and cultural barriers. |
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? |
The last sentence says, "The twentieth-century novel had not prepared him for this." It means the young man was surprised because what he learned from old stories didn't completely get him ready for real-life feelings, like having a baby and the happiness from the neighbors. The difference is that books usually talk about complicated (जटिल) stories, but they couldn't show him how special and emotional (भावनात्मक) real-life moments are, like becoming a parent and having friends cheering for you. The young man figured out (थाहा पाउनु) that the love and joy (आनन्द) in his real-life story were even more amazing than what he read in books about the twentieth century. |
A Nepali proverb says “Neighbors are companions for wedding procession as well as for funeral procession.” Does this proverb apply in the story? Justify. |
Yes, this Nepali proverb does apply to the story "Neighbors." Throughout the young couple's major life events, their neighbors are there to support (सहायता गर्नु) them. When the couple is working in their garden, the neighbors give them helpful gardening tips and gifts of garlic (लसुन) to plant. Even though they speak different languages, they find ways to communicate and assist (सहायता गर्नु). Later, when the couple's chicken coop collapses (एकाएक लड्नु), the Polish widower comes over without being asked and rebuilds it for them. He is like a companion (सहयोगी), helping them out even though they don't share a common language. Finally, when the young woman goes into labor, the entire (सम्पूर्ण) neighborhood gathers to celebrate (उत्सव मनाउनु) the birth of the baby. They cheer (हर्षित गर्नु) and wave in excitement - supporting the couple through this monumental (स्मरणार्थ) life event. So during the couple's happy moments - as well as difficult moments like when the chicken coop (खोर) fell down, the neighbors are there. They act as companions, guiding the couple through both celebrations and challenges (चुनौतीहरू). The story shows that the bonds (सम्बन्ध) of community can overcome barriers. In times of joy and in times of trouble, the neighbors walk alongside the young couple, just as the Nepali proverb describes. |
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 (बहुसँस्कृतिवाद) has become important because more and more people of many cultures now live and interact (कुराकानी गर्नु) in communities together. Our world is more connected due to fast travel, the internet, TV, and people moving around a lot more. Students might have classmates and neighbors from all over the world these days. Today, many people think it is good to respect and get along with those from other countries or beliefs. But it can still be hard to communicate if you speak different languages or have distinct habits. Some people fight or struggle to understand their neighbors too. Presently, as the world becomes more connected, it's crucial for everyone to be kind and understand that our differences make the world interesting and beautiful. This helps us build a world where everyone feels valued and accepted. |
Thank you so much sir ❤️
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