Question

What connections can you make between the proverbs and the folktales?

How can proverbs and folktales provide insight into a culture?
How and why might an author use proverbs and folktales in a novel?

Answer 1

The connections that can be made between the provebs and the folktales is that both of them try to teach something with respect to moral and ethics. They include material culture, life experiences that have been passed from generation to generation. Consequently, folktales and proverbs function as lifelessons. Most of the times, a character goes through a difficult situation and, end in the end, they find the solution to their problem; so they can be taken as a representation of the challenges a culture has to face and provide the people with insight about them.

They might be used to summarize the main conflict portrayed in a novel and also to provide a "hidden" piece of advice indicating that you should do what they preach.

Answer 2

Both proverbs and folktales represent the important messages about life choices, what’s wrong or good, ethics and moral. That’s why proverbs can often be used to summarize the main point of folktales. Due to their function as lessons or guides though life, folktales and proverbs can represent the most often subjects, problems or values of on culture and be its insight. Many authors used proverbs and folktales as base or inspiration for a novel, be it summarize the point, define the character, taking main plot.