English for Jr. College: Being Neighborly

Saturday, 5 July 2025

Being Neighborly

Std. XI - Prose - 1.1 Being Neighborly

Brief story

It’s a snowy day, and Jo decided to go out and dig paths in the snow. The Marches’ house – a small, brown, shabby dwelling which lost its summer greenery. It was separated by a low hedge from Mr. Laurence’s large stone mansion.

She saw Laurie sitting near one of the windows on the second floor. Jo felt sorry for the poor lonely boy. She threw a snowball at the window, grabbing Laurie’s attention. Laurie admitted that he had been sick with a cold, and he invited Jo to come over. Jo arrived soon after with an armful of offerings for Laurie: a plate of blanc- mange (a kind of custard) from Meg and kittens from Beth.

Jo straightened up Laurie’s quarters, and offered to read out loud to Laurie. Laurie begged her to talk to him, and Jo told him about her family. Laurie revealed that he sometimes spied on the March family, but Jo saw that he only did it because he was orphaned (his parents died when he was young, so he was now with his grandfather) and felt lonesome. Laurie stepped out momentarily to see his doctor, and while he had gone Mr. Laurence, Laurie’s Grandpa came in and surprised Jo. Jo told him that she felt Laurie needed to spend more time around kids of his own age.

Mr. Laurence invited Jo to tea. As he saw Jo and Laurie chatter, Mr. Laurence realized that there might be some truth to what Jo had told him. Jo revealed that Laurie said he’d been grateful for the “medicine”

Mrs. March had sent over, and Meg remarked that Laurie was paying Jo a compliment. Jo is flustered, and chides Meg for being sentimental when all she wanted to do was befriend Laurie. Mrs. March gave Jo permission to invite Laurie over to their house.

Characters:-

1) Josephine March:- The protagonist of the novel and second oldest March sister. Jo, who wants to be a writer, is based on Louisa May Alcott herself, which makes the story semi- autobiographical. Jo has a temper and a quick tongue, although she works hard to control both. She is a tomboy and reacts with impatience to many limitations placed on women and girls.

2) Meg March:- The oldest March sister. She is responsible and kind. She has a small weakness for luxury and leisure but the greater part of her is she is gentle, loving and morally vigorous.

3) Beth March:- The third March daughter. Beth is very quiet and very virtuous. She does nothing but tries to please others. She adores music and plays the piano very well.

4) Amy March:- The youngest March girl. Amy is an artist who adores visual beauty and has a weakness for pretty possessions. She is given to fits of temper and vanity but she does attempts to improve herself.

5) Laurie Laurence:- The rich boy who lives next door to the March family. Laurie, whose real name is Theodore Laurence. He is charming, clever and has a good heart.

6) Mr. Laurence:- Laurie's grandfather and the Marches' next - door neighbour. He seems gruff but he is loving and kind.

7) Marmee:- The March girls' mother. Marmee is the moral role model for her girls. She counsels them through all of their problems and works hard. Her husband is at war.

8) Mr.March:- The March girls' father and Marmee's husband. He serves in the Union army as a chaplain.

9) The Hummels:- A family that lives near the Marches. The Hummels are poor and in bad health.

10) Aunt March:- A rich widow and one of the March girl's aunts. Although irritated and difficult, she loves her nieces and wants the best for them.

Icebreaker:-

An icebreaker is an activity, game or event that is used to welcome and warm up the conversation among participants in a meeting, training class, team building session, or another event. Any event that requires people to comfortably interact with each other and a facilitator is an opportunity to use an icebreaker. It is a kind of preparation activity. It relates the learners to the theme of the topic.

Brief Story in Marathi: Being Neighborly

कथेचा सारांश:

तो एक हिमवर्षाव होत असलेला दिवस होता आणि जो ने बाहेर जाऊन बर्फात रस्ता शोधण्याचे ठरविले. मार्च कुटुंबाचे घर - एक लहान, तपकिरी, खराब झालेले घर होती. तेथिल वेलींची हिरवीगार पालवी उन्हाळ्यात वळून गेली होती. हे घर श्री लॉरेन्सच्या मोठ्या दगडी हवेलीपासून लहान कुंपणाद्वारे विभक्त झालेले होते.

