Browsing by Author "Yazbec, Olga (PhD)"
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Item Analysis of Narrative voice in R. C. Binstock’s Tree of Heaven(Addis Ababa University, 2010-06) Hailemariam, Tadesse; Yazbec, Olga (PhD)Fictional narratives are composed of stories. The stories that are in the fictional narratives seek someone to tell them. As a result, there is an agent who is the creation of the author that tells the stories found in the narrative fiction. Readers while engaged in the act of reading a fictional narrative, they hear the speaking voice that tells them the stories. In order to know who specifically is telling the story, readers ask the voice question “who speaks?” The answer to the voice question becomes a narrator. A narrator is the author’s being that speaks out the words of a fictional narrative. The present study focuses on analyzing the narrative voices employed to narrate the story of a single narrative text, Tree of Heaven. In doing so, it analyses textual elements that signal the presence of the narrators in the fictional text. In addition, it analyzes the relationship between the narrators and the author, the relationship between the narrators and the story they narrate, the perceptibility of the narrators, the reliability of the narrators, the temporal relation of narration, and the narrative level to which the narrators belong. Based on the focus of the analysis, the study shows that the author has employed two narrators having distinct voices to narrate the events of the story. The narrators are distinct for they are male and female. As a result, in reading the novel, we hear the voice of two extra-homodiegetic narrators telling the story by taking turns in the chapters of the novel. The narrators are still autodiegetic for they are the heroes in the story they narrate. Both the narrators are named and sexually determinate. The narrators are easily identifiable and unreliable in the course of narrating the story. The narrators are known as extradiegetic narrators for they belong to the first-degree narrative, i.e., the matrix narrative. The analysis done also shows that the narrators are totally different from the author.Item A Comparative Analysis of Narrative I Techniques in the Book of Revelation t and Frankenstein(Addis Ababa University, 2005-06) Zegeye, Rahel; Yazbec, Olga (PhD)The exploration of the meaning of 'concurrence' between the Biblc a nd science has not been given attention, or has not been an attraction to those who love reading literature. The research problem high lights thc notion wh ich brings to the fore that the Bib le and science (the ge nre of science fi ction) have much in common and are not as divergent as they may seem with respect to their literary features. It is rather difficu lt to give an account of a 'specific' period, but it is obvious that for a very long time, the Bible presumably, for its 'sacredness', is assumed to be a book not to be investigated or questioned. People are not encouraged to read the book even around churches, where the Christian faith is proclaimed. The conventions in ge nera l held the vision or belief tha t it is better to leave the Bible as it is . Nevertheless, the Bible has special qualities that are too 'good' to be ignored , not to mention its being the Word of God'. It possesses literary qualities of high excellence and shares the features that other types of the art represent. Through the sentiments it develops in us, we continue with a sense of hope, resolution and promise in our lives . These are the riches we share and benefit from reading the Bible. We also improve our balance of reasoning and develop self-esteem. Science, which developed later, on the other hand, is a lso gIven less consideration. The reason behind, I suppose, is that basically, science is not a form of 'art', but it is introduced as a subject bearing advanced knowledge. Its emergence, however, gives rise to science fiction. This is how the theme of science is ascribed and became a genre of literature. People in the writing vocation a re attracted since then and even today its inf1uence penetrates in the literary world that science fi ction outshines other forms of writing. The li terariness in science fiction also recounts similar qualities in the narratives of its various forms.Item A Feminist Reading of Nuruddin Farah’s First Trilogy “Variations on The Theme of an African Dictatorship(Addis Ababa University, 2009-08) Haddis, Feven; Yazbec, Olga (PhD)Gender stereotyping is a cross cultural phenomenon prevalent across boarders regardless of religion, ethnicity or color. The nature and the negative impact of such stereotyping are more pronounced in poorest continents of the world like Africa where development, education, access to media and awareness are scarce. The prevalence of such stereotyping in the continent is the reason which compelled the researcher to engage in studying the contribution of feminist African writers in this regard. This study, thus, primarily focuses on investigating the extent of the reflection of embedded gender stereotyping and the degree of females’ resistance to such stereotyping by feminist African writers, also tries to asses the significance of the novels in eliminating this stereotyping. To this effect, the researcher has employed a purposive sampling technique to select three novels of the first trilogy of Nuruddin Farah’s work which could better show cultural roles of sexes in East African Society, Somalia. In this respect, from the total of 10 novels he wrote from 1970 to 2007, the researcher had to confine herself to the study of only three novels written at the beginning of 1980s. The result of