Revealing Okonkwos Character Through Proverbs Essay -- essays researc

In Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, Ibo proverbs reveal Okonkwo’s character, especially his ambition, self-reliance, and respect for elders.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Throughout the village of Umuofia, a belief the villagers have, is the belief in the earth, sun and rain gods. The villager’s religious values are very sacred. If one does not abide by a ritual such as bringing a little kota to an elder or friend, one does not respect. Other beliefs such as whistling at night, and creating violence in the village’s annual week of peace are meant to be a bad omen. The one who is at fault is believed to be cursed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During one harvest, Okonkwo has had a shortage of yam seedlings, so he looks to Nwakibie and older man of the village. Nwakibie says to Okonkwo the proverb,† Eneke the bird says that since men have learned to shoot without missing, he has learned to fly without perching.†(Achebe 22) Nwakibie was reluctant to give his seeds away before because the borrower would plant the seeds and watch them rot away. The moral of the proverb is that one must learn to adapt to its environment. Okonkwo is a man of honor, and stands for a model of a hard worker, so Nwakibie has no problem lending Okonkwo 800 yam seedlings. Okonkwo has to learn from the planting season, because the weather is the worst ever for raising crops. Okonkwo must learn to adapt and protect his crop. He must make rings of thick sisal leaves to place around the yams. Okonkwo shows...