Class 12 Section II English Lesson 1

Understanding the text

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

Ans 👉 The young couple’s house was small, but its high ceiling and paned windows gave it the feel of an elegant cottage. From his study window, the young man could see out over the rooftops and used car yards, the Moreton Bay figs in the park where they walked their dog.

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

Ans 👉 The young couple identified their neighbours in the beginning of their arrival by the sound of spitting, washing, and daybreak watering.

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 advising them about spacing, hilling, mulching and providing a bagful of garlic cloves for planting.

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 because his wife used to work in the hospital while he stayed at home working on his thesis and cooked for his wife when she returned home.

e. How did the neighbours respond to the woman’s pregnancy?

Ans 👉 The neighbours responded to the woman’s pregnancy by smiling tirelessly. The man in the deli gave her small presents of chocolates and him packets of cigarettes. In the summer, Italian women began to offer names. Greek women stopped the young woman in the street, pulled her skirt up, and felt her belly, telling her it was bound to be a boy. By late summer, the woman next door had knitted the baby a suit, complete with booties and beanie, and the Polish widower next door had almost finished his two-car garage.

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 because he was greatly touched by the unexpected help of neighbours and the human feelings of care and support shown towards them.

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 because he wants to generalize the case, not to a specific person but to every person who is culturally and linguistically from a different society. By making the couple universal characters, the writer shares the idea that in a neighbourhood, humanity remains even after having different languages and cultural norms.

Reference to the context

a. The story shows that linguistic and cultural barriers do not create any obstacle in human relationships. Cite some examples from the story where the neighbours have transcended such barriers.

Ans 👉 Humanity and love are feelings that link people regardless of race, caste, language, nationality, or culture. In the story, although the young couple and neighbours had different languages and cultures, the neighbours helped them in many ways. Some examples are:

1. The neighbours gave advice about spacing, hilling, and mulching vegetables in the kitchen garden.

2. The Polish widower rebuilt the falling henhouse of the young couple although they didn’t understand his words.

3. The young couple offered heads of cabbage and took gifts of grapes and firewood from neighbours.

4. The neighbours gifted chocolates and knitted the baby a suit when the couple was expecting a child.

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 👉 In my view, the young man had thought people in the twentieth century were selfish and indifferent. Initially, he found the neighbours noisy and annoying. But when he and his wife needed help, all the neighbours assisted them without saying a word. The kindness, care, and sharing of happiness by neighbours touched his heart and proved him wrong. He realized that real human relations are far warmer and more helpful than what he had read in 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, this proverb applies in the story. Neighbours are companions who share life’s joys and sorrows. In the story, neighbours helped during the pregnancy, celebrated with gifts, and provided care and advice. They also shared daily life, teaching, and supporting each other. This shows that neighbours are companions in both happiness and difficult times, just as the proverb states.

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 deals with cultural diversity at the national and community levels. It arises naturally through immigration or when jurisdictions of different cultures are combined. It has become a major issue because, while it brings people of different backgrounds together, it also creates challenges such as failure to assimilate, ethnic segregation, adaptation issues like school dropout, unemployment, and higher crime rates. Many neighbours do not know each other, and the love and compassion among neighbours seen in the past are less common today. Migration and settlement patterns contribute to multicultural populations, making multiculturalism a significant social issue.

Reference beyond the text

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

Ans 👉 Celebration of Childbirth in my Community

Childbirth celebration is a ceremony or ritual to celebrate the birth of a child with joy and happiness. My community is predominantly Hindu, with castes like Brahmin, Chhetri, Newar, and Magar. In Hindu culture, children are considered divine, and girls are worshipped as goddesses such as Laxmi and Saraswati. Every good work starts with worshipping girls.

When a baby is born, people congratulate the parents and celebrate with ceremonies. On the 6th day, there is a ritual called Chhaiti, when it is believed that God comes to write the future of the baby. A lamp is kept burning all night, and a paper and pen are placed under the child’s pillow. On the 11th day, the naming ceremony called Nwaran is held. At 5–6 months, a weaning ceremony is celebrated where the child is fed various foods, especially rice, known as the rice feeding day.

This is how people celebrate childbirth in my community.

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, people in my community respond similarly to pregnancy and childbirth. Pregnant women are blessed by relatives and given advice and care. They are helped with food and nutrition. Community members visit the pregnant woman at her home to check her condition and provide support. Childbirth is celebrated with shower gifts, chocolates, and clothing. Many names are suggested for the unborn child. In this way, the people express love, affection, and joy upon pregnancy and childbirth