Proverbe's Things Fall Apart

Proverbs and idioms have been around since the existence of language. In Things Fall Apart, Achebe uses these proverbs and vernacular language very well to write a novel that is appreciated and understood by a diverse crowd of readers. To be able to explain a very different culture to a diverse group of readers is very hard, and Achebe achieves this with his usage of proverbs. Achebe has often been called one of the best african authors simply because his writing is so easy to comprehend and it helps readers understand the different culture of the Igbo people. “Chinua Achebe's classic Things Fall Apart has been widely translated, deservedly canonized, studied at schools worldwide, and examined from various disciplinary, theoretical, critical, and pedagogical angles” (Okonkwo 109). This passage from Christopher Okonkwo’s
Many times in the book, Achebe told the readers about the importance in society of parents being a role model to their kids. The proverb he uses is, “When mother cow is chewing grass its young ones watch its mouth” (Achebe 71). The meaning of this proverb is that children look up to their parents and see their parents as role models, and follow what they do. In Things Fall Apart, Achebe writes about how important it is for parents to be role models for their children and for parents to look down to their kids to make sure they learn traditions that are passed down in the Igbo culture. With the use of this proverb, Achebe is easily able to explain the importance of parents in their roles in society as role models and mentors to the children. This proverb shows that in the Igbo society, mentoring and watching over children is very important because one day their kids will become the role models to their own kids. Even though this proverb is more confusing, his use of proverbs to share parts of their culture with many different types of readers is very