About Chinua Achebe Quotes
Chinua Achebe was a Nigerian novelist, poet, and critic who is regarded as a central figure of modern African literature. His first novel and magnum opus, Things Fall Apart, occupies a pivotal place in African literature and remains the most widely studied, translated, and read African novel.
Born: 16 November 1930, Ogidi, Nigeria
Died: 21 March 2013, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
100 Top Quotes by Chinua Achebe in English
- “The white man is very clever. He came quietly and peaceably with his religion. We were amused at his foolishness and allowed him to stay. Now he has won our brothers, and our clan can no longer act like one. He has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart.”
- “Art is man’s constant effort to create for himself a different order of reality from that which is given to him.”
- “If you don’t like someone’s story, write your own.”
- “A man who calls his kinsmen to a feast does not do so to save them from starving. They all have food in their own homes. When we gather together in the moonlit village ground it is not because of the moon. Every man can see it in his own compound. We come together because it is good for kinsmen to do so.”
- “Nobody can teach me who I am. You can describe parts of me, but who I am – and what I need – is something I have to find out myself.”
- “A man who makes trouble for others is also making trouble for himself.”
- “The African story is not only about tragedy, it is also about beauty, courage, and hope.”
- “When suffering knocks at your door and you say there is no seat for him, he tells you not to worry because he has brought his own stool.”
- “We cannot trample upon the humanity of others without devaluing our own.”
- “The white man is not a mythological monster who eats human beings. He is a man, and like all men, he has a tongue sharper than a knife.”
- “We cannot pretend that we do not see. We cannot close our eyes to injustice simply because we are not the ones being oppressed.”
- “The world is like a mask dancing. If you want to see it well, you do not stand in one place.”
- “Nobody can teach me who I am. You can describe parts of me, but who I am – and what I need – is something I have to find out myself.”
- “An army of sheep led by a lion would defeat an army of lions led by a sheep.”
- “Art is not a mirror to reflect reality, but a hammer with which to shape it.”
- “The price a world language must be prepared to pay is submission to many different kinds of use.”
- “It is the storyteller who makes us what we are, who creates history. The storyteller creates the memory that the survivors must have – otherwise their surviving would have no meaning.”
- “There is no story that is not true, […] The world has no end, and what is good among one people is an abomination with others.”
- “When a man says yes, his chi says yes also.”
- “Let us not see ourselves as local champions in a world of competitive football. Our true position is that we are local champions in a world of global underdevelopment.”
- “The white man has no right to stay here and there is nothing left for him but to go.”
- “We cannot trample upon the humanity of others without devaluing our own.”
- “The sun will shine on those who stand before it shines on those who kneel under them.”
- “If you want to see a towering tree, look at it from the roots up, not from the leaves down.”
- “If you don’t like someone’s story, write your own.”
- “People go to
- “Those who tell stories rule the world.”
- “Until the lions have their own historians, the history of the hunt will always glorify the hunter.”
- “One of the truest tests of integrity is its blunt refusal to be compromised.”
- “A people without history is like wind on the buffalo grass.”
- “When old people speak it is not because of the sweetness of words in our mouths; it is because we see something which you do not see.”
- “Proverbs are the palm oil with which words are eaten.”
- “The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them.”
- “Art is man’s constant effort to create for himself a different order of reality from that which is given to him.”
- “There is no such thing as a perfect society, but a society in which there is equal opportunity for all its members to develop themselves to the fullest extent of their ability, is a good society.”
- “The land is not a commodity, it is the essence of our being.”
- “If you don’t know where you are coming from, you will not know where you are going.”
- “Those who don’t know where to look for history are doomed to repeat it.”
- “The world is like a Mask dancing. If you want to see it well, you do not stand in one place.”
- “If you want to eat a toad, you have to look for the one that is fat and juicy.”
- “We cannot cure the world of sorrows, but we can choose to live in joy.”
- “Every generation must recognize and embrace the task it is peculiarly designed by history and by providence to perform.”
- “It is the storyteller who makes us what we are, who creates history. The storyteller creates the memory that the survivors must have – otherwise their surviving would have no meaning.”
- “When we gather together in the moonlit village ground it is not because of the moon. Every man can see it in his own compound. We come together because it is good for kinsmen to do so.”
- “If a child washes his hands, he could eat with kings.”
- “When we reject the single story, when we realize that there is never a single story about any place, we regain a kind of paradise.”
- “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”
- “Man is capable of as much evil as he is of good.”
- “No man however great is greater than his people.”
- “If you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything.”
- “When a man says yes, his chi says yes also.”
- “People create stories create people; or rather stories create people create stories.”
- “Those who tell stories rule the world.”
- “Age is a problem of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.”
- “He who brings kola brings life.”
- “African literature is not a separate entity from African life.”
- “The world is like a mirror; frown at it, and it frowns at you. Smile, and it smiles too.”
- “Eneke the bird says that since men have learned to shoot without missing, he has learned to fly without perching.”
- “It is not the literal past that rules us, it is images of the past.”
- “We cannot pretend that we do not see. We cannot close our eyes to injustice simply because we are not the ones being oppressed.”
