A Review of Tim Winton’s Short Story Neighbours

The short story “Neighbours”, written by Tim Winton, involves a young couple who have moved to a replacement community where it seems there are lots of European immigrants around the couple. At first, they solely see the strange and generally repellent details of their new neighbourhood, therefore each the young couple and their neighbours have prejudices, however, when they get used to their new home the young couple starts feeling their neighbours and see that they aren’t that bad at all. They realise that they will be friends in which they will help one another in their everyday lives, in order that everyone is happy with their neighbourhood and their life.

Individuals who originate from second world countries like Poland and Macedonia are known for being diligent employees and love cultural activities, and the characters in Neighbours end up being no special case. The text indulges the perspective on hard-working ethnic familys, who surround the two couples who had quite recently moved into the new neighbourhood.

At first the couples were having a tough time fitting in as they saw their neighbours to be a small amount odd. A quote which demonstrates this could be 'It took six months for the newcomers to comprehend the fact that their neighbours were not murdering each other, merely talking'. This quote demonstrates that the couple had simply moved from a quiet and peaceful suburban and are tormented and confused with the amount of noise they create. The state that the neighbours lived their lives seemed to be a shock to the couple. A quote that demonstrates this could be “the sounds of spitting and washing and daybreak watering came as a shock'. Spitting and daybreak watering is not a part of Australian living. Australians try to be more 'civilized' and through Tim Winton’s Neighbours we learn how we can adapt to these new ways of living.”

Today it's common to see people of all totally different races, ethnic backgrounds or cultural groups living in one society. Our society is made of a combination of various people and generally, it's difficult to outline one’s self. Since we live in a society that's influenced by several social aspects expressing ones individuality could also be a tough task. Many people have a tough task expressing themselves around Australians a bit like the couple within the book who have issues expressing themselves in their new neighbourhood. I will mention that the author had created this unwelcomed feeling within the text therefore it will relate to Australian from ethnic minorities to form a higher reader response. Another way an author creates a better reader response is by adding morals and values to the text.

After a certain period, the couple finally realised how to fit in. They began to grow a garden and 'this caused the Neighbours to come to the fence and offer advice about spacing, hilling and mulching'. They decided to create a hen house and they did with one of their Neighbours help and they finally felt equal like everyone else. 'They felt superior and proud”. They even began to invite one another to dinner. Like most stories there's an ethical worth behind the text for the author to grasp for themselves to over again produce a higher reader response. Therefore, the ethical behind Neighbours will be to never give up attempting to be welcomed and fight and struggle for equality even as the couple did and won their neighbours acceptance. The importance of the characters also creates a better reader response.

Usually, a short story will have one single plot, one setting and a limited variety of characters. Therefore, for an author to create a good response for a story which doesn't reveal enough info, will build the significance of the character for the readers which can interest more readers. Tim Winton has done a wonderful job in making significance to the characters of the story to those of the large growing ethnic minorities of Australia.