Things Fall Apart

For the Ibo, proverbs embody the idea that “a man’s life from birth to death [is] a series of transition rites which brought him nearer and nearer to his ancestors” (122). Where “the art of conversation is regarded very highly,” proverbs facilitate that conversation while also respecting the value of past generations. Tales are not only a means of community truths but also of imagining the world (its animals and plants) as animated and invested with spirits. Thus, proverbs weave spiritual views into a cultural inheritance.

The practice of speaking in proverbs is not efficient, however. Repeatedly, men arrive at one another’s homes with important news that they do not share until they exchange proper pleasantries. Once they do, they still reach for proverbs to explain their beliefs; even Unoka employs proverbs to explain how he manages his dishonorable debts. When the District Commissioner complains about the Ibo’s wasted words, his desire for efficiency belies a critical difference in the communication styles of Ibo and European cultures.

Things Fall Apart uses Okonkwo’s failed relationship with Unoka as a kind of origin story: a failed father leads to a harshly-determined son.