दुसर्‍या मजल्यावरील एका खिडकीजवळ ज्यो ला लॉरी बसलेला दिसला. जो ला त्या गरीब एकाकी मुलाबद्दल वाईट वाटले. तिने लॉरीचे लक्ष वेधून घेण्यासाठी खिडकीजवळ एक स्नोबॉल फेकला. जो शी बोलतांना लॉरीने कबूल केले की तो थंडीने आजारी होता आणि त्याने जो ला घरी येण्याचे आमंत्रण दिले.

जो लॉरीच्या घरी जातांना त्याला खाद्य पदार्थ घेऊन आली. तो पदार्थ म्हणजे मेग ने बनवलेला ब्लँक-मॅंगेज (एक प्रकारचे कस्टर्ड) होता. सोबत तिने बेथच्या मांजरीचे पिल्लू ही नेले होते. जो ने लॉरीचे घर न्याहाळले आणि लॉरीला मोठ्याने पुस्तक वाचून दाखवण्याची ऑफर दिली. लॉरीने मात्र तिला गप्पा मारण्याची विनंती केली. जोने त्याला आपल्या कुटूंबाविषयी सांगितले.

लॉरीने प्रामाणिकपणे सांगून टाकले की तो कधीकधी मार्चच्या कुटूंबाची हेरगिरी करत राहतो. एकमेकांशी प्रेमाने राहणारे मार्च कुटुंब गुपचूप पाहणे हे लॉरीआवडते. जोने जाणून घेतले की केवळ अनाथ असल्यामुळे (आई वडील लहान असतानाच मरण पावले होते. म्हणूनच आता तो आजोबांसमवेत राहिला होता) आणि एकटे वाटले म्हणून तो हे करत होता.

लॉरी त्याच्या डॉक्टरला भेटण्यासाठी काही काळासाठी बाहेर पडला आणि जेव्हा तो गेला तेव्हा लॉरीचे आजोबा आले. त्यावेळी जो लॉरीच्या आजोबांचे पोट्रेट पहात होती. मागे न पहाता ती म्हणते की आजोबांचा चेहरा उग्र वाटत असला तरी त्यांचे डोळे प्रेमळ आहेत व त्यांच्यात दृढ इच्छा शक्ती आहे. ती पुढे म्हणते की ते जरी माझ्या आजोबांइतके देखणे नसले तरी मला ते आवडलेले आहेत. आजोबा तिचे आभार मानतात. त्यांना पाहून जो आश्चर्यचकित होते.

जो आजोबांना म्हणते की, तिला असे वाटते लॉरीला त्याच्या स्वत:च्या वयाच्या मुलांसोबत जास्त वेळ घालवणे आवश्यक आहे. श्री. लॉरेन्स यांना जाणवते की, जोने जे सांगितले ते सत्य आहे. ते जो ला सांगतात की एखाद्या दिवशी ते स्वत: श्रीमती मार्च ला (जो ची आई) भेटायला येतील. जो लॉरी व आजोबा यांचा निरोप घेऊन घरी जायला निघते.

Textual Activities.

Activity :-

i) Complete the web diagram

Friendship to me means:-

1) Get moral support in difficulties.

2) Ready to sacrifice anything.

3) Relation beyond gives and gains.

4) Place to open your heart.

5) Sharing the secrets, happiness and sorrow.

6) Caring and sharing.

7) Ready to help every other in need.

8) Having long conversation.

9) Giving and receiving gifts.

10) Making lots of fun.

11) Accepting each other with vices and virtues.

12) Giving support to each other.

13) Caring each other.

14) Enjoying every moment.

15) Keeping in touch with each other.

Activity:-

ii) Complete the statement

If you see someone lonely or sad you will:-

1) I will help him in difficult times.

