Essay about Proverbs in Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

First and foremost, Igbo people use proverbs daily, and their use of proverbs is instilled

The Igbo people’s language is saturated with proverbs which allows the language to sustain a sophisticated way of communication. This shows they should be considered to be a civilized culture because the use of proverbs mean their language is advanced enough to be able to support the usage of metaphors and figurative talk. For example, Achebe states, “Okoye said the next half a dozen sentences in proverbs. Among the Igbo the art of conversation is regarded very highly, and proverbs are the palm-oil with which words are eaten” (Achebe 10). This shows that the Igbo people stress the use of proverbs, a complex use of their language, to express their ideas and to communicate with others. Another example is when Okonkwo was justifying his role in killing Ikemefuna to Obierika. Okonkwo says, “The Earth cannot punish me for obeying her messenger, A child’s fingers are not scalded by a piece of hot yam, which its mother puts into its palm.” (Achebe 64). This shows that Igbo’s use of complex proverbs and language allow for the people to prove their points and their arguments. This shows the culture is civilized because the Igbo language is used in it’s complexity to explain points of views and argument effectively, which is a sophisticated part of day to day communication. The use of language in the Ibo culture allows for the people to communicate and express their ideas in complex ways,

Even though the Ibo are described as ‘primitive and savage’ by Mr. Smith, one of the missionary church leaders, the tribesmen evidently show their etiquette through their mannerisms. Proverbs, a form of Ibo mannerisms, are used quite frequently throughout this novel as ‘the art of conversation is regarded very highly [by the Ibo], and proverbs are the palm-oil with which words are eaten.’ (Achebe. P.5:1986) The Ibo people are also not as violent and savage as many of the missionaries believed. This is shown when a villager from the Mbaino village kills a woman from the Ibo village, the Ibo village elders and those with titles, instead of initiating war against the neighbouring Mbaino, reach a peaceful agreement on the reparations from the Mbaino tribe.‘… [A]t the end it was decided to follow the normal course of action. An ultimatum was immediately dispatched to Mbaino asking them to choose between wars on the one hand, and on the other the offer of a young man and a virgin as compensation.” (P.8)

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe is a story about personal beliefs and customs, and also a story about conflict. There is struggle between family, culture, and the religion of the Ibo, which is all brought on by a difference in personal beliefs and customs of the Igbo and the British. There are also strong opinions of the main character, Okonkwo. We are then introduced to the views of his village, Umuofia. We see how things fall apart when these beliefs and customs are confronted by those of the white missionaries.

Preconceived ideas about one’s culture often arises from stereotypes passed down from generation to generation. It is those stereotypes which shape one’s way of thinking, without being educated properly. In the novel Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe, misunderstood culture is what drives the story of a small African clan called the Umuofia and the life story of Okonkwo, a fearless warrior and farmer. An in-depth look into pre-colonial African culture helps the reader discover and understand an unbiased point of view of a world one may not understand. In doing so, Achebe uses imagery as well as strong narration to describe the cultural norms and activities that the Nigerian tribe undergoes in everyday life. Through this he offers a nonbiased point of view, and communicates and accurate picture of pre-colonial African culture to a western reader.

-After Nwoye is lured into the Christian religion and abandons his culture and family, Okonkwo is ashamed and states, "you have all see the great abomination of your brother. Now he is no longer my son or your brother. I will only have a son who is a man, who will hold his head up among my people" (172). Nwoye's father disowns him only because he chooses a path untraditional to his culture. The serious, frustrated, and unhappy mood that is created in Okonkwo's statement gives the reader an idea of how much the Ibo culture values tradition, choice, and family.

