--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We have heard stories about white men who…" description: "\"We have heard stories about white men who make the powerful guns and the strong drinks and took slaves away across the seas, but no one thought the sto..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/385/chinua-achebe-781_abomination_we-have-heard-stories-about-white-men-wh_570615.png" --- # We have heard stories about white men who make the… ![“We have heard stories about white men who make the powerful guns and the strong drinks and took slaves away across the seas, but no one thought the stories were true.” quote by Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/385/chinua-achebe-781_abomination_we-have-heard-stories-about-white-men-wh_570615.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/385/chinua-achebe-781_abomination_we-have-heard-stories-about-white-men-wh_570615.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/385/chinua-achebe-781_abomination_we-have-heard-stories-about-white-men-wh_570615.png) > “We have heard stories about white men who make the powerful guns and the strong drinks and took slaves away across the seas, but no one thought the stories were true.” [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote highlights how myths about powerful colonizers and their brutal practices are often dismissed as false, despite historical evidence of oppression and slavery. **In simple terms:** People ignore harsh truths about colonial oppression. Key Takeaway Question and challenge accepted narratives. Themes colonialism myth history power oppression Mood critical reflective Type analytical historical When to use this quote - education curricula - media reporting - public discourse - museum exhibits Key Concepts postcolonial theory historical revisionism social memory Questions to Reflect On - How do we verify historical narratives? - What role does denial play in preserving power? A Different Perspective Stories may be dismissed due to bias, not because they lack truth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Gun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gun/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Sea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sea/) [Slave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slave/) [Slaves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slaves/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Strong drink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strong-drink/) [Things fall apart important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-fall-apart-important/) [Things fall apart okonkwo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-fall-apart-okonkwo/) [White man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/white-man/) ## Related quotes > [A man's life from birth to death was a series of transition rites which brought him nearer and nearer to his ancestors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/a-man-s-life-from-birth-to-death-was-a-series-of-transition-rites/) [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) > [If a child washed his hands, he could eat with kings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/if-a-child-washed-his-hands-he-could-eat-with-kings/) [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) > [We shall all live. We pray for life, children, a good harvest and happiness. You will have what is good for you and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/we-shall-all-live-we-pray-for-life-children-a-good-harvest-and/) [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) > [No matter how prosperous a man was, if he was unable to rule his women and his children (and especially his women) he was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/no-matter-how-prosperous-a-man-was-if-he-was-unable-to-rule-his-women/) [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) > [Living fire begets cold, impotent ash.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/living-fire-begets-cold-impotent-ash/) [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) > [Beware Okonkwo!" she warned. "Beware of exchanging words with Agbala. Does a man speak when a god speaks? Beware!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/beware-okonkwo-she-warned-beware-of-exchanging-words-with-agbala-does/) [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) > [Let the kite perch and let the eagle perch too – If one says no to the other, let his wing break.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/let-the-kite-perch-and-let-the-eagle-perch-too-if-one-says-no-to-the/) [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) > [The falcon cannot hear the falconer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-butler-yeats/the-falcon-cannot-hear-the-falconer/) [William Butler Yeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-butler-yeats/) > [We have heard stories about white men who make the powerful guns and the strong drinks and took slaves away across the seas, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/we-have-heard-stories-about-white-men-who-make-the-powerful-guns-and-2/) [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) > [Fantasy stories have almost always been very white and European-focused, and we wanted to tell a story that would feel both more modern and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-ehasz/fantasy-stories-have-almost-always-been-very-white-and-european/) [Aaron Ehasz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-ehasz/) > [Men have learned to shoot without missing their mark and I have learned to fly without perching on a twig.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/men-have-learned-to-shoot-without-missing-their-mark-and-i-have/) [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) > [You might as well say that the woman lies on top of the man when they are making the babies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/you-might-as-well-say-that-the-woman-lies-on-top-of-the-man-when-they/) [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) > [You sound as if you question the authority and the decision of the Oracle, who said he should die." "I do not. Why should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/you-sound-as-if-you-question-the-authority-and-the-decision-of-the/) [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) > [Time is a factory where everyone slaves away earning enough love to break their own chains.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hafez/time-is-a-factory-where-everyone-slaves-away-earning-enough-love-to/) [Hafez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hafez/) > [Feelings like disappointment, embarrassment, irritation, resentment, anger, jealousy, and fear, instead of being bad news, are actually very clear moments that teach us where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pema-ch-dr-n/feelings-like-disappointment-embarrassment-irritation-resentment-2/) [Pema Chodron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pema-ch-dr-n/) ## More by Chinua Achebe > [“In such a regime, I say you died a good death if your life had inspired someone to come forward and shoot your murdered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/in-such-a-regime-i-say-you-died-a-good-death-if-your-life-had/) [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) > [“Do not despair. I know you will not despair. You have a manly and a proud heart. A proud heart can survive a general…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/do-not-despair-i-know-you-will-not-despair-you-have-a-manly-and-a/) [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) > [My son even if you want to fall, at least fall where your bones can be gathered](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/my-son-even-if-you-want-to-fall-at-least-fall-where-your-bones-can-be/) [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) > [“And so Mr. Brown came to be respected even by the clan, because he trod softly on its faith.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/and-so-mr-brown-came-to-be-respected-even-by-the-clan-because-he-trod/) [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) > [“I have learned that a man who makes trouble for others is also making it for himself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/i-have-learned-that-a-man-who-makes-trouble-for-others-is-also-making/) [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) > [In fact, I thought that Christianity was very a good and a very valuable thing for us. But after a while, I began to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/in-fact-i-thought-that-christianity-was-very-a-good-and-a-very/) [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) > [I find Nigeria very frustrating. I am not alone in this. There are many Nigerians abroad. As you know, the brain drain is just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/i-find-nigeria-very-frustrating-i-am-not-alone-in-this-there-are-many/) [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) > [I do not actually see how art, literature can be anything other that being in that domain of trying to tell us, trying to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/i-do-not-actually-see-how-art-literature-can-be-anything-other-that/) [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) > [Democracy is not something you put away for ten years, and then in the 11th year you wake up and start practicing again. