Neighbours summary and exercise | Class 12 English Notes

Neighbours summary and exercise | Class 12 English Notes | NEB

Before reading

Discuss the following questions.

a. How many languages are spoken in your community? Do people in your community understand each other's mother tongue?

Ans. There are several languages spoken in my community such as Nepali, Tharu, Newari, etc. People in my community understand one another's mother tongue to some extent especially the sense they want to convey (share) to one another. The Nepali language is preferred in the case the people who are from different languages.

b. How do the neighbors help each other in your neighborhood?

Ans. The neighbors in my neighborhood help each other in different sorts difficulties. One has to face varieties of difficulties in everyday life.

Also, Browse the following:

Understanding the text

Answer the following questions.

a. Describe how the young couple's house looked like.

Ans. The young couple's house looked like a small cottage with it's high ceiling and paned windows which provided them the feeling of an elegant cottage.

b. How did the young couple identify their neighbors in the beginning of their arrival?

Ans. The young couple identified their neighbors as the way which made them feel like sojourners in a foreign land in the beginning of their arrival.

c. How did the neighbors help the young couple in the kitchen garden?

Ans. The neighbors helped the young couple in the kitchen garden by advising them in spacing, hilling, mulching etc. The polish widower helped him to rebuilt the henhouse. Also the big woman with black eyes and butchers arms gave her a bagful of garlic cloves to plant.

d. Why were the people in the neighborhood surprised at the role of the young man and his wife in their family?

Ans. The people in the neighbourhood surprised to know that the young couple has made pregnancy so early as their friends didn't have children until several years after being married.

e. How did the neighbors respond to the woman's pregnancy?

Ans. 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?

Ans. The young man began to weep at the end of the story as he looked "a small queue of bleary faces looked up, cheering" at the back fence with their eleating (joy) at the birth of his baby.

g. Why do you think the author did not characterize the persons in the story with proper names?

Ans. I think the author didn't characterize the persons in the story with proper names to represent them as the social role models.

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.

Ans. Generally, beliefs and cultural differences can be regarded as behavior and personality differences live thinking communication, manners, expression, social norms and values etc. which leads to miscommunication and misunderstanding. The story " Neighbours" shows that the linguistic and cultural barriers do not create any obstacle in happy relationship.

In the beginning of the story, s the young couple moved into a new multicultural society but later they gradually got familiar with different circumstances and cultures of their new neighbors. We can find several examples where the neighbors have raised above the barriers. We can list them as follows:

During autumn; while the young couple were planting vegetables and fruits in their kitchen garden, they advised in spacing, hilling and mulching. Even the big woman with black eyes and butcher's arms gave her a bagful garlic cloves to plant.
They offered heads of cabbage and took gifts of grappa and firewood.
In the spring the Macedonian family showed them how to slaughter, pluck and dress.
The polish widower rebuilt the hen house for them without any invitation of the young couple.
The whole neighbours offered presents to the young woman when they heard about pregnancy and celebrated the birth of the baby.

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?

Ans. The last sentence of the story " Neighbours" reads " The twentieth century novel had not prepared him for this." By the sentence we mean that the young man had not expected such type of co-operation and helpful behavior from his neighbours live helping and advising in kitchen garden, helping to rebuild the henhouse and their support in his wife's pregnancy in different aspects. They expected that his neighbors may not be such helpful and supportive as they had moved into a new multicultural neighborhood where a lot of European immigrants lived. The young couple lived in an expensive outer suburbs of Australia before they moved where people were selfish and were busy in their own private tasks. He found the same thing in twentieth century novel.

The young man learned a new lesson that intolerance, discrimination and prejudice are the basis of ignorance and he found the remedies of all these through human relation in his newly migrated Australian land. The community help made the couple understand such things in human societies.

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.

Ans. Obviously, the Nepali proverb, " Neighbors are companions for wedding procession as well as for funeral procession" is applicable in this story. This statement says that neighbors are the true family members who help one other in difficulties, celebrations, each others joy (like cultural and family functions) and adds them happiness.