this study has shown that the availability of novels which address the most important problems of femininity like economic dependency, societal rejection, non political participation, etc. However important raising these issues in the novels and the writer is a feminist one is for feminists, the novels have some embedded patriarchal touches which have been exemplified the characters. From the novels, it is also observed that there are female characters who are well-to-do, educated, active political participants and male characters who believe in gender equality in representing the role and representation of both sexes in the contemporary society. However, feminists, in this regard, believe that the literary works should have been seen to address the embedded patriarchal ideologies. Other than this, they will only be a contribution to producing a new patriarchal generation. vi In the sense of identifying the deep-rooted patriarchal ideologies which manifest themselves on both female and male characters instinctively, bringing the change in the novels and thereby the targeted audience, this study, therefore, intends to pinpoint the cultural and gender bias elements which hinder active participation of women in the society. The researcher believes that both the writer and the audience will see the deep-rooted patriarchal embedded elements and be aware of transforming the nature of novels in response to feminists’ aim of creating a new world free from gender bias.Item A Feminist Reading of Selected Films: A Case Study of Two Female – Authored Amharic Films – Sara And Roman(Addis Ababa University, 2007-08) W.Michael, Mehret; Yazbec, Olga (PhD)Women are one of the greatest sources of human life. They were marginalized and ignored as if they were unimportant part of the society. The truth is they are the nucleus of each community especially in Africa. This fact also influenced African women writers who contribute to the writing business over the years. African feminist literary criticism encourages those women writers to open up and write about themselves. Film is a visual medium which can play a great role in directing human’s mind. As it is a new phenomenon in the Ethiopian Society, female writers can use it to challenge the existing social system. Therefore, this thesis has attempted to analyze two female authored Amharic films from the African Feminist Literary Criticism point of view. It examines how the female characters are represented in each film. The concept of feminist film criticism bases on Laura Mulvey’s (June, 2007) male gaze and Eva-Maria Jacobson’s (May, 1999) female gaze. There is a challenge between the male power over female which is also seen through the gaze of each sex. This thesis also observes how gaze differences applied in these films. Films can show the social and cultural expectations established through patriarchy how women are considered to be. This thesis focuses on the emotional and cultural clashes existed using the visual art. As few feminist film critics believed, the findings of the study prove the possible existence of female gaze in these two female-authored Amharic films. Unlike the previous norms of portraying women as sexual object, passive and ignorant beings, few females are made to be logical and intellectual. They lived beyond the patriarchal domination and cultural expectation of women. They were appeared to control their life and influence other male characters around them. They are the center of their own story and become heroines with whom audience want to identify themselves.Item A Feminist Reading of Selected Films: a Case Study of two Female – Authored Amharic Films – Sara and Roman Mehret(Addis Ababa University, 2007-08) W. Michael, Mehret; Yazbec, Olga (PhD)Women are one of the greatest sources of human life. They were marginalized and ignored as if they were unimportant part of the society. The truth is they are the nucleus of each community especially in Africa. This fact also influenced African women writers who contribute to the writing business over the years. African feminist literary criticism encourages those women writers to open up and write about themselves. Film is a visual medium which can play a great role in directing human’s mind. As it is a new phenomenon in the Ethiopian Society, female writers can use it to challenge the existing social system. Therefore, this thesis has attempted to analyze two female authored Amharic films from the African Feminist Literary Criticism point of view. It examines how the female characters are represented in each film. The concept of feminist film criticism bases on Laura Mulvey’s (June, 2007) male gaze and Eva-Maria Jacobson’s (May, 1999) female gaze. There is a challenge between the male power over female which is also seen through the gaze of each sex. This thesis also observes how gaze differences applied in these films. Films can show the social and cultural expectations established through patriarchy how women are considered to be. This thesis focuses on the emotional and cultural clashes existed using the visual art. As few feminist film critics believed, the findings of the study prove the possible existence of female gaze in these two female-authored Amharic films. Unlike the previous norms of portraying women as sexual object, passive and ignorant beings, few females are made to be logical and intellectual. They lived beyond the patriarchal domination and cultural expectation of women. They were appeared to control their life and influence other male characters around them. They are the center of their own story and become heroines with whom audience want to identify themselves.Item Ideology and the