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/democracy-is-not-something-you-put-away-for-ten-years-and-then-in-the/) [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) > [When there is a big tree small ones climb on its back to reach the sun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/when-there-is-a-big-tree-small-ones-climb-on-its-back-to-reach-the-sun/) [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) > [When I began going to school and learned to read, I encountered stories of other people and other lands. In one of my essays,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/when-i-began-going-to-school-and-learned-to-read-i-encountered/) [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) > [Almost nobody dances sober, unless they happen to be insane. H. P. LOVECRAFT, attributed, Telling It Like It Is Dancing is very important nowadays.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/almost-nobody-dances-sober-unless-they-happen-to-be-insane-h-p/) [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) > [This is why I find racism impossible, because this is against humanity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/this-is-why-i-find-racism-impossible-because-this-is-against-humanity/) [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) > [“Then listen to me,' he said and cleared his throat. 'It's true that a child belongs to its father. But when a father beats…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/then-listen-to-me-he-said-and-cleared-his-throat-it-s-true-that-a/) [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) > [What you must accept is that your life is not going to be the same while you are writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/what-you-must-accept-is-that-your-life-is-not-going-to-be-the-same/) [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) [Explore all 368 Chinua Achebe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) ## More Abomination quotes > [“The fascination of the abomination—you know.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-conrad/the-fascination-of-the-abomination-you-know/) [Joseph Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-conrad/) > [The history of woman is the history of the continued and universal oppression of one sex by the other. The emancipation of woman is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-celeste-claflin/the-history-of-woman-is-the-history-of-the-continued-and-universal/) [Tennessee Celeste Claflin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennessee-celeste-claflin/) > [I foresee that man will resign himself each day to new abominations, and soon that only bandits and soldiers will be left.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-luis-borges/i-foresee-that-man-will-resign-himself-each-day-to-new-abominations/) [Jorge Luis Borges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-luis-borges/) > [He has to live in the midst of the incomprehensible, which is detestable. And it has a fascination, too, which goes to work upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-conrad/he-has-to-live-in-the-midst-of-the-incomprehensible-which-is/) [Joseph Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-conrad/) > [An unholy church! It is useless to the world, and of no esteem among men. It is an abomination, hells laughter, heavens abhorrence. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/an-unholy-church-it-is-useless-to-the-world-and-of-no-esteem-among/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [Tomato and lettuce-especially lettuce-is an abomination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mimi-sheraton/tomato-and-lettuce-especially-lettuce-is-an-abomination/) [Mimi Sheraton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mimi-sheraton/) > [I do nothing I regret, man, because I try to do nothing abominable. As long as there is not an abomination, there is nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-tosh/i-do-nothing-i-regret-man-because-i-try-to-do-nothing-abominable-as/) [Peter Tosh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-tosh/) > [DEAL is a most villainous place. It is full of filthy-looking people.Great desolationof abomination has beengoing on here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cobbett/deal-is-a-most-villainous-place-it-is-full-of-filthy-looking-people/) [William Cobbett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cobbett/) > [Doing abominations is against the law, particularly if the abominations are done while wearing a lobster bib.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/doing-abominations-is-against-the-law-particularly-if-the/) [Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/) > [The Mass is the greatest blasphemy of God, and the highest idolatry upon earth, an abomination the like of which has never been in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/the-mass-is-the-greatest-blasphemy-of-god-and-the-highest-idolatry/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [Social mores change with time, like fashion - who knows where it might all end up? I especially like the idea that waste, impoliteness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-fforde/social-mores-change-with-time-like-fashion-who-knows-where-it-might/) [Jasper Fforde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-fforde/) > [The efforts on the parts of Eastern magazine writers to educate the people of the United States, particularly parents, to the doctrine that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-f-richards/the-efforts-on-the-parts-of-eastern-magazine-writers-to-educate-the/) [George F. Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-f-richards/) > [“Latin is an abomination!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lew-wallace/latin-is-an-abomination/) [Lew Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lew-wallace/) > [A "just war" is hospitable to every self-deception on the part of those waging it, none more than the certainty of virtue, under whose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-cockburn/a-just-war-is-hospitable-to-every-self-deception-on-the-part-of-those/) [Alexander Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-cockburn/) > [“Don't you call me ‘Dad.’ You are no son of mine. I wouldn't father an abomination. You”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-kozinn/don-t-you-call-me-dad-you-are-no-son-of-mine-i-wouldn-t-father-an/) [Nat Kozinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-kozinn/) Browse all 107 Abomination quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We have heard stories about white men who make the powerful guns and the strong drinks and took slaves away across the seas, but no one thought the stories were true.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Chinua Achebe" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/we-have-heard-stories-about-white-men-who-make-the-powerful-guns-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Abomination" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/we-have-heard-stories-about-white-men-who-make-the-powerful-guns-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/385/chinua-achebe-781_abomination_we-have-heard-stories-about-white-men-wh_570615.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/385/chinua-achebe-781_abomination_we-have-heard-stories-about-white-men-wh_570615.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/385/chinua-achebe-781_abomination_we-have-heard-stories-about-white-men-wh_570615.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We have heard stories about white men who make the powerful guns and the strong drinks and took slaves away…” — Chinua Achebe", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Chinua Achebe", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We have heard stories about white...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/we-have-heard-stories-about-white-men-who-make-the-powerful-guns-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/we-have-heard-stories-about-white-men-who-make-the-powerful-guns-and/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```