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Dead Men's Path
Dead Men's Path is a short story by the Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe, first published in 1953. The short-story has been noted as an example of cultural conflict.
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About the author
Chinua Achebe
169 books4,165 followersWorks, including the novel
Things Fall Apart
(1958), of Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe describe traditional African life in conflict with colonial rule and westernization.
This poet and critic served as professor at Brown University. People best know and most widely read his first book in modern African literature.
Christian parents in the Igbo town of Ogidi in southeastern Nigeria reared Achebe, who excelled at school and won a scholarship for undergraduate studies. World religions and traditional African cultures fascinated him, who began stories as a university student. After graduation, he worked for the Nigerian broadcasting service and quickly moved to the metropolis of Lagos. He gained worldwide attention in the late 1950s; his later novels include No Longer at Ease (1960), Arrow of God (1964), A Man of the People (1966), and Anthills of the Savannah (1987). Achebe defended the use of English, a "language of colonizers," in African literature. In 1975, controversy focused on his lecture An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad's "Heart of Darkness" for its criticism of Joseph Conrad as "a bloody racist."
When the region of Biafra broke away from Nigeria in 1967, Achebe, a devoted supporter of independence, served as ambassador for the people of the new nation. The war ravaged the populace, and as starvation and violence took its toll, he appealed to the people of Europe and the Americas for aid. When the Nigerian government retook the region in 1970, he involved in political parties but witnessed the corruption and elitism that duly frustration him, who quickly resigned. He lived in the United States for several years in the 1970s, and after a car accident left him partially disabled, he returned to the United States in 1990.
Novels of Achebe focus on the traditions of Igbo society, the effect of Christian influences, and the clash of values during and after the colonial era. His style relied heavily on the Igbo oral tradition, and combines straightforward narration with representations of folk stories, proverbs, and oratory. He also published a number of short stories, children's books, and essay collections. He served as the David and Marianna Fisher university professor of Africana studies at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, United States.
ollowing a brief illness, Achebe died.
This poet and critic served as professor at Brown University. People best know and most widely read his first book in modern African literature.
Christian parents in the Igbo town of Ogidi in southeastern Nigeria reared Achebe, who excelled at school and won a scholarship for undergraduate studies. World religions and traditional African cultures fascinated him, who began stories as a university student. After graduation, he worked for the Nigerian broadcasting service and quickly moved to the metropolis of Lagos. He gained worldwide attention in the late 1950s; his later novels include No Longer at Ease (1960), Arrow of God (1964), A Man of the People (1966), and Anthills of the Savannah (1987). Achebe defended the use of English, a "language of colonizers," in African literature. In 1975, controversy focused on his lecture An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad's "Heart of Darkness" for its criticism of Joseph Conrad as "a bloody racist."
When the region of Biafra broke away from Nigeria in 1967, Achebe, a devoted supporter of independence, served as ambassador for the people of the new nation. The war ravaged the populace, and as starvation and violence took its toll, he appealed to the people of Europe and the Americas for aid. When the Nigerian government retook the region in 1970, he involved in political parties but witnessed the corruption and elitism that duly frustration him, who quickly resigned. He lived in the United States for several years in the 1970s, and after a car accident left him partially disabled, he returned to the United States in 1990.
Novels of Achebe focus on the traditions of Igbo society, the effect of Christian influences, and the clash of values during and after the colonial era. His style relied heavily on the Igbo oral tradition, and combines straightforward narration with representations of folk stories, proverbs, and oratory. He also published a number of short stories, children's books, and essay collections. He served as the David and Marianna Fisher university professor of Africana studies at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, United States.
ollowing a brief illness, Achebe died.
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April 24, 2023
Read with The Short Story Club
Dead Men's Path is a very short story written by Chinua Achebe, the Nigerian writer who penned the remarkable novel Things Fall Apart (my review here).
It can be read more as a parable than a short stories due its brevity and simple writing style. Mike is school teacher adept of the modern way. He receives the role of headmaster of a backwards school. In his zeal to embrace modernity and western culture he starts a conflict with the ancient ways of the people.
It is a story about old vs new, Western culture vs African ways, about division. Short but poignant.
Dead Men's Path is a very short story written by Chinua Achebe, the Nigerian writer who penned the remarkable novel Things Fall Apart (my review here).
It can be read more as a parable than a short stories due its brevity and simple writing style. Mike is school teacher adept of the modern way. He receives the role of headmaster of a backwards school. In his zeal to embrace modernity and western culture he starts a conflict with the ancient ways of the people.