Representation of Female Characters in Ngiigi wa Thiong'o's The River Between and A Grain of Wheat(Addis Ababa University, 2009-06) Demissie, Balew; Yazbec, Olga (PhD)This thesis aims at showing and analyzing the representation of female characters in Ngugi's two novels-The River Between and A Grain of Wheat from ideological perspectives. To accomplish the study, the notions of ideology and literary representation are discussed. Though ideology IS defined as a set of beliefs, it has specific definitions depending on its kinds. Different types of ideologies such as dominant, authorial, aesthetic, patriarchal and gendered are looked at in the study. Thus, based on ideology and literary representation as a theoretical framework, all female characters in the selected novels are examined. The study is divided into four chapters. The first chapter deals with the introduction to the study. The second chapter is devoted to the review of literature on the issues of ideology and representation. The third chapter is analysis and interpretation of the two selected novels. The analysis is divided into four major sections and it analyses and interprets the representation female characters from dominant, authorial, aesthetic, patriarchal and gendered ideological points of view. Finally, the last chapter deals with the conclusion to the analysis in the third chapter, where the representation of female characters in the two novels is examined from the ideological dimensions. The analysis and interpretation of the novels show that female characters are victims of the dominant, gendered and patriarchal ideologies. Ngugi, using his authorial ideology, has shown the different nationalistic roles female characters have played in the two novels. Finally, the study has confirmed that the representation of female characters in the two novels reveals the realities of women in the social context of the period when the novels were written.Item Image of Women in Selected Oromo Folktales, Folksongs and Proverbs with Particular Reference to East Arsi Zone(Addis Ababa University, 2010-06) Dedo, Ahmed; Yazbec, Olga (PhD)Dundes (1965) and Adams (1973) suggest that folklore validates and maintains conformity or control in or over the society and educates certain aspects of culture and justifies its rituals and institutions, and shows the manner of thinking, mode of life, and attitudes of the society. Hence, the major goal of this study was examining the images of women in Arsi Oromo folktales, folksongs and proverbs. To achieve this goal an attempt was made to collect and analyze folktales, folksongs and proverbs from two districts in east Arsi zone. The data were collected through interviewing people from the study area, using focused group discussions, making observations of the discussions and also using already documented folktales, folksongs and proverbs. The study revealed that images of women in Arsi Oromo folktales, folksongs and proverbs have been portrayed both positively and negatively and that images of women in all the three genres were highly distorted though some positive images also existed. Regarding the positive images of women, some of the Arsi Oromo folktales, folksongs and proverbs have represented some groups of women, for example, wives as faithful, honest and loving; mothers as fair and thoughtful; and female beings in general as wise and problem-solving. There are also some positive representations of women that are manifested only in the proverbs. These are the portrayal of women in general as cautious and suspicious beings; wives and girls as indispensable persons; and mothers as generous. However, the largest parts of the collected folktales, folksongs and proverbs have represented women in a negative and distorted manner. These include the representations of women in general as shameless, selfish and greedy, trouble makers and evil-minded, stupid, and as inferior to men in every aspect; and in particular, wives as unfaithful and adulterous, and step-mothers and co-wives as cruel and jealous. Moreover, some negative representations of women were observed only in the sample proverbs. They include the depiction of women generally as liars, pretenders, deceivers, submissive, quiet and weak, unintelligent, and careless and unreliable, on the one hand, and wives as disagreeable and disobedient, on the other. The other point found out was that images of women in the three genres vary. That is, some positive and negative representations of women exist only in the proverbs but not in the folktales and folksongs. In general, the over all result revealed that the deep-rooted attitude of the patriarchal society that attempted to establish the superiority of men and subordination of women in its oral literature. Regarding the organization of this study, it is made up of four chapters. The first chapter deals with the introductory part of the study which includes the background, statement of the problem, the objectives, the significance, the scope, the methodology and the definition of some important terms of the study. In the second chapter relevant literature is reviewed and also the socio-cultural background of the Arsi Oromo is presented. The third chapter includes the analysis of the folktales, folksongs and proverbs collected from the study area. In the fourth chapter an effort was made to provide a conclusion based on the discussions of the foregoing chapters.Item Image of women in selected oromo folktales, folksongs And proverbs with particular reference to east arsi zone(Addis Ababa University, 2010-06) Dedo, Ahmed; Yazbec, Olga (PhD)Dundes (1965) and Adams (1973) suggest that folklore validates and maintains conformity or