Tuesday January, 19th
 Describe
your favorite children’s story. What
was it about? Why did you like it?
 To
understand how and why Achebe uses
proverbs in Things Fall Apart
 Warm
up
 Proverbs
 Activate
Lecture
 Proverbs
Worksheet
Prior
knowledge
 To understand the
literary element
Proverbs
 To analaze how
Achebe uses
Proverbs in TFA
A
short pithy saying
 frequent and widespread use
 Expresses a basic truth or precept about life
 A popular saying which provides advice or
states a generally held truth
“ a proverb is a horse which can carry one
swiftly to the discovery of ideas”
-Yoruba Proverb
 Proverbs
are a very effective mode of
communication
 their correct and persuasive use in speech is
always taken as a sign of sound education,
maturity, cultural sophistication and wisdom.
 Achebe uses of proverbs counters western
portrayals of native as gibberish or speaking
in pidgin
Among their many uses we can discern the
following:
To Express Abstract Truths.
 truths may be abstract and difficult to grasp.
 dramatizes and configures the bare truths in
the facts of everyday life and world.
 In the proverb form the truths become so
substantial that they stimulate the
imagination and challenge the
understanding.
Among their many uses we can discern the
following:
To Express Abstract Truths.
Examples: Abstract Idea
Proverb: There is no quarrel between the eye
and sleep.
Learn to tolerate each other--Tolerance
Among their many uses we can discern the
following:
To Express Abstract Truths.
Examples: Abstract Idea
Proverb: The freedom that comes from
ignorance enslaves the one who entertains it.
Knowledge is freedom
Among their many uses we can discern the
following:
To Express Abstract Truths.
Examples: Abstract Idea
Proverb: It is only the stupid slave who says
that his condition of bondage is good after a
heavy meal.
The freedom of self-determination is better
than material well-being
Among their many uses we can discern the
following:
Guide to Conduct.
 Many proverbs are used as bases for judging
unacceptable modes of behavior
 function as general guides to conduct.
Among their many uses we can discern the
following:
Guide to Conduct.
Examples: Principles
Proverb: You do not use the left hand to
point the way to your father’s village.
Learn to appreciate what you have
Among their many uses we can discern the
following:
Guide to Conduct.
Examples: Principles
Proverb: Once you have made up your mind
to cross a river by walking through it, you do
not mind getting your stomach wet
Be firm in carrying out your resolutions
Among their many uses we can discern the
following:
As commentary on human behavior
 Careful observations or commentary
 Provide useful insight in to human behavior
Among their many uses we can discern the
following:
As commentary on human behavior
Examples: Commentary
Proverb: A person who does not lick his lips
cannot blame the charlatan for drying them
People who are not prepared to help
themselves are usually misrepresented and
badly treated by others
Among their many uses we can discern the
following:
To express values
 moral, spiritual, humanistic, economic,
intellectul
Among their many uses we can discern the
following:
To express values
Value-Orientation
Proverb: There is no wealth where there are
no children
the importance of children
Among their many uses we can discern the
following:
To express values
Value-Orientation
Proverb: Goodness sells itself; badness walks
around
The value of a thing is in the inherent power
that it has to satisfy human needs and it is
that power that attracts people to it
Among their many uses we can discern the
following:
To express values
Examples: Value orientation
Proverb: A person who does not lick his lips
cannot blame the charlatan for drying them
People who are not prepared to help
themselves are usually misrepresented and
badly treated by others
A
short narrative or story
 Usually teaches a lesson or
 Makes a warning
 Frequently uses animal or non human
characters or that speak and act like humans
 Lion
King (before Disney)
 The Emperor's New Clothes
 The Little Engine That Could
 “Among
the Ibo, the art of conversation is
regarded very highly, and proverbs are the
palm oil with which words are eaten” p.7
For each Proverb and Fable:
 Explain the proverb by identifying the
basic truth or message it is delivering
 Provide the context of the proverb or fable
by explaining to whom it is directed and
how the advice applies to that person’s
situation in the novel
In addition, for each fable create an
illustration of the fable that includes:
 The characters
 A dramatization of the lesson or advice
given in the fable