It is a story about old vs new, Western culture vs African ways, about division. Short but poignant.
April 30, 2023
Colonial context
This very short fable explores the consequences of imposing colonial ideas on traditional cultures. (Despite the title, it's not gory or spooky.)
But this is not modern revisionism, stoking a culture war between the woke and whatever the opposite is. It's not about indigenous people wanting apologies, nor white people atoning for their forebears.
Instead, it's a black writer criticising those of his own background: people who might nowadays be described with the slur of “coconut”. Pressing the point home, it’s a white character who defends traditional beliefs and practices.
Achebe wrote this in 1953, when he was only 23. He was born to a Nigerian family, and Igbo was his mother tongue. But his father was a Christian missionary teacher, and their outlook was more British than local. Nigeria was still under colonial rule, but there was tension between some tribes, as well as against the British. Achebe was christened Albert (after Prince Albert) and was taught in English from the age of eight. He later ditched Albert in favour of Chinua, an abbreviation of his Igbo middle name.
Story
A young (black) headteacher is appointed to a mission school that is “backward in every sense”. He and his wife devote themselves to instilling high academic standards in a beautiful setting, which sounds good. However, he also wants to eradicate traditional beliefs:
“Our duty is to teach your children to laugh at such ideas.”
Note the pronouns: “our” and “your”.
He’s blinded by the zealotry of good intentions. The trivial becomes tragic.
I read it as a profound but simple metaphor - as many of the most powerful fables are. Like them, it slowly burned in my mind into something deeper and broader, encompassing colonialism, modernisation, education, class, the arrogance of youth, faith, and community.
Choose your path
The headmaster’s background is similar to Achebe's. He is perhaps what Achebe might have become, but explicitly rejects. Even when he moved to the US, he retained Nigerian citizenship, and told the New York Times, “Our people have a saying: the whole essence of travel is to go back home.” Nigeria, and its traditional indigenous culture, was always his home.
Image: Desire paths are created by people-power, regardless of what the authorities design or allow. They’re often shortcuts, but sometimes they’re ancient routes of deeper significance. (Source)
Short story club
I reread this as one of the stories in The Art of the Short Story, by Dana Gioia, from which I'm aiming to read one story a week with The Short Story Club, starting 2 May 2022.
You can read this story here.
You can join the group here.
This very short fable explores the consequences of imposing colonial ideas on traditional cultures. (Despite the title, it's not gory or spooky.)
But this is not modern revisionism, stoking a culture war between the woke and whatever the opposite is. It's not about indigenous people wanting apologies, nor white people atoning for their forebears.
Instead, it's a black writer criticising those of his own background: people who might nowadays be described with the slur of “coconut”. Pressing the point home, it’s a white character who defends traditional beliefs and practices.
Achebe wrote this in 1953, when he was only 23. He was born to a Nigerian family, and Igbo was his mother tongue. But his father was a Christian missionary teacher, and their outlook was more British than local. Nigeria was still under colonial rule, but there was tension between some tribes, as well as against the British. Achebe was christened Albert (after Prince Albert) and was taught in English from the age of eight. He later ditched Albert in favour of Chinua, an abbreviation of his Igbo middle name.
Story
A young (black) headteacher is appointed to a mission school that is “backward in every sense”. He and his wife devote themselves to instilling high academic standards in a beautiful setting, which sounds good. However, he also wants to eradicate traditional beliefs:
“Our duty is to teach your children to laugh at such ideas.”
Note the pronouns: “our” and “your”.
He’s blinded by the zealotry of good intentions. The trivial becomes tragic.
I read it as a profound but simple metaphor - as many of the most powerful fables are. Like them, it slowly burned in my mind into something deeper and broader, encompassing colonialism, modernisation, education, class, the arrogance of youth, faith, and community.
Choose your path
The headmaster’s background is similar to Achebe's. He is perhaps what Achebe might have become, but explicitly rejects. Even when he moved to the US, he retained Nigerian citizenship, and told the New York Times, “Our people have a saying: the whole essence of travel is to go back home.” Nigeria, and its traditional indigenous culture, was always his home.
Image: Desire paths are created by people-power, regardless of what the authorities design or allow. They’re often shortcuts, but sometimes they’re ancient routes of deeper significance. (Source)
Short story club
I reread this as one of the stories in The Art of the Short Story, by Dana Gioia, from which I'm aiming to read one story a week with The Short Story Club, starting 2 May 2022.
You can read this story here.
You can join the group here.
