Proverbs in Things Fall Apart

Proverbs argon wise sayings that address the heart of the discourse in any given context, truthfully and objectively. In Africa and in Nigerian cultures particularly, they are considered the reliable horses, which convey meanings to their destinations or hearts of the listeners. This study investigates aspects of the meaning of power saws in the work of a Nigerian author, Achebes Things square up Apart. It is contended that meanings of Nigerian axioms can be worked out within the se troopstic, referential, ideational, stimulus-response, realist and contextual theories.Types of meaning and truisms are addressed and situated within the two works. It is advanced that sayings play epochal roles in clarifying, exemplifying, underscoring and influencing communication . With the broadly analyzed maxims, the study attempts to further demonstrate the vitality of semantics and pragmatics in negotiating meaning especially in a second manner of speaking context. Proverbs are common feat ures of conversational eloquence in many African cultures, especially in Nigeria.Such wise sayings are usually acquired and learnt from listening to the elders talk. precondition the vintage position that the elders occupy in various African traditions as the military personnel repository of communal or primordial wisdom, they are the masters of eloquence, grandiloquence and meaning. They are the onenesss who know how to impregnate short expressions with vast meanings, implicating the proverb, it is the elders mouth that determines a ripe kola nut. Several definitions of the term proverb abound in literature.The central idea in the definitions is that a proverb is an adage, saying, maxim, precept, saw or any synonym of such that expresses conventional truth. From Things get down Apart The sun will shine on those who stand before it shines on those who kneel under them p. 6 Theory denotative Type denotive/Connotative Analysis The proverb makes summons to a cosmic body, the sun , with a view to evoking its moxie that those who strive and work (by remaining standing) will benefit from the reaping of their work before those who depend on them (by kneeling or deriving succor from them).While the inference of discouraging dependency can be made, the cognitive content is mainly that those who do not face the challenges of life and work assiduously defying sunshine should satisfy themselves with the crumbs that fall from the table of the hardworking ones. The proverb discourages laziness and implies the fatality for everyone to be hard-working. If a child washed his hands, he could eat with kings. p. 6 Theory Realist Types Denotative, thematic Analysis The proverb portrays the honor and dignity attributed to cleanliness and responsibility.It thematizes hands washing, a ethical character training and hygienic way of eating as a sine qua non to honor. We infer that if a person does the right thing at the right time, as the proverb entails good fortune, honor , reverence, esteem and credit will be his, just like eating together with kings. The pragmatic understanding of how unfeignedly high the Nigerians rate their traditional rulers provides a further clue to the semantic import of the proverb. 3 When the moon is shining, the cripple becomes hungry for a walk. p. 9.Theory Referential Types Collocative, stylistic Analysis Reference is made to an different cosmic body, the moon, in this proverb, as shining collocates with the moon and cripple collocates metaphorically with walk. The sense of the proverb lies in the cause- solvent theory that if motivation is given, action arises. In essence, night is conventionally taken as a period of rest but in a situation where there is moon-light, not only the able-bodied feels the need to walk or work in the night but even the cripple does.wickedness is implied and not stated for rhetorical purposes while hungry, a marked word that ordinarily does not apply to walk, is also used for stylistic effe ct. The underlining message is that a good cause or motivation occasions a good effect or line of action. 4 A man who pays respect to the great paves the way for his own greatness p. 14. Theory Stimulus-Response Types Denotative, Affective. Analysis There is a tact advice almost coinciding with the English proverb, one good turn deserves another here. If a person accords honor or reverence to the successful ones, it is likely that he is also going to be successful.In other words, the sense of the proverb is that a person who helps another man helps himself indirectly as he gets familiar with what that man engages in and this will ultimately die hard him also to greatness, directly or indirectly. 5 A toad does not slope in the twenty-four hour periodtime for nothing. 15 Theory Ideational Types Denotative/Stylistic Analysis The proverb tasks our mental conception or general knowledge of the toad as a nocturnal fauna. If such an animal wherefore does run (a lexical item preferred by the author for metaphorical or stylistic effect, against the normal collocative word, jump) in the day, there must be something amiss.The sense of the proverb is that there is a cause for anything strange that happens there must be a reason, at least no smoke without fire. A toad running in daytime is probably pursuing something or certainly something is pursuing it. It has to do with the cause-effect relationship. An old woman is invariably uneasy when run dry bones are mentioned in a proverb. p. 15 Theory Stimulus Response Types Denotative/Thematic Analysis This proverb also exhibits causes-effect relationship as it thematises the old woman. It means that the great unwashed who have negative features feel disturbed when such features are being highlighted.There is the effect or response of qualm with reference to the dry bones because an old woman whose dry bones are signs of impending death is always scared of death. The sense of the proverb, essentially, is that conscien ce worries batch of negative attributes even when they are not addressed but their excesses (so to say) are being condemned. The lizard that jumped from the high Iroko tree to the ground said he would appraise himself if no one else did. p. 16. Theory Referential Types Denotative/Connotative Analysis The proverb elicits the self-contentment and joy of good work.A good work, we can infer, is itself commendable whether people appreciate it or not. Reference is made to the lizard which nods after any activity it engages in, implicating its self-praise. The animal is personified for poetic effect. The English equivalent of if you dont about-face your trumpet, nobody will blow it for you may further illustrate the sense of the proverb that if you do not appreciate your deserving and dignify yourself, people may not bother to do it for you. Eneke the bird says since men have learnt to shoot without missing, he has learnt to fly without perching. . 