2) I will co-operate him in difficult situations.

3) I will be courteous to him.

4) I will overcome his sorrows by walking hand in hand.

5) I will give solution on any distress that the person is suffering from. I will remind him karma i.e. duty which we need to face.

6) I will befriend him or her and start topics in such a way that he / she will feel home.

7) I will ask him what wrong was happen with him.

8) I will talk with him and try to understand his problem.

9) I will offer him or her tea or snacks.

10) I will tell good jokes.

11) I will comfort him or her.

12) I will spend time with him or her.

13) I will try to make him or her forget his or her sorrow.

14) I will cheer him or her up.

15) I will never make him or her feel lonely.

Vocabulary:-

Glossary-

pussy cat- easy going, lazy or inactive person आळशी व्यक्ती

groves- small group of trees छोटी बाग

hedge- a row of bushes झुडूपांचे कुंपण

frolicked- overplayed, behaved in a playful way आनंदाने खेळणे

invalid dolls- dolls with broken limbs हातपाय तुटलेल्या बाहुल्या

stately- impressive भव्य

betokening- a sign of something दर्शक खुण

conservatory- glass room for delicate plants नाजूक रोपांसाठी काचेचे घर

scandalizing- teasing, to cause somebody to feel shocked by doing unusual things भावना दुखवणे

wistfully- longingly आशाळभूतपणे

croaked out as hoarsely as a raven- uttered a low hoarse sound like raven bird कर्कश आवाज

listless- lacking energy उदासीन

a little gentleman- small aged polite person or boy of etiquettes शिष्टाचार असलेला व्यक्ती

colored up- blushed चेहऱ्याचा रंग बदलणे, ओशाळणे

To wait on- to serve the needs of someone एखाद्याच्या गरजा पूर्ण करणे

gruffy- Rough voice घोगरा आवाज

good breeding- good manners, polite and socially correct behaviour चांगली वर्तवणूक

pranced- to move about with quick, high steps वेगाने चालणे

Hollow chairs- large and deep armchairs मोठ्या आरामखुर्च्या

wicked- morally bad, evil, here mischievous दुष्टपणे, खोडकरपणे

affair- work, action येथे काम

Brainstorming:-

A1.

i) Jo’s decision to make friends with the lonely boy next door proves to be good one. Elaborate. You may begin with ‘Jo was a bold, friendly and warm person---------

Answer:-

Jo was a bold, friendly and warm person. She knew that the next door boy Laurie was lonely and wanted to enjoy the fun with the persons of his age. So she had taken appropriate steps and met the lonely boy. She changed the life of the boy and he became neighbourly with others.

ii) Read the extract ‘Being Neighborly’ and complete the following statements:

a) To Jo the fine house seemed like a kind of enchanted palace, full of splendors and delights which no one enjoyed.

b) Jo swept a path around the garden for Beth to walk in when the sun came out and her broken limbs dolls needed air.

c) Jo entered the old stone house carrying blanc – mange surrounded by a garland of green leaves ant the scarlet flowers.

d) In order to tide the room, Jo needed to place the objects in a right place.

iii) Bring out the contrast between the two houses with the help of the following points.

House of March

House of Laurence

1) Old, brown house
a) Stately stone mansion

2) Robbed of the vines
b) Well-kept grounds

3) Children played all around
c) Lonely and lifeless – no children playing

4) Loving and friendlier
d) No motherly face smiled at the window

A2. The traits of the characters you meet in the extract are jumbled. Sort them out and write them in the appropriate columns.

(Shy, bold, guff, friendly, withdrawn, perceptive, empathetic, playful, lonely, happy, gentlemanly, frank, mature, dull, sharp, adventurous)

Jo	Laurie	Grandpa
bold	shy	guff
friendly	perceptive	withdrawn
playful	lonely	emphatic
happy	gentlemanly	dull
adventurous	frank
sharp	mature

A3.(i) Write down in your own words the way Laurie confirmed the names of the March sisters.

