Dead Men's Pathway

Is there a path specially built for dead people or do ghosts really exist in this world? People alive in this world would rather believe this is true so they could celebrate their relatives, lovers and friends who have passed away. In this modern life, there are different cultures around the world. Different festivals for the dead are observed around the world, such as Canada's Halloween. In the short story, “Dead Men’s Path” by Chinua Achebe, people follow these traditions to remember their ancestors. Traditional culture always includes some superstitions, which are kept deep in the mind by the succeeding generation. When people respect others’ beliefs and cultures that makes the world smaller. “Dead Men’s Path”, uses three symbols, a path,
The path represents traditional culture and the deeply held beliefs of the villagers. “The path connects the village shrine with their place of burial” (Achebe 473). In the villagers’ minds, the path carries the souls of the newborn, the dead and the ancestors of the village. The path is the villagers’ spiritual channel because it is the only connection between the village and the graveyard. However, Mr. Obi is not willing to understand the traditional culture and beliefs. He does not allow traditional culture to influence his ideas because he wants his school to become modern and progressive. So Mr. Obi closes the local spirits path which runs through the school. “Heavy sticks were planted closely across the path at the two places where it entered and left the school premises” (473). This
Michael Obi does not respect the locals’ traditional beliefs and culture. However, the same goes for the locals, as they have no respect for the school property and Obi’s modern value. Obi persists in his arrogance because of his newly acquired power and ignores the local culture. The priest says: “If you reopen the path we shall have nothing to quarrel about. What I always say is: let the hawk perch and let the eagle perch” (473). The priest tries to persuade Obi to open the path because this is a part of the village culture. He wants Obi to understand and respect, even if he does not agree. However, Obi does not cooperate with the priest and sticks to his own views. Mr. Obi says:“ I would suggest your constructing another path, skirting our premises. I don't suppose the ancestors will find the little detour too burdensome” (473). This demonstrates the conflict between two cultures, leading the priest and Mr. Obi to become involved in an argument. Moreover, the villagers do not respect the school’s property and Obi’s modern values. “The beautiful hedges were torn up not just near the path but right round the school, the flowers trampled to death and one of the school buildings pulled down” (473)… The villagers only care about what they want, so they destroy the fence, the garden and the building that Obi has built. Both men persist in their own opinions