Dead mens path by chinua achebe. “Dead Mans Path” by Chinua Achebe Analysis Essay Example 2023-01-06
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Dead Men’s Path (by Chinua Achebe)
Inflated by his own ego he has managed to isolate the school from the community and rather than bringing any sense of harmony or unity Mike has made sure that he is not trusted by the local people. The Africans believe in spirits and thus they keep the footpath open according to their religion. Obi decides to beautify the school. In Obi's attempt to make things new and modern, he has turned what could have been a positive experience into a negative one. The result is disastrous for him, as well as wryly comic. Christianity and Colonialism The conflict between Christianity and indigenous non-Christian beliefs is explored in depth in this story.
Ndume School is unprogressive and backward, so many are hoping that Obi's youth and energy will turn things around. He also looks older than his age but on the whole, he is not unhandsome. However, education, like technology is not itself a goal. There is no malice in his plan, and he also does have a point that the path cuts through the school and he cannot allow people to simply walk through the campus. . The villagers might, for all I know, decide to use the schoolroom for a pagan ritual during the inspection.
A few days later, a young woman in the village dies. In his response to the local priest Obi seems polite and gentle by apologizing and offering help to build another footpath. . One of the teachers remarks: ''The path appears to be very important to them. On the whole, he was not unhand some.
Just like the white who developed ambivalence towards the African culture, Michael has a negative attitude towards his culture due to hybridity. . The path is blocked out using heavy sticks and barbed wire. Yet, Obi tells her that the teachers are all young and unmarried, giving them plenty of time to devote to the school. . The teacher, who has worked at the school for a few years, explains that the path is of great importance to the villagers because it leads from the local shrine to the place where the dead are buried.
People must learn to tolerate each other to coexist peaceful which is something that Obi fails to understand hence his failure. Lesson Summary What could have been a positive for the unprogressive and backward Ndume School becomes a clash of new versus old when Michael Obi, the new headmaster, arrives on-scene. Yes, these cultures may have unpleasant aspects but so does every culture, and this cannot justify colonialism in any way. The missionary authorities sent him an energetic man to help him run the school. A teacher who has been at Ndume School for three years explains to Obi that the path is significant to the villagers for reasons he could not tell. However, when he refused to open the holy footpath, the villagers ruined the beautiful school ground, placing him in a difficult situation. The headmaster was educated in the West and had a clear goal to promote modern values to the villagers.
Nancy quickly recovers from this news, however, when she sees how happy her husband is about his new role. Consequently he found out that the path is very important to them because it leads to their burial grounds of their ancestors. The priest continues by telling Obi that the ancestral footpath has been around for a very long time and that it serves as a path for the dead to depart and the children to be born. In many ways, it's a story of the impact of colonization, regardless of its perpetrator. The educated Africans consider their fellow less educated colleagues as backwards who need to be educated or given low jobs in the market.
However, the question of should the cultures remain as they are and not be altered emerges when finishing the story. If anything Mike has been blinded by his own arrogance and ego and his belief that he knows what is best for the community. Michael's lack of respect for the culture and the Igbo people leads to the conflict as people rightfully retaliate. But at the same time, it left me knowing what probably comes next according to what has been happening all around the world. .
The Short Story "Dead Men's Path" by Chinua Achebe
Achebe's novels focus on the traditions of Igbo society, the effect of Christian influences, and the clash of Western and traditional African values during and after the colonial era. Michael Obi, as an educated man, should be aware of the historical horrors of these acts, yet he somehow believes his own actions are above them. Emerging Perspectives on Chinua Achebe: Isinka, The Artistic Purpose: Chinua Achebe And The Theory Of African Literature. I've never read this short story before, but it felt very familiar. Obi is cited by the visiting school examiner for starting a tribal war between the school and the village, virtually ensuring his demise as headmaster of the program.
“Dead Mans Path” by Chinua Achebe Analysis Essay Example
Achebe's short story 'Dead Men's Path' proves that this western ideology is not always the right path to walk down, showing us that it's better to leave some things untouched by modernisation. . Yeats, for instance, famously made use of Irish folktales and myths to make clear his Irish roots and allegiance. Backpack literature: an introduction to fiction, poetry, drama, and writing. They are unhappy with the attempt of the white man through agents such as Michael of trying to change their way of life.
The Story Religious conflicts in achebe's works can be attributable to his being raised as a Christian in a country that is largely into traditional religious practices. The path runs across the school compound to the bush on the other side. Michael is signifying a colonial change that was apparent in Nigeria and in the rest of Africa within that time. Michael, the head teacher fails because he is pushy and does not understand how deep the tradition is engrained in the village. The priest tells Obi, ''Let the hawk perch and let the eagle perch,'' and departs. In a first reaction Michael is called by the village priest who tries to explain the importance of the path for the villagers and their beliefs, but Michael remains untouched and holds on to his former decision.