As we live in society, we all are complimentary to each other. Our small happy moments become much more beautiful when we share among the neighbors. Also their good advice or consolence give us big comfort wen there occur calamity or problem of any kind.

For example :

His neighbors managed everything for him and his wife. So, there problems became simple for them. Otherwise, the man would have felt alone in need. They (neighbors) also advised them in kitchen garden too. They added more happiness in the wife's pregnancy and child birth. Thus, Neighbours are often capable of bringing happiness all around and they are companions in both wedding procession as well as funeral procession.

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?

Ans. Yes, I think multiculturalism has become a significant issue in the present world because it reflects the changing views about cultures in general. This phenomenon is popular in these cities or countries where there is coexistence of different cultures which continue to cultivate their own identity and uniqueness.

Multiculturalism Is a diversity of two or more than two cultures in a specific region or country.

Especially, due to development of internet and wireless communication technology, the distance from country to country and people to people is reduced and the whole world has become a global village. Multiculturalism Helps to share different socioeconomic and socio-cultural, ideas beliefs and other different knowledge or experiences from different parts of the world. Thus, it can be good for society and people where there is understanding and respect of other culture. So, we need to enhance and develop the concept of multiculturalism in our life society, nation and in the world, which may help in the rise of new socio and economic standard.

Multiculturalism Refers to the cultural pluralism. It may also help to compensate (reduce) the cultural diserimination and oppression. The concept of multiculturalism was used by UK in the second half of the twentieth century. America and Australia are the main immigrant welcoming countries in the sense that groups belonging to different languages, educational backgrounds, customs, values and religions are living there developing a unique multicultural and multilingual social environment.

Reference beyond the text

a. Write an essay on Celebration of Childbirth in my Community.

Ans. Pregnancy and childbirth are socio-cultural events that carry significant meaning in different societies and cultures. Moreover, in the country like Nepal it holds much more importance. Nepalese society is full of customs, rituals and superstitions. All these rules are followed by the pregnant woman and these provide her the sense of security and freedom from the physique burden of managing childbirth. Pregnant woman is taken care by all family members from every aspects live food, clothing etc. Nepalese woman believe the whole birth process as a part of life and of God's plan. After the childbirth, there are different ways of celebration according to the social norms and values. Among Them, holding a baby shower, naming ceremony or religious ceremonies,etc. are familiar.

Child bearing and caring (rearing) is easier in traditional societies mainly in joint families. The whole family helps her to grow up the child. But in some of the rural societies, the woman is not considered as a members of a family until she gives birth to a baby, which results bad news sometimes the mother of the first child. Her Identity and hold over family matters becomes stronger. In this way, the child provides both security and power to his or her mother in our society.

Finally, every society has its own features. But there should be humanity is every society. Without social help and cordiality, no one can live a real life. Taking help and goving help is a must.

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.

Ans. In the story " Neighborhood", all the neighbors become happy and respond positively when they heard about woman's pregnancy, though the couple has not planned for. At that time she was not only provided mild suggestions from her neighbors but also huge gifts. They also helped in the period of delivery. All the neighbors got excited and wish their best. They celebrated it joyfully.

Especially in the city area

But in our society, people don't respond with similar reactions upon the pregnancy and childbirth as depicted in the story " Neighborhood". People are busy in their private jobs. They have no time to think about others activities and cultural practices. The feeling of responsibility and respect towards humanity is reduced to the bottom as compared to the story. Only very close neighbors and relatives take partinsuch celebrations. Almost all of the people are self-centered and don't take care of others who are in difficulty. They don't have any time to get rid of that difficulty. They only become active to help others for their name or fame

Generally in the village area

As in the story; people also respond politely and sincerely to pregnancy and childbirth as depicted in the story " Neighborhood". In our society also, people provide suggestions and care for the woman in case of pregnancy whether it was planned or not. They think it all as god's plan. They also help in the duration of labor and delivery. All the family members and neighbors celebrate it very joyfully. They organize some ceremony like chhait, name giving ceremony, baby shower etc. and enjoy the birth of a child in society. Any way, such new births make our society, vital and long lasting.

Neighbours summary and exercise | Class 12 English Notes | NEB