Chinua Achebe Quotes

My parents were dishonest people. If it was my birthday, I knew my mother took me to the K-Mart and she stole my toy. She'd put it in the shopping cart and we'd walk out. I was raised with that.

I once stole a book. It was really just the once, and at the time I called it borrowing. It was 1970, and the book, I could see by its lack of date stamps, had been lying unappreciated on the shelves of my convent school library since its publication in 1945.

Crime, once exposed, has no refuge but in audacity.

Let Justice, blind and halt and maimed, chastise the rebel spirit surging in my veins, let the Law deal me penalties and pains And make me hideous in my neighbours' eyes.

I did steal socks, but I got caught... don't shoplift, anyone - don't do it! You're just gonna get caught.

He who sells what isn't his'n, Must buy it back or go to prison.

Only lies and evil come from letting people off.

The crime and not the scaffold makes the shame.

I've definitely stolen a lot of things.

For the most part fraud in the end secures for its companions repentance and shame.

Often even a whole city suffers for a bad man who sins and contrives presumptuous deeds.

But this will not do, God will certainly punish you for stealing and for being unfaithful.

I'll probably be punished for hard living.

He who steals a little steals with the same wish as he who steals much, but with less power.

Mercy should make us ashamed, wrath afraid to sin.

I've never been one to take glee in anyone's demise, and when I saw Jerry Sandusky walk out in handcuffs, I did kind of feel a bit sorry for him, even though the jury found him to do some horrific things; I was like, 'His life is over.'

I've seen too many sunrises, as far as the walk of shame, staying out too late doing very bad things.

I was brought up to believe that the worst thing you could do was 'call attention to yourself,' or 'think you were smart.' My mother was an exception to this rule and was punished by the early onset of Parkinson's disease.

If you're doing something wrong, you deserve to be caught.

Those who embezzle public funds should be ready to face the consequences.

I did some bad stuff. I don't remember what in particular, but I did some bad stuff. So the morning of Christmas, I wake up and my brother is there, my sister, my mom, everyone's got gifts and I can't find my gifts. No gifts. They acted like Santa didn't' bring me anything because I wasn't good.

There is my father whispering in my ear, Be still still still. And yet you change everything. What was the marsh like, waiting for the storm before you came and kneeled in the water? It was nothing. Watch after you leave the water, now cold and regretful, miles from home, certain of the belt on your backside, the cold shoulder, the extra chores; watch. Watch the water heal itself of your presence--not to repair injury but to offer itself again should you care to risk another strapping [...].

I also felt guilty about the three pens I'd stolen, but only for a second. And since there was no convenient way to give them back, I stole a bottle of ink before I left.

Unnatural deeds Do breed unnatural troubles: infected minds To their deaf pillows will discharge their secrets.

I was in handcuffs. I was under arrest. I remember there was this old lady looking at me, and I could tell she felt real sorry for me, and she did'nt know but all I wanted to do was take her purse.