control in or over the society and educates certain aspects of culture and justifies its rituals and institutions, and shows the manner of thinking, mode of life, and attitudes of the society. Hence, the major goal of this study was examining the images of women in Arsi Oromo folktales, folksongs and proverbs. To achieve this goal an attempt was made to collect and analyze folktales, folksongs and proverbs from two districts in east Arsi zone. The data were collected through interviewing people from the study area, using focused group discussions, making observations of the discussions and also using already documented folktales, folksongs and proverbs. The study revealed that images of women in Arsi Oromo folktales, folksongs and proverbs have been portrayed both positively and negatively and that images of women in all the three genres were highly distorted though some positive images also existed. Regarding the positive images of women, some of the Arsi Oromo folktales, folksongs and proverbs have represented some groups of women, for example, wives as faithful, honest and loving; mothers as fair and thoughtful; and female beings in general as wise and problem-solving. There are also some positive representations of women that are manifested only in the proverbs. These are the portrayal of women in general as cautious and suspicious beings; wives and girls as indispensable persons; and mothers as generous. However, the largest parts of the collected folktales, folksongs and proverbs have represented women in a negative and distorted manner. These include the representations of women in general as shameless, selfish and greedy, trouble makers and evil-minded, stupid, and as inferior to men in every aspect; and in particular, wives as unfaithful and adulterous, and step-mothers and co-wives as cruel and jealous. Moreover, some negative representations of women were observed only in the sample proverbs. They include the depiction of women generally as liars, pretenders, deceivers, submissive, quiet and weak, unintelligent, and careless and unreliable, on the one hand, and wives as disagreeable and disobedient, on the other. The other point found out was that images of women in the three genres vary. That is, some positive and negative representations of women exist only in the proverbs but not in the folktales and folksongs. In general, the over all result revealed that the deep-rooted attitude of the patriarchal society that attempted to establish the superiority of men and subordination of women in its oral literature. Regarding the organization of this study, it is made up of four chapters. The first chapter deals with the introductory part of the study which includes the background, statement of the problem, the objectives, the significance, the scope, the methodology and the definition of some important terms of the study. In the second chapter relevant literature is reviewed and also the socio-cultural background of the Arsi Oromo is presented. The third chapter includes the analysis of the folktales, folksongs and proverbs collected from the study area. In the fourth chapter an effort was made to provide a conclusion based on the discussions of the foregoing chapters.Item The Images of Women in Nibut and Yederasiwa File(Addis Ababa University, 2012-06) Daniel, Nahom; Yazbec, Olga (PhD)Traditionally, women have been relegated to the margins of society, history and culture in male-dominated environment. Patriarchal systems have long denied women to play an appropriate role in nation building and to enter the public sphere. The representation of female characters in fictions by female writers is different from that of men owning to the fact that they have different life experiences. Both the novels that have been selected for the analysis, Nibut and Yederasiwa File, are written by female Ethiopian writers. The aim of this thesis is to examine and analyze the images of women in the works of Ethiopian female writers. The paper is divided into five chapters. Chapter one deals with the background, statement of the problem, objectives, significance, methodology and scope. The second chapter presents a review of related literature. In this section, an attempt has been made to review material related to this study. In the third chapter, an attempt has been made to explain the conceptual framework which focuses on Socialist feminist literary theory that has been applied in this study. In the fourth chapter, the selected novels have been examined and analyzed using the framework discussed in chapter three. The writer of this research has found out that the writers of the selected novels have tried to reverse the traditional stereotypical portrayal of women by giving the major female characters the face of the New Woman which is characterized by being intelligent, educated, self-reliant, etc. On the other hand, it has also been observed that the female characters are exposed to sexual abuses and harassments, and also are victims of traditional gender roles that have long been established by patriarchal dominated society. Then, the final chapter is the conclusion. In this section a brief summary and some findings have been given.Item Narrative Time and Mode in Minkuhkuwah Zeyfleyelu Mae’tso and Hezike Nabey(Addis Ababa University, 2013-05) Gezae, Haile; Yazbec, Olga (PhD)This thesis tries to explore the structure and application of the major narrative techniques in Minkuhkuwah Zeyfleyelu Mae’tso and Hezike Nabey novels. In this respect the main aim of the thesis is identifying the major narrative techniques used in the selected books and analysing the recurring techniques and their structure. To accomplish the objective