Neighbours

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 small but its high ceilings and paned windows gave it the feel of an elegant cottage.

b. How did the young couple identify their neighbours in the beginning of their arrival?
Ans: The young couple identified neighbours in the beginning of their arrival by observing sound of spitting and washing and daybreak watering which make irritated.

c. How did the neighbours help the young couple in the kitchen garden?
Ans: The neighbours helped the young couple in the kitchen garden by giving them some advice for getting benefits from gardening and advised them the ideas for spacing, hilling and mulching the vegetables which they had planted and provided some seeds and plants of vegetables.

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 neighborhood were surprised at the role of the young man and his wife in their family because husband stayed at home and write thesis while, his wife worked outside whole day at hospital.

e. How did the neighbours respond to the woman’s pregnancy?
Ans: The neighbours responded politely, smiled tirelessly at them and the man in the deli gave her small presents of chocolates and him packets of cigarettes that he stored at home.

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 due to the love, affection towards his wife while she was giving birth to a baby.

g. Why do you think the author did not characterize the persons in the story with proper names?
Ans: The author did not characterize the persons in the story with proper names because he want to demonstrate their ethnic identities are more important than their individualistic.

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: The story shows that linguistic and cultural barriers do not create any obstacle in human relationship. In this story, though young couples were new and weren’t habituated in that community, their neighbours helped them in each and every needs. They helped in the gardening and explain them its benefits. In the spring, the Macedonian family showed them how to slaughter, pluck and dress.

During the pregnancy of his wife, the man gave her small presents of chocolates and whole neighbours celebrated the birth of the baby. After a period of adjustment, the couple figured out how to blend out. The young couples and neighbours were from different linguistic and cultures, but they share their happiness and joy with each other which doesn’t make any difficulties in the 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?
Ans: The last sentence of the story reads “The twentieth-century novel had not prepared him for this”. Everything doesn’t go in our real life as it does in the book. A lot of unexpected things occurred in the young man’s life. His neighbours showed them the feeling of brotherhood and friendly behaviour. The characters of novels and the real life humans are unlike and different in actuality.

The young man found the difference between the twentieth-century novels and human relations. sHe thought that the neighbours were rude, unfamiliar with others and make nuisance like in books but it was opposite and his neighbours were very polite and friendly with others. One must be forward in different sectors and prepare to move ahead which is not taught by the novels.

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: Yes, the proverb “Neighbors are companions for wedding procession as well as for funeral procession” applies in this story. It shows the relationship and harmony among the people in the Nepali community. If there is marriage ceremony, the first person who come in the arrangement is out neighbors and same in funeral ceremony as they live nearer to them. It is almost impossible without the help of neighbors in any ceremony.

In this story, the young man’s neighbors helped them in gardening and advising them about its benefits. They also took care of his wife during the pregnancy and celebrated the time of birth. They gave the ideas about various seeds for planting different plants. After hearing the pregnancy of his wife, all neighbors decided to took care and helped them in each and every activities.

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: Multiculturalism refers to the several distinct cultural or ethnic groups within society. I think multiculturalism is the major issue in the world as many people are from different ethnics and cultures which may leads to various social problems. So, the author has deal with the issue of the multiculturalism in this story targeting to the current situation of the world.

Multiculturalism signifies the people from different ethnics or cultural background which welcomes different issues like ethnic isolation, assimilate, adaptation issues in various sectors and many more. It creates social instability and language differences in the community. There may not be the human relationship or communication between each other and the concept of “humanity” may be collapse from the society. So, these thoughts or feelings should be detached from our mind and society.

Reference beyond the text

a. Write an essay on Celebration of Childbirth in my Community.
Ans: In my community, the childbirth celebration is the main ceremony for any child which is celebrated with joy and happiness sharing with all relatives, neighbors, friends and many more. People used to gather in the respective place and share their feelings to others and congratulate to their parents and family members. A new baby brings happiness to the whole family. There is also a baby shower before the baby is born for celebrating and congratulating them. The ninth day of the birth is also called Nwaran in Hindus in which the baby is given name by the priest.

There are different ways of celebrating Childbirth in my Community according to the caste and religion. Mothers are treated with a lot of respect and she will be given special care. They will be given gifts and do different pujas for the prosperity of life of baby. Family members go to temple for the blessing of god and goddess and do different rituals by priest. Both mother and child are given the best care during this period.

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:  Yes, the people in our community respond with similar reactions upon the pregnancy and childbirth as depicted in the story. This moment is the happy and joy for all family members. Many of community people come and giving congratulations to couple. After getting to know about the pregnancy, neighbors visit the house and spend time discussing and talk with each other. Neighbors, who had already given birth, give advice to take care of her health and of child too.

All the people and neighbors give them presents and gifts and congratulate them. Everyone respects and likes her. Mothers are given special care and attention by her family members during the period of pregnancy and childbirth. Before giving birth to a child, well-wishers, relatives, neighbors and family members celebrate as baby shower for making the moment memorable for mother.