Proverb Activity

Here is the list of proverbs and the activity that we began in class today. Finish for homework what you did not complete in class. I'll look forward to hearing your original proverbs in class tomorrow.

List of proverbs from Things Fall Apart

“The sun will shine on those who stand before it shines on those who kneel under them” (Achebe 8).
“If a child washed his hands he could eat with kings” (8).
“Let the kite perch and let the eagle perch too. If one says no to the other, let his wing break” (19).
“A man who pays respect to the great paves the way for his own greatness” (19).
“A toad does not run in the daytime for nothing” (20).
“An old woman is always uneasy when dry bones are mentioned in a proverb.” (21).
“The lizard that jumped from the high iroko tree to the ground said he would praise himself if no one else did” (21).
“Eneke the bird says that since men have learned to shoot without missing, he has learned to fly without perching” (22).
“Looking at a king’s mouth, one would think he never sucked at his mother’s breast” (26).
“Those whose palm-kernels were cracked for them by a benevolent spirit should not forget to be humble” (26).
“When a man says yes his chi says yes also” (27).
“ When mother cow is chewing grass its young ones watch its mouth” (71).
“A chick that can grow into a cock can be spotted the day it hatches” (67).

Activity to be written in your notebook:

Proverb Study

Pick three proverbs to study more closely For each proverb:

1. Write the meaning of the proverb (explain it using your own words)
2. Write the relevance to the novel (how it is used, why it is used)
3. Consider its relevance or irrelevance to today’s world. Can you think of a time when the wisdom of the proverb was applied to a modern situation? Can you think of a time when the wisdom of the proverb should have been applied and wasn’t?

Write Your Own:

Try to write some proverbs of your own.
Suggested Topics:

• Edina High School
• Life as a teenager
• Adults/teachers

We’ll share the best ones. Have fun. Be creative. Be smart.