The fear of the unknown has driven humans to act radically for centuries. In Greek mythology, citizens feared the wrath of the gods. Fear determined and shaped the citizen’s behavior, therefore the Greeks behaved accordingly, so punishment would not be placed on them. Imperialism is “a policy of extending a country's power and influence through diplomacy or military force”. White Europeans invaded the African countryside in search of valuable materials, but disregarded the African’s humanity during their quest. In Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe the fear of the unknown --the imperialism-- drove the clansmen of the African Ibo culture to their own demise. Proverbs were a central component of the Igbo culture and provided a sense of security in unfamiliar situations. Using the proverbs to guide them, the Ibo tribesmen could easily avoid punishment from their gods. But one day, a white man came riding an “iron horse” into Abame. Tribesmen were terrified of the unusual situation with the white man and “killed him and tied up his iron horse” to the “sacred silk-cotton tree”. The white missionary never spoke or made a sound before his death. The personification of the “iron horse” or bicycle shows the Ibo men were scared of the unknown. An unfamiliar object was treated as if it was going to run away, like an animal, so they tied it up. For many weeks, nothing occurred. Then, “three white men” and a “large number of other men surrounded the market” unnoticed by the tribesmen of Abame. When the market was full, “they began to shoot. Everybody was killed”. Uchendu, an elder, was distressed upon hearing this tale.
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One of the Igbo proverb states “never kill a man who says nothing”. The men of Abame killed the white man before he spoke. The proverb is linked to a story involving Mother Kite who once asked her daughter “to bring food” so they could eat. Daughter Kite brought her mother a duckling. When Mother Kite asked what the “mother of the duckling” said “when you swooped in and carried away its child?”, Daughter Kite responded, “it said nothing”. Mother Kite forced her daughter to return the duckling to its parent. Daughter Kite followed instructions and returned with a chick, whose mother “cried and raved” when it was taken. Mother Kite declared they could eat the chick because “there is nothing to fear from someone who shouts”. The fear of the situation with the white man forced the men to go against their cultural values. The white man is a metaphor for the duckling; by remaining silent and not screaming, the clan had something to fear. By killing the man, they were defending their village. Consequently, they provoked the gods and an Oracle warned the clansmen of the “great evil” that would come from it. Dialect between Uchendu and Obierika indicates that both wise men knew “those men of Abame were fools” and Abame was destined to destruction because of their actions. Similarly, to the men of Abame, Okonkwo feared the unknown. Rather than waiting around to see the tribesmen of his village die, Okonkwo knew action must be taken to get rid of the invaders. At a gathering with the tribe, he attempted to address the issue, yet Okonkwo’s fears were rejected. A proverb states when “a toad [is] jumping
One of the Igbo proverb states “never kill a man who says nothing”. The men of Abame killed the white man before he spoke. The proverb is linked to a story involving Mother Kite who once asked her daughter “to bring food” so they could eat. Daughter Kite brought her mother a duckling. When Mother Kite asked what the “mother of the duckling” said “when you swooped in and carried away its child?”, Daughter Kite responded, “it said nothing”. Mother Kite forced her daughter to return the duckling to its parent. Daughter Kite followed instructions and returned with a chick, whose mother “cried and raved” when it was taken. Mother Kite declared they could eat the chick because “there is nothing to fear from someone who shouts”. The fear of the situation with the white man forced the men to go against their cultural values. The white man is a metaphor for the duckling; by remaining silent and not screaming, the clan had something to fear. By killing the man, they were defending their village. Consequently, they provoked the gods and an Oracle warned the clansmen of the “great evil” that would come from it. Dialect between Uchendu and Obierika indicates that both wise men knew “those men of Abame were fools” and Abame was destined to destruction because of their actions. Similarly, to the men of Abame, Okonkwo feared the unknown. Rather than waiting around to see the tribesmen of his village die, Okonkwo knew action must be taken to get rid of the invaders. At a gathering with the tribe, he attempted to address the issue, yet Okonkwo’s fears were rejected. A proverb states when “a toad [is] jumping