of the thesis, I have tried to review related and relevant literature regarding narratology. Thus, an attempt has been made to go through the two selected books in accordance with the application of the narrative techniques and their structures. Due attention has been given in application of narrative time and mode. In the analysis part, it is pointed out that in respect to narrative time, the two literary texts partake similar narrative time. The stories in these novels are presented in the form of long flashback and symbolic foreshadowing. Because of this, the reader might find him/her self, connecting incidents of information in the process of reading. Thus, this unnatural flow of events made them similar to achronological order of time. Speed up or acceleration is the second narrative time technique explored under narrative time with short discourse time and long story time. Both novels are presented through acceleration technique. Regarding frequency, it is found out that they have portrayed similar techniques. With dominancy of singulative presentation, both novels employed iterative and repetitive techniques. Hence, both novels happen to have similar structure in respect to narrative time. In both literary texts the amalgamations of different techniques helped the writers to stress on thematically concerned areas. Similarly, by employing the third person omniscient narrator, both narratives made the reader a passive recipient of information since every point is forwarded from the narrator’s perspective. On the other hand, some minor differences in narrative mode have been observed between the two novels. Comparatively, except in some very rare instances, Minkuhkuwah Zeyfleyelu Mae’tso employ very small amount of scenic presentation unlike Hezike Nabey. So, the use of summary and scenic presentation has direct and indirect significances on the theme. Generally from the analysis of the two novels, it can be concluded that they have employed similar narrative time techniques and slightly different narrative modes.Item Narratology in Films: With Reference to Two Amharic Films— ‘Wubetin Felega’ and ‘Siryet’.(Addis Ababa University, 2010-06) Gebeyehu, Dessaleng; Yazbec, Olga (PhD)The literature-film debate springs from the polemics of the application of narrative elements and techniques. In film narration, as in literary works, the different narrative elements and techniques are applicable. Film narration, however, encompasses cinematic techniques that the filmmakers technically implement in a film. Cinematic components and techniques also help to produce qualitatively and aesthetically sound movies. Film narration consists of textual, visual and audio mediums. Like literature, it incorporates various approaches, methods and theories that help to narrate movie stories systematically. In film, styles of narration such as realism, formalism and classicism and different kinds of film genres have great significance. In the Ethiopian cinema, however, there have been problems in applying the literary elements and techniques and the cinematographic techniques. Most of these problems have risen from lack of sufficient manpower in every aspect of film narration and lack of adequate knowledge, technology, equipment and finance for filmmaking. Thus, the main purpose of this study was exploring the narratology of films, especially in the Amharic films. In addition, this study aimed to explore the narrative elements, techniques and cinematographic techniques implemented in ‘Wubetin Felega’ and ‘Siryet’. It also attempted to explore the effectiveness of techniques of photography, acting style, application of light and dark, color, costume and makeup, sound effects, music, and special effects in the selected movies. The basic reason of this study was to identify the kinds of narrative elements, techniques and cinematographic techniques of film narration, and to examine their strengths and weaknesses. The study attempted to give insight to filmmakers, directors, authors and related personnel on how these elements are applied and how they can be improved. In this thesis, descriptive methods of analysis are analytically and systematically used. The two movies are scrutinized and described from the perspective of narratology. Focusing on the notion of film narratology, the analysis section examined the functional narratological elements and techniques, and cinematographic techniques implemented in ‘Wubetin Felega’ and ‘Siryet’. In this section, the strengths and weaknesses of the narratology of the Amharic films and their aesthetic quality had thoroughly been investigated. In conclusion, this thesis found out that the two Amharic films, ‘Wubetin Felega’ and ‘Siryet’, have limitations in implementing narrative elements and techniques, and cinematographic techniques appropriately and aesthetically. The study indicated that these limitations have evolved from lack of adequate skilled manpower, technology and finance. To minimize these limitations and improve the making of qualitatively and aesthetically sound movie, some solutions are recommended in this thesis.Item Political Satire in Achebe’s “A Man of the People”(Addis Ababa University, 2018-05) Haile, Hayelom; Yazbec, Olga (PhD)The novel ‘A Man of the People ‘by Chinua Achebe is a satire of the political era of the first republic of Nigeria’s history. It portrays the problem of corruption in Nigeria among the political class. ‘A Man of the People’ is a Realistic fiction. Its story reconciles with the Postindependence Nigeria’s history that reveals corruption and political power as the two sides of a coin. Leaders come to power with the sole purpose of filling their own coffers