Answer:- Laurie described the rosy girl as Beth who stayed at home most of the time and sometimes went out with a little basket. He recognized the pretty girl as Meg while the curly – haired one as Amy. In this way Laurie confirmed the names of the March sisters.

(ii) Give a brief account of the interaction between Grandpa and Jo.

Answer:- Jo expressed her thoughts about Grandpa that he had kind eyes, tremendous will but he was not as handsome as her grandfather. She did not know that Laurie’s Grandpa was hearing her words. Grandpa thanked her hearing her expressions about him. She blushed and felt uncomfortable about what she had said about Grandpa. But Grandpa accepted her remarks and made her comfortable with soft words. He enquired about her presence with his grandson Laurie. She claimed that he needed to become friendlier with neighbours so he would never remain alone. Grandpa accepted her thinking.

A4. (i) Find proverbs, maxims and Idioms related to ‘friendship’.

(a) For example: Birds of a feather flock together.

(b) A friend in need is a friend indeed.

(d) Isn’t it pleasure to receive a friend from afar?

(e) A friend to everybody is a friend to nobody.

(ii) The extract deals with the atmosphere of two homes. Collect the words associated with-

(a) Home:- Old, brown house, bare and shabby, Stately stone mansion, big coach house, enchanted place, as dull as tombs etc.

(b) Library:- A fellow can’t live on books, lined with books, distracting little cabinets full of coins and curiosities, sleepy hollow chairs, queer tables, bronzes, open fireplace etc.

(c) Garden:- Groves, lawns, robbed of the vines, low hedge etc.

A5. Change into indirect speech.

(a) “Do you like your school?” asked the boy.

“Don’t go to school; I’m a business man – girl. I mean,” answered Jo.

Answer:- The boy wanted to know whether she (Jo) liked school. To which , Jo answered rather emphatically that she did not go to school. She further added that she was a businessman, jovially corrected the gender.

(b) Jo flourished her broom as she called out….. “How do you do? Are you sack?”

Laurie opened the window and croaked out as hoarsely as a raven………

“Better, thank you. I’ ve had a bad cold and been shut up a week.

Answer:- Jo flourished her broom as she called how he (Laurie) was. She further inquired whether he was sick. Laurie opened the window and croaked out as hoarsely as a raven and giving thanks he confirmed her that he was feeling better. He further added he had been suffering from cold and had been shut himself up a week.

(c) “The pretty one is Meg and the curly – haired is Amy, I believe?” – Laurie.

“How did you find that out” –Jo

Answer:-Laurie confirmed that the pretty one was Meg and the curly – haired was Amy.

Jo (surprisingly) asked (him) how he had found that out.

(d) “I’m not afraid of anything,” returning Jo, with a toss of the head.

“I don’t believe you are!” exclaimed the boy.

Answer:- Returning Jo, with a toss of the head assured that she was not afraid of anything.

The boy exclaimed that he didn’t believe she was afraid of anything.

Other Activities

Activity:- Give information

Laurie has:

1. All the riches or physical pleasures

2. Stately stone mansion- full of splendors and delights

3. Servants, Grandfather, Tutor

Laurie doesn't have

1. Parents (mother and father)

2. Children of his age to play

3. Society and fun

Activity: Describe the effect of Laurie's words on Jo.

Answer:-

When Laurie tells Jo about his real condition of being lonely; his grandpa lives among his books and do not bother about what happen outside of his house, his tutor does not stay there and he has no one to go about with him but to stop and get on as he can, Jo becomes cautious. She realizes in what condition, Laurie is going through. She advises him that he needs to make an efforts and go visiting everywhere. He will have plenty of friends, pleasant places to go. He should forget his shyness.

Activity: List the things that Jo notices in the portrait.

Answer:-

1) The old gentleman has got kind eyes

2) His mouth is grim (serious)

3) He looks as if he had a tremendous will of his own.

4) He is not as handsome as her (Jo's) grandfather.

5) She likes him.

