Techniques included in Neighbors by Tim Winton include:
The juxtapostion of expansive outer suburbs - Winton explores what the transition in Neighbours is through the juxtaposition of "the young couple had lived all their lives in the expansive outer suburbs." Contrasting the expansive outer suburbs to the small neighbourhood they have moved to allows Winton to explore the challenges the young couple will face in this new place and how they will need to accept this new place in order to grow. It establishes that the transition from the expansive outer suburbs to a small neighbourhood can be confronting and a process that generates new knowledge and understanding about others and themselves.
Temporal imagery - "As autumn merged into winter." Winton is able to explore the extent of time since the young couple had moved into their new neighbourhood. Through this Winton is able to highlight how a transition can be a long process that leads to changes in perspectives and attitudes for individuals and others.
Symbolism - Winton is able to explore how a transition can result in various consequences for the young couple and the whole neighbourhood through the symbolism of pregnancy. The pregnancy acts as a catalyst for new relationships and connections for various cultures due to its universality. The pregnancy results in the breakdown of cultural barriers and highlights how the couple's transition has resulted in them pursuing a new phase of life.
Simile - The simile "it made them feel like sojourners in a foreign land" further allows Winton to investigate that the young couple's transition is their journey into this new neighbourhood. The use of sojourners and foreign land help explore this transition into a new place as confronting and challenging while also highlighting that they are going to find something new.