Analysis

The short story “Neighbours” by Tim Winton has a linear plot structure. The events are presented chronologically without any flashbacks or foreshadowing. 

The main characters in the story are the newly-wedded couple. They move to a new neighborhood and do not get along with their neighbors at first. The old Polish man who lives next to them and the next-door Macedonian family are also significant characters in the story. 

The physical setting of the story is a neighborhood in Moreton Bay, in North-East Australia. The story takes place over several seasons, probably over a year. The social setting of the story explores immigration and cultural differences. 

The story is told from the perspective of a third-person narrator. The narrator appears to be limited to the couple’s thoughts and feelings. 

The language used in the narrative is formal. Poetic language that includes metaphors and imagery is used to describe the scene of the wife’s labor and birth. 

A full analysis of the short story can be found in the following pages.