August 25, 2023
You have most likely heard the saying „Culture eats strategy for breakfast“! This short story is the perfect premise to exemplify this saying. Or as the French writer Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr wrote in 1849 “plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose “ – the more things change, the more they stay the same…
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Those of you who had purely good intentions starting a new job to change the old ways of doing for the better. Raise your hand! 👋
Those of you who had new ideas to implement in your family’s ways of life. Raise your hand! 👋
Now, please go on and read this short story to manage your expectations! 🤓
But, wait! Isn’t it our idea of creating a better place in the world that keeps us going?
I loved this short story by Chinua Achebe:
Straight to the point, more practical than theoretical, and above all it’s TANGIBLE!
Find me on instagram
Those of you who had purely good intentions starting a new job to change the old ways of doing for the better. Raise your hand! 👋
Those of you who had new ideas to implement in your family’s ways of life. Raise your hand! 👋
Now, please go on and read this short story to manage your expectations! 🤓
But, wait! Isn’t it our idea of creating a better place in the world that keeps us going?
I loved this short story by Chinua Achebe:
Straight to the point, more practical than theoretical, and above all it’s TANGIBLE!
September 16, 2024
The Short Story Club
Modernity is ok, progress is fine but the excessive zeal in cutting off one's roots and abandoning one's culture in order to climb a career ladder with the colonial authorities ends in total failure. This is the situation the protagonist finds himself in and the author shows all the bitter irony of it.
Modernity is ok, progress is fine but the excessive zeal in cutting off one's roots and abandoning one's culture in order to climb a career ladder with the colonial authorities ends in total failure. This is the situation the protagonist finds himself in and the author shows all the bitter irony of it.
August 12, 2019
I've never read this short story before, but it felt very familiar. It felt familiar because we see this story in the news and happening all around the world. Western ideals and thinking is imposing on the native or previously practiced cultures and rituals of the people who already live there. And we assume the more 'modern' ideas are better than the 'old' and either ignore the people, or brutually shove them aside and ignore them so we can do what we want.
I liked seeing the binaries at work and discussed here: the modern vs the old, education vs spirituality, and trying to find which side we should side with.
The story was very simplistic in its writing, so at surface level it appears to be a straightforward story. But there is so much to think about from this story. The end was abrupt and left me wanting more. But at the same time, it left me knowing what probably comes next according to what has been happening all around the world.
The story was also quite gendered. The only female character we see is the wife, and she is a very weak character. She has no identity of her own. It made me a bit disappointed that this was the only female character, but I also understand she is this way to make a statement on the more 'Western' mindset of thinking.
It was curious to see the villagers and the priest appearing to be wiser than the more modern thinkers. Especially as they didn't want to argue or fight.
I also found it especially interesting that despite the story being about people fighting among themselves, the final word and opinion is given by a 'white' supervisor. He gets the final say in the end, despite not being involved in any of the going ons of the story. And he also uses very particular words... 'tribal war?'. I wonder if everyone agrees with that labeling. It sure makes you think.
In the end, Chinua Achebe achieved what he wanted with this story. It has a lot of themes and good points covered. Just think it over, from all the perspectives and angles ;)
I liked seeing the binaries at work and discussed here: the modern vs the old, education vs spirituality, and trying to find which side we should side with.
The story was very simplistic in its writing, so at surface level it appears to be a straightforward story. But there is so much to think about from this story. The end was abrupt and left me wanting more. But at the same time, it left me knowing what probably comes next according to what has been happening all around the world.
The story was also quite gendered. The only female character we see is the wife, and she is a very weak character. She has no identity of her own. It made me a bit disappointed that this was the only female character, but I also understand she is this way to make a statement on the more 'Western' mindset of thinking.
It was curious to see the villagers and the priest appearing to be wiser than the more modern thinkers. Especially as they didn't want to argue or fight.
I also found it especially interesting that despite the story being about people fighting among themselves, the final word and opinion is given by a 'white' supervisor. He gets the final say in the end, despite not being involved in any of the going ons of the story. And he also uses very particular words... 'tribal war?'. I wonder if everyone agrees with that labeling. It sure makes you think.
In the end, Chinua Achebe achieved what he wanted with this story. It has a lot of themes and good points covered. Just think it over, from all the perspectives and angles ;)
April 26, 2023
5★
“ ‘The whole purpose of our school,’ he said finally, ‘is to eradicate just such beliefs as that. Dead men do not require footpaths. The whole idea is just fantastic. Our duty is to teach your children to laugh at such ideas.’”
I enjoyed this story that sounds like a satisfying bit of folklore. Who hasn’t railed at some time or other against those who try to modernise us?