16. Theory Referential Types Denota tive/Connotative Analysis comparable the previous proverb, this proverb derives its message from folklore, in which human attributes are given to animals/non-human creatures. The meaning is both literal and figurative as well as multi-dimensional in scope. Changing situations give birth to innovations. If students, for example, develop novel means of cheating in the examinations, referentially, the authorities also devise ipso facto, new strategies of apprehending or detecting the cheats. When a man says yes, his Chi says yes also. p. 9 Theory Ideational Types Denotative/Connotative. Analysis The proverb aptly sums up the essence of determination and strong will, within ones psychological context. Reference to chi, a persons personal god in Igbo culture, is of connotative import. The message interpreted is that man must always take decisive decisions for himself and resolve to do whatever he tasks himself to do for that will always be the will of his supposed god. A assertable En glish equivalent is that heavens help those who help themselves, and as such, man should always be responsible for all his actions.A chick that will surface into a cock can be spotted the very day it hatches. p. 46 Theory Realist Types Denotative/Connotative. Analysis The proverb explores the logical sequence of things/ phenomena that a general analysis can be made from specific traits. In the real world, from the initial stage, from countenance and appearance, one is able to identify the good, the bad and the ugly. The reference to the chick in our psyche is illustrative the chick that will not live long will probably look frail and sickly, right from the day it is hatched.Our actions, at particular times, are indices of our character, the proverb tells us. A childs finger is not scalded by a piece of hot yam which its start out puts into its palm. p. 47 Theory Contextual Types Denotive/Collocative Analysis Given the contextual/pragmatic knowledge of a mothers love for her child especially in the Nigerian cultures, it is implied that whatever she does, even if such superficially appears harmful, will be of benefit to the child. This is because it is presupposed that nobody loves a child better than his/her mother.Thus, the sense of the proverb, which for effect parades child/mother, finger/palm, a piece of hot yam etc collocates, is that love bears no harm. If there is love, there is no need for backlog in taking a beloveds piece of advice, whether one considers it good or not, because a beloved person will not barrack a harmful antidote for whom he loves. 12 If one finger brought oil, it soiled the others. p. 87. Theory Ideational Types Denotative/Connotative/StylisticAnalysis The proverb underlines the concept of collective responsibility what one does implicates the involvement of the others. With tact reference to our knowledge or ideas of the world, if a finger is dipped into the oil, other fingers get smeared on base since they are together. In oth er words, a shameful act by a person brings shame, odium and opprobrium to him and by extension, to his family and community. Stylistic considerations impinge on the choice of brought and soiled from the existing alternatives which could further communicate the same idea.A child cannot pay for its mothers milk. p. 117 Theory Realist Types Connotative/Collocative. Analysis This proverb anchors an axiomatic fact certain things are unquantifiable or priceless. No matter how much the child gives the mother later in life, such is not worth her milk, given the child at infancy. By extension, kindness, love (and such virtues) cannot be fully reciprocated, as they are inestimably valuable. Collocates like child, mother, milk enhance the sense of the meaning. An animal rubs its aching flank against a tree, a man asks his kinsman to scratch him p. 17. Theory Realist/Stimulus-Response Types Connotative/Stylistic. Analysis By drawing our attention to the real world of human-animal behavioural patterns, the proverb draws a line between a human being and an animal. The proverb is suggestive of the social nature of man, and the fact that no man is an Island. The proverb suggests that it is love that distinguishes men from animals. People who do not seek their fellow human beings help when in danger or difficulty are therefore animalistic.Marked word patterns like aching, flank, kinsman, rubs, scratch, that one would ordinarily prefer other words for, are used for stylistic purposes, engendering the connotative, figurative sense. Living fire begets cold, ineffective ash. p. 118 Theory Ideational Types Connotative/Stylistic Analysis The sense engendered by this epigrammatic statement is the vanity of arrogance. By creating the symbol/idea of fire in our mind, we are implicitly told that fire flares up in pride but its consequence is cold, impotent ash.The connotative meanings of cold and impotent are quite essential and their stylistic association with ash lends credence to the force of the meaning. Both fire and ash conjure in us human qualities the fire gives birth to a cold and impotent child in ash. The sense of the proverb or its message is that people should be good and level-headed when they are opportune (to be in a position) or alive for, when they lose such position and die, they become useless and unwanted subsequently becoming objects of overt disdain.