or benefiting friends, followers or clans etc., at the expense of the poor masses. But the major focus of the thesis is to explore how Achebe satirizes corruption, the major forms of corruption committed by the officials, the consequences of corruption and how he satirically attacked the corrupt politicians and the possible solutions the author suggested to curb corruption. The findings vividly show that the major causes of corruption in Nigeria are poverty, attitudinal problem/tribalism and greediness. But attitudinal problem of both the politicians and the society at large could be taken as the major one. The sad aspect is, in Nigeria, corruption has become cultural. The majority are involved in committing every type/form of corruption. However, electoral corruption is the dominant one. It has paralyzed democracy and has a deleterious effect on social and economic spheres. Achebe tried to condemn the corrupt politicians using the literary mediums of irony and exaggeration and in the end suggested coup as the only solution to minimize corruption and/or deter the politicians from abusing their power. But the key solutions in fighting corruption lie on supporting and recognizing the authors who fight against corruption through their pens to induce society to change its attitude and to strengthen civil society institutions including media and design a mechanism by which those who practice corruptors will be punished.Item Postmodernism in Selected Ethiopian Diasporic Novels in English(AAU, 2020-12) Tenna, Misrak; Yazbec, Olga (PhD)Postmodernism is a movement that has influenced the artistic as well as cultural discourses since the 1960s. Though debatable it generally suggests a move away from the modernist conventions that have influenced the Western thought, social life and culture for centuries. Postmodernism specifically is characterized by, a rejection of authority, skepticism towards totalitarian narratives and reality. On the literary level it is applied to make sense of new insights and developments in contemporary literary works. Even if postmodernism succeeded in influencing the literary domain of the world for over seventy years now it is invisible in the Ethiopian literary scene. Thus, it is this gap that motivated the researcher to carry out the study on postmodernism. In this study, an attempt has been made to analyze aspects of postmodernism in the selected Ethiopian Diaspora novels. Nega Mezlekia’s The God Who Begat the Jackal and The Unfortunate Marriage of Azeb Yitades and Dinaw Mengistu’s How to Read the Air and All Our Names are selected for the analysis. The method of the study is textual analysis. Through thorough reading of the novels relevant excerpts are identified and critically analyzed both on the formal and thematic level using the theoretical parameters adapted from postmodern literary theories of Barry Lewis, Brian McHale, Linda Hutcheon and Patricia Waugh. Intertextuality, ontology, metafiction, temporal distortion and fragmentation are used as parameters for the analysis. Accordingly, the study revealed that the authors have brought prior texts like history, popular culture, fiction and non-fiction into the contexts of the novels and borrowed formal styles from different texts that promoted plurality of realities and characterized the novels as pastiches than autonomous works. It is also found out that the novels have foregrounded ontological concerns using alternative worlds, mixing fact and fiction and through description creation paradox to destabilize the truth status of the issues presented in the novels and the mode of existence of the characters. It is also observed that the authors have revealed their consciousness of the fictional status of their stories and various grand narratives exposing their textuality. Temporal distortions and structural and character fragmentation also constitute the novels. Observing the extensive use of aspects of postmodernism and their subversion to question the notions of totality, authority and reality the study concludes that the novels can fall under a category of postmodernist fiction.Item The Subject Matter of Nuer Proverbs:Lare Community of Gambella(Addis Ababa University, 2012-06) Kawich, Puok; Yazbec, Olga (PhD)The purpose of this study is to critically analyze the subject matter of Nuer proverbs, in association with their themes. It has five chapters The first chapter begins by introducing the background of the study. That is, the Nuer’s location in Ethiopia, their lifestyle, their culture, their traditional beliefs,their traditional administration system and their language and literature. These are shown to be important in Nuer community. In the same chapter, it is stated that the importance of the proverbs in Nuer community has not been studied. In the second chapter the review is made based on the previous research studies which have been conducted on the same topics which are related to this study. In the third chapter a conceptual frame work of the study is presented. In the fourth chapter the critical analysis on Nuer proverbs is made based on the question on how they reflect the cultural norm in the Nuer community. These proverbs have been categorized into ten categories as follows: Proverbs on poverty, proverbs on wisdom, proverbs on waging the war, proverbs on morality, proverbs on discouraging bad behavior, proverbs on discouraging cowardice, proverbs on the role of God, proverbs on the status of death, proverbs on capability and the proverbs on good future. All of these proverbs are analyzed and the researcher finds that, the Nuer proverbs reflect their social, economical, political and cultural issues in a good manner.