- “When suffering knocks at your door and you say there is no
- “The white man is very clever. He came quietly and peaceably with his religion. We were amused at his foolishness and allowed him to stay. Now he has won our brothers, and our clan can no longer act like one. He has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart.”
- “Whenever you see a toad jumping in broad daylight, then know that something is after its life.”
- “Nobody can teach me who I am. You can describe parts of me, but who I am, and what I need, is something I have to find out myself.”
- “Art is, and always has been, the great democrat.”
- “The sun will shine on those who stand before it shines on those who kneel under them.”
- “The world is like a ripe fruit; it is ready for harvesting.”
- “The last four or five hundred years of European contact with Africa produced a body of literature that presented Africa in a very bad light and Africans in very lurid terms. The reason for this had to do with the need to justify the slave trade and slavery.”
- “The white man is very clever. He came quietly and peaceably with his religion. We were amused at his foolishness and allowed him to stay. Now he has won our brothers, and our clan can no longer act like one. He has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart.”
- “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”
- “When we reject the single story, when we realize that there is never a single story about any place, we regain a kind of paradise.”
- “A man who makes trouble for others is also making trouble for himself.”
- “The man who has bread to eat does not appreciate the severity of a famine.”
- “The African story is not a linear one, it is a tapestry of multiple cultures and multiple histories woven together.”
- “A good storyteller knows that the secret of the story lies in the characters.”
- “Africans do not hear voices from nowhere.”
- “You can’t plant an old tree in a new forest.”
- “The wind is never in your favor if you stand and wait for it.”
- “The best fighter is never angry.”
- “It is only the story that can continue beyond the war and the warrior. It is the story that outlives the sound of war drums and the exploits of brave fighters.”
- “If one finger brought oil it soiled the others.”
- “If a child washed his hands, he could eat with kings.”
- “When we gather together in the moonlit village ground it is not because of the moon. Every man can see it in his own compound. We come together because it is good for kinsmen to do so.”
- “The power of the white world is threatened whenever a black man refuses to accept the white world’s definitions.”
- “We cannot cure the world of sorrows, but we can choose to live in joy.”
- “The storyteller takes what he tells from experience – his own or that reported by others. And he in turn makes it the experience of those who are listening.”
- “A people’s memory is history; and if they do not have it, they do not have a history worth the name.”
- “A man who calls his kinsmen to a feast does not do so to save them from starving. They all have food in their own homes. When we gather together in the moonlit village ground it is not because of the moon. Every man can see it in his own
- “The white man has no right to come to our country and disturb our ways of life. We have never disturbed his. We ask him to leave us alone.”
- “The world is like a mask dancing. If you want to see it well, you do not stand in one place.”
- “The world is like a mirror; frown at it, and it frowns at you. Smile and it smiles, too.”
- “A man’s life from birth to death was a series of transition rites which brought him nearer and nearer to his ancestors.”
- “We cannot trample upon the humanity of others without devaluing our own.”
- “A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.”
- “The white man’s god is just like himself. He is very fond of whites, almost as much as he is of money.”
- “The trouble with Nigeria is simply a failure of leadership.”
- “One of the truest tests of integrity is its blunt refusal to be compromised.”
- “Those whose palm-kernels were cracked for them by a benevolent spirit should not forget to be humble.”
- “If you want to eat a toad, make sure you look for a fat and juicy one.”
- “A true warrior is not afraid of death.”
FAQs:
Who was Chinua Achebe?
Chinua Achebe (1930-2013) was a Nigerian novelist, poet, and essayist. He is considered one of the most significant African writers of the 20th century and was often referred to as the “father of African literature.”
What is Chinua Achebe most famous for?
Achebe is best known for his debut novel, “Things Fall Apart,” published in 1958. The book is widely regarded as a classic of African literature and has been translated into over 50 languages.
When was Chinua Achebe born?
Achebe was born on November 16, 1930.
Where was Chinua Achebe born?
Achebe was born in Ogidi, a small village in southeastern Nigeria.
What did Chinua Achebe study in college?
Achebe studied English, history, and theology at the University of Ibadan in Nigeria and later earned a Master of Arts degree in English from the University of London.
What other books did Chinua Achebe write?
Achebe wrote many other books, including “No Longer at Ease,” “Arrow of God,” “A Man of the People,” and “Anthills of the Savannah.” He also wrote poetry, essays, and children’s books.
What was Chinua Achebe’s view on African literature?
Achebe believed that African writers should write about their own experiences and cultures, rather than imitating Western literary styles. He argued that African literature could help to challenge negative stereotypes about Africa and promote understanding between different cultures.
What was Chinua Achebe’s role in Nigerian politics?
Achebe was critical of corruption and political instability in Nigeria and was involved in various political movements throughout his life. He served as a diplomat for the Biafran government during the Nigerian Civil War and later criticized the military dictatorship that took power in Nigeria.
What honours and awards did Chinua Achebe receive?
Achebe received numerous awards and honours for his writing, including the Man Booker International Prize, the Commonwealth Poetry Prize, and the Nigerian National Merit Award. He was also awarded honorary degrees from many universities around the world.
When did Chinua Achebe die?
Achebe passed away on March 21, 2013, at the age of 82, in Boston, Massachusetts, United States.
