Handout - Dead Men's Path 4q615q

Viet, Leonie, Alex, Raphael, Yannick 1 06 December 2013

Handout: „Dead Men’s Path“– Chinua Achebe 1. Summary Michael Obi, a pivotal teacher, becomes heaster and wants the school compound to be modern and delightful. He closes the old and holy path of the villagers which crosses the school compound. The next day the village priest Ani tries to convince him of making a compromise because the path is really important to the villagers and their traditions. But Michael refuses it in intolerance. Two days later a girl dies in the village and the next morning the school premises are pulled down. Therefore the white Supervisor writes a bad report about Obi‟s enthusiastic aims.

2. Characters Micheal Obi  26 years old  ambitious school teacher employed by the mission authorities  Western education  colonialist mindset  His duty: enlighten his fellow Nigerians + establishing a colonial order  native beliefs = „narrow views‟ and superstition  ‘pivotal teacher’  enforcing his progressive views by referring to the „regulations‟

Nancy Obi  Michael's young wife (married for 2 years)  proud of her husband  regarding herself as modern  eager to set ''the fashion in everything'' (p. 118, l. 22)  calling herself “Queen of the school” (p.118, l.20)  ing her husband as much as possible  wants to be ired for her achievements  self-centered, conceited

The Ani  old village priest (Ibo religion)  opponent to Michael Obi  familiar with the villagers' way of thinking  tolerant, interested in dialogue  treats other people with respect  wants Obi to respect the villagers  ready for compromise

→ arrogance and intolerance

→ only interested in the outward appearance of things

→”Let the hawk perch and let the eagle perch“(p.121, l.7f.)

3. Narrative Style  omniscient third person narrator  mainly Obi‟s point of view  frequently used stylistic devices  metaphors taken out of a religious context  exaggerations  irony* / sarcasm

*Micheal Obi  Foundation for irony  accomplished secondary school student  Pivotal teacher  should be successful  YET, fails.  over-confident in doing a better job than predecessors  making a mistake other "old and superannuated" ones wouldn't have  YET, fails.  what he takes pride in  Downfall  insistence in closing path to save report  “nasty report” (p.121, l.22)  modernization ”Backwardization”: "tribal-war situation” (p.121, l.23)

Viet, Leonie, Alex, Raphael, Yannick 2 06 December 2013

4. Themes  Importance of cultural respect and awareness: The heaster ignorance of the local tribe‟s tradition leads to the utter destroy of his career  “nasty report” from the Supervisor  The gap between African and Western Ideologies African values: “Our dead relatives depart by it and our ancestors visit us by it.” (p.120, l.27f.) Western values: “Dead men do not require footpaths.”(p.121, l.2)  The consequences of modernization The heaster‟s attempt to rid the village of superstitious beliefs  “tribal-war situation”(p.121, l.22)

5. Symbols  The Path  connection between “the village shrine [and] their place of burial” (p.120, l.2f.)  tradition and religion of the tribe  spiritual  Barbed wire  the “modern” society‟s refusal to accept traditional culture.  stamping out of “superstitious” beliefs  difficulty of coexistence between modern and tradition  Flowers  beautifying the new school system  frailty of the roadblock  trampled by the long-held animist beliefs

6. Intentions 1. It is important to move on, to develop and to be modern, as the change the school undergoes is actually positive. But progress doesn’t automatically mean the devaluation of old and traditional things. 2. The world is missing of tolerance. Above all, the various religions get into fights with each other. They want to prove which one is the right one without accepting other opinions or making compromises. This lack of tolerance sometimes even causes wars or the death of hundreds of people regarding the suicide attacks committed because of religious conviction.

7. Sources Chinua Achebe, „Dead Men‟S Path„ from the University Herald, Ibadan (1935). Copyright © 1972, 1973 by Chinua Achebe