Activity:
In spite of Jo's apprehensions, Grandpa is

Answer:-

1) Pleased

2) Gives sharp laugh

3) Shakes hand with her

Activity:

Discuss what Jo meant by this.

1) "Only trying to be neigbourly, sir"

2) seems a little lonely
3) splendid Christmas present

Answer:-

1) Here she only meant that she is doing her duty as a good neighbor. She just wanted the boy of her age should not be lonely. He should get company of his neighbours.

2) The boy is alone as he doesn’t get company of his age persons.

3) Here she reminded the kindness of Laurie's grandfather who had sent them the splendid Christmas present.

Activity:- Name and explain the figures of speech

I’m happy as a cricket here

Answer:-

Simile:-The girl Jo is directly compared as a cricket (insect) who is free from any fear and tension.

It’s as dull as tombs up here

Answer:-

Simile:- The house of Laurie is directly compared with the tombs which are isolated and lifeless.

Activity:- Guess the meaning of the phrase in the context:

go on being neighbourly

In the context the phrase ‘go on being neighbourly’ means the isolated Laurence family (Laurie and his grandfather) is ready to make close and warm contacts with their neighbouring March family. There will be good and healthy relationship in between these two families.

Activity Sheet No.1

Q. Read the extract and complete the activities given below.

What in the world are you going to do now, Jo?" asked Meg one snowy afternoon, as her sister came tramping through the hall, in rubber boots, old sack, and hood, with a broom in one hand and a shovel in the other.

"Going out for exercise," answered Jo with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.

"I should think two long walks this morning would have been enough! It's cold and dull out, and I advise you to stay warm and dry by the fire, as I do," said Meg with a shiver.

"Never take advice! Can't keep still all day, and not being a pussycat, I don't like to doze by the fire. I like adventures, and I'm going to find some."

Meg went back to toast her feet and read Ivanhoe, and Jo began to dig paths with great energy. The snow was light, and with her broom she soon swept a path all-round the garden, for Beth to walk in when the sun came out and the invalid dolls needed air. Now, the garden separated the Marches' house from that of Mr. Laurence. Both stood in a suburb of the city, which was still country like, with groves and lawns, large gardens, and quiet streets. A low hedge parted the two estates. On one side was an old, brown house, looking rather bare and shabby, robbed of the vines that in summer covered its walls and the flowers, which then surrounded it. On the other side was a stately stone mansion, plainly betokening every sort of comfort and luxury, from the big coach house and well–kept grounds to the conservatory and the glimpses of lovely things one caught between the rich curtains. Yet it seemed a lonely, lifeless sort of house, for no children frolicked on the lawn, no motherly face ever smiled at the windows, and few people went in and out, except the old gentleman and his grandson.

To Jo's lively fancy, this fine house seemed a kind of enchanted palace, full of splendors and delights which no one enjoyed. She had long wanted to behold these hidden glories, and to know the Laurence boy, who looked as if he would like to be known, if he only knew how to begin. Since the party, she had been more eager than ever, and had planned many ways of making friends with him, but he had not been seen lately, and Jo began to think he had gone away, when she one day spied a brown face at an upper window, looking wistfully down into their garden, where Beth and Amy were snow–balling one another.

"That boy is suffering for society and fun," she said to herself. "His grandpa does not know what's good for him, and keeps him shut up all alone. He needs a party of jolly boys to play with, or somebody young and lively. I've a great mind to go over and tell the old gentleman so!"

A1. True or false (2)

Rewrite the statements and state whether they are true or false.

1) The atmosphere was cold and dull.

2) The wall separated the Marchs’ house from that of Mr. Laurence.

3) Beth and Amy were playing the game of snow ball throwing.

4) Laurie was isolated and needed to be socialized.

A2. Describe (2)

Describe the house of Mr. Laurence.

A3. Guess (2)

“That boy is suffering for society and fun.” (Guess the meaning of this statement.)

A4. Personal Response (2)

If you see someone lonely or sad you will------- (Complete the information)