ProverbsA proverb is “a brief, memorable saying that expresses a truth or belief” (Proverb). “Proverbs are the palm oil with which words are eaten” (Achebe 7), and they enhance the meaning of all conversations. "A proverb is [essentially] a short sentence based on a long experience" (. In Things Fall Apart, proverbs are mainly used in the development of important characters. Through the proverbs used in the development of characters, Achebe shows the similarities and the distinct differences between the protagonist, Okonkwo, and two other important characters, Nwoye and Obierika Achebe uses the proverb "When a man says yes, his chi says yes too" in the development of Okonkwo's character. Okonkwo is a man who is very successful in his village of Umoufia, in fact an elder called him "one of the lords of the earth" (Achebe 28) because of his strength in battle and because he won many titles. is also a very tough man One day, “[Ekwefi whispers] something about guns never being fired... Okonkwo [hears] it and [runs] madly to his room to look for the loaded gun, [runs]. ] again and [aims] at her as [she climbs] over the dwarf wall of the barn. He [pulls] the trigger and there is a loud noise accompanied by the wailing of his wives and children. » This proverb highlights Okonkwo's tragic flaw, namely that he always suppresses his feminine side. The proverb means that when you balance your feminine and masculine sides, you will succeed. Okonkwo's problem is "he was afraid of being seen as weak", so he always relies on his masculine side. Because he doesn't listen to his feminine side, when he murders Ikemefuna, he is unbalanced. Because he doesn't balance both sides, he goes against his chi, which brings bad luck. If Okonkwo had listened to Ezued... middle of paper ......urns] his friend's calamity,” he wonders why his friend was punished. He also wonders what his wife's twins did to deserve to be deported. “[He] was a man who thought” (Achebe 125), but he rarely shares these thoughts with others because he knows he could be severely punished for questioning the all-powerful Ani. Obierika does Ani's will when necessary, but unlike Okonkwo, he questions some of his clan's actions due to their religion. Achebe uses proverbs in Things Fall Apart to develop the characters of Okonkwo, Nwoye, and Obierika. All these proverbs show the similarities and differences between the protagonist, Okonkwo, and the other important characters, Nwoye and Obierika. They give the reader insight into the deep thoughts and explanations for their actions that cause families, relationships, and cultures to collapse..