Neighbours | Tim Winton | Story | Notes | Question Answers
Short Explanation:
Through the story neighbours, author explains the value of neighbours showing their disturbances and interfering behaviours as care. As well as it suggests us that value of neighbours can not be understood by passing a degree.
Characters:
- Young Man – husband
- Young Man’s Wife
- Macedonian Family
- Polish Widower
- The man in deli
- Italian Woman
- Greek Women
- Other unidentified (Next door woman., a midwife)
Question Answer:
1. Why did the young man begin to weep at the end of the story?
-> The young man began to weep at the end of the story because he realized how misjudging he was towards his kind neighbours. He regretted at last because he always believed he had bad neighbours.
When they (husband and wife) first moved in a new society he found his neighbour depressing, irritating, and uncivilized. He found them interfering in their tasks, he sensed their amazement over late waking, husband reading at home; wife working, Polish widower making noise; everything made him believe that his neighbours are bad.
However, when his wife was giving birth to a child he found his neighbours supporting his family. People gave them gifts, Polish widower helped with wood scraps, all people positively dealt with the pregnancy. At the labour period a midwife helped his wife and when the child got born he saw the neighbours smiling, cheering with happy faces outside of his house. It made him realize that how badly he thought about his neighbours while they all were kind, supportive, and helpful towards his family. It made him regret and weep at the end of the story.
2. Why do you think the author did not characterize the persons in the story with proper names?
-> The author did not characterize the persons in the story with proper names because he wanted us to realize that nothing; names, castes, religions, professions, backgrounds, ethnicities etc., matters in neighbourhood. He wants us to understand that in neighbourhood there are no discrimination and unkind behaviours regarding anything. Neighbourhood is the holy and pure relationship that people possess. So, the writer gave no names to every character.
3. What do you understand by 'Fractured Dialogue' in the story?
-> The people in neighbourhood were from different regions. Few were Americans, many were Europeans like; Greek, Italian, Polish etc. So whenever they spoke with one another they were mixing up their mother – tongue with English. So, it was difficult to comprehend and reply correctly. Which is referred as ‘Fracture Dialogue’ in the story ‘Neighbours’ written by Tim Winton.
4. The last sentence of the story reads "Teentieth - 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?
-> We are shown in the story that the Young man was writing thesis on the development of the twentieth century novel. Many twentieth century novels explain neighbourhood as having conflicts and isolation. The boy in the beginning disliked his neighbours for their actual behaviours. For he might have concept about society as it would be depressing always. Their past neighbours were not good neighbours at all.
However, when the Young man found his neighbours helpful and happy for his family he realized that the real neighbourhood does not be same as shown in novels. It also suggests that real value of neighbourhood can not be understood by getting a degree.
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