Although the story is written in the third person, Lempel uses a modernist narrative viewpoint called “free indirect discourse” to explore the thoughts and feelings of her characters in “Neighbors Over the Fence.”

Suggested Activity: Before reading these excerpts, have students discuss the point of view or points of view found in Lempel’s story. It may be fun to avoid looking at the text and instead to base the discussion off of students’ memories and impressions of the text. Whose story is being told? From whose perspective does the story seem to be told? Who is the narrator?

Now have students read the two excerpts. Whose perspectives are highlighted in each of the excerpts? What do we learn about each of the characters through these perspectives? What observations and judgments are they making about each other?