By using different proverbs, folktales and song that is originally written in the Igbo language, the author has managed to convey the beauty of his native language to the readers. In the book, the colonial masters have ridiculed the said language and called them "superfluous words", showing no appreciation at all of the beautiful and expressive language of the Umuofians. They have even come to the conclusion that their tribe was a "primitive" one. They have also said that the native customs are "bad" and their ceremonies and sacrifices as "frivolous". In the Chapter Twenty of the book, there's a conversation between Okonkwo and Obierika in which the latter rightly stated:

Unexpected arrival of the missionaries, which will alter all the lives and traditions of the Igbo

    The tragic story of Okonkwo in Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart offers many examples of Igbo beliefs regarding free will and fate. Religious life for the Igbo was thoroughly intertwined with secular life. According to the text, the Igbo believed in fate; that nothing happened by chance as every happenstance was the result of Chukwu or God's will. Yet the Igbo also believed that ancestors, lesser gods, and their own chi or personal god also influenced the lives of the living. Thus, if an individual lived in harmony with his ancestors, lesser gods and ultimately Chukwu, that individual would be blessed with good fortune, health and an abundance of children. If,

Nwoye was timid before the upbringing of the Western Ideas into the Ibo culture. “Nwoye was developing into a sad-faced youth. ”(10) Okonkwo

For example, men were taught that they should have the highest statues in their family, therefore, they did anything from farming, becoming a fierce warrior, or even a wrestler, so they could have a title on their name. In the Igbo culture men were taught to lead their households to show that they were superior to children and women. A young boy would be punished if he didn't act like a leader, "... a boy's father did everything from scolding to severe beating to ensure that he removes any trace of womanish trait from his son" (Ozumba). All these punishments were required to shape up the young boys, so when they got older they would know how to act like a man and be a great leader. As a good leader, men were supposed to know how to negotiate with other tribes. For example, they used their most feared warrior to negotiate because other tribes would respect him from what he has accomplished in the battlefield, and they would get the best deal from it. The importance of leadership was very crucial because it defined how well you were respected among

“If I fall down for you and you fall down for it is play” is my other African proverb chosen. This proverb means when a family is going through a bad situation the family are suppose to take care of each other because the family is suppose to be play and the family is suppose to fall down for each other. My American equivalent for this proverb is I have your back and you have mines. The way the phrase is use in our culture is if I am looking out for you then I am expecting that in return. The function in which this is use in America is if protect you then you will protect me. The function in which was use for the African proverb is for family or friend that are in situations and to show support for each other and their love for one another. The context in which the African proverb is use is when Okonkwo was going through some tough times and but he remember that his marriage should be play and they should not fight and when they fall they shall fall together. The context for American proverb is to have each other back meaning having each other to rely on.

Chinua Achebe’s novel “Things Fall Apart” chronicles the life of Okonkwo, a strong man whose existence is dominated by fear and anger, and the Ibo tribe, a people deeply rooted in cultural belief and tradition. As events unfold, Okonkwo’s carefully constructed world and the Ibo way of life collapses. The story of Okonkwo’s fall from a respected and feared leader of the Ibo tribe to an outcast who dies in disgrace dramatizes his inability to evolve beyond his personal beliefs, affecting the entire Ibo tribe beyond measure. The “things” that fall apart in Achebe’s novel are Okonkwo’s life – his ambition, dreams, family unity and material wealth – and the Ibo way of life – their beliefs, culture and values.

In Things Fall Apart, proverbs are mainly used in the development of the important characters. Through proverbs used in character development, Achebe shows the distinct similarities and differences between the protagonist, Okonkwo, and two other important characters, Nwoye and Obierika.

The Ibo considered proverbs as "the palm oil which words are eaten," and the same folk tales were often "told with a new freshness and the local flavor of a different clan" throughout Umuofia. Achebe thus argues against the Western tendency to see all Africans as one and the same by illustrating the existence of various subcultures within a greater regional population, each with its own set of stories. In addition, proverbs not only served to make sense of the world that they lived in, but also signified the wisdom of the elders to pass on to the next generation. For example, Okonkwo's second wife, Ekwefi, used the proverb of the "great feast in the sky" to explain to her daughter "why Tortoise's shell is not smooth" while also conveying the message of greed and its