What is the role of the proverb in Things Fall Apart? Also, why Achebe would have featured proverbs in his story, and explain your reasoning?

A. to demonstrate that ibo culture not a backwards culture. achebe employs proverbs, because they are wise sayings. even though the ibo people commit terrible acts according to the christian european perspective, achebe shows through these proverbs that the ibo culture is an understanding culture.b. to demonstrate the ibo belief system. many proverbs feature animal imagery (e.g. whenever you see a toad jumping in broad daylight, then you know that something is after its life.)c. to reveal the paradoxes that exist in the ibo belief system. many of the proverbs, while wise, still indicate that the ibo contradict their own beliefs. at one point, for example, okonkwo argues that the earth cannot punish me for obeying her messenger (upon killing ikemefeuna). however, what he did was inarguably a terrible act.

Chinua Achiebe used proverbs throughout his novel "things fall apart" because proverb is very important to the Igbos. Proverbs are used to clarify their speech and to pass message indirectly.

The Igbos are known to be an agricultural society and that is why most of their proverbs are based on agricultural products like Yam, Cassava and Iroko tree. Examples of these proverbs. " The lizard that jumped from the high Iroko tree to the ground said he would praise himself if no one did". "There must be a reason; a road does not run in the day time for nothing".

The role of proverb in the story is to uphold memorable sayings of the Igbos that carry wisdom.