In 1949, Michael Obi is excited about becoming the new headmaster of an “unprogressive” school. He will bring them up to date. He’s an intellectual snob, because he finished secondary school.
He and his wife are proud of being modern and hope to become community leaders. She sets about planting a beautiful garden, but one evening, he's horrified to see an old woman tramping straight across the school grounds and through the new garden.
When one of his teachers explains it’s the traditional access between the village shrine and the burial place. Michael Obi declares No longer! They must learn better. A local priest comes to protest, to no avail.
“ ‘Yes,’ replied Mr. Obi. ‘We cannot allow people to make a highway of our school compound.’
‘Look here, my son,’ said the priest bringing down his walking-stick, ‘this path was here before you were born and before your father was born. The whole life of this village depends on it. Our dead relatives depart by it and our ancestors visit us by it. But most important, it is the path of children coming in to be born . . .’”
The headmaster says times have changed and the community needs to change with them. The eventual outcome of the story is, as I mentioned, satisfying.
This is another from the Goodreads The Short Story Club Group
You can download a PDF of the few pages that make up this story here:
https://www.sabanciuniv.edu/HaberlerD...
“ ‘The whole purpose of our school,’ he said finally, ‘is to eradicate just such beliefs as that. Dead men do not require footpaths. The whole idea is just fantastic. Our duty is to teach your children to laugh at such ideas.’”
I enjoyed this story that sounds like a satisfying bit of folklore. Who hasn’t railed at some time or other against those who try to modernise us?
In 1949, Michael Obi is excited about becoming the new headmaster of an “unprogressive” school. He will bring them up to date. He’s an intellectual snob, because he finished secondary school.
He and his wife are proud of being modern and hope to become community leaders. She sets about planting a beautiful garden, but one evening, he's horrified to see an old woman tramping straight across the school grounds and through the new garden.
When one of his teachers explains it’s the traditional access between the village shrine and the burial place. Michael Obi declares No longer! They must learn better. A local priest comes to protest, to no avail.
“ ‘Yes,’ replied Mr. Obi. ‘We cannot allow people to make a highway of our school compound.’
‘Look here, my son,’ said the priest bringing down his walking-stick, ‘this path was here before you were born and before your father was born. The whole life of this village depends on it. Our dead relatives depart by it and our ancestors visit us by it. But most important, it is the path of children coming in to be born . . .’”
The headmaster says times have changed and the community needs to change with them. The eventual outcome of the story is, as I mentioned, satisfying.
This is another from the Goodreads The Short Story Club Group
You can download a PDF of the few pages that make up this story here:
https://www.sabanciuniv.edu/HaberlerD...
April 25, 2023
"Dead Men's Path" shows the conflict between European culture and traditional Nigerian culture. Michael Obi is the new headmaster at a missionary school in Nigeria. He's been educated in modern ways, wants to improve the school, and beautify the school grounds by planting flowers and shrubs. However, the new plants are obstructing the path to the cemetery used by the spirits of the departing dead, by the visiting ancestors, and by the souls of children coming to be born.
The village priest wanted the tribal beliefs respected and the path reopened. He said, "Let the hawk perch and let the eagle perch," meaning they could share the space. But Michael refused to compromise.
Nigeria achieved independence from Great Britain in 1963. There have been many culture clashes in Nigeria both before and after independence. In just three pages, Chinua Achebe demonstrates the need of respecting tradition as new ideas are slowly introduced. The story is available online.
The village priest wanted the tribal beliefs respected and the path reopened. He said, "Let the hawk perch and let the eagle perch," meaning they could share the space. But Michael refused to compromise.
Nigeria achieved independence from Great Britain in 1963. There have been many culture clashes in Nigeria both before and after independence. In just three pages, Chinua Achebe demonstrates the need of respecting tradition as new ideas are slowly introduced. The story is available online.
April 28, 2023
Distracted by the possibilities of the title — is it Dead Men's Path as listed here, or is it Dead Man's Path as shown on the cover of this edition? The print edition I read has it as "Dead Men's Path."
A simple yarn, with the flavour of a "teaching tale" — one with a moral for readers to effortlessly absorb. The lesson here is that perhaps the old ways should be respected, because otherwise there can be unintended consequences.
"Modern" is not always for the best.
A short, simple tale, quite straightforward in tone.
A simple yarn, with the flavour of a "teaching tale" — one with a moral for readers to effortlessly absorb. The lesson here is that perhaps the old ways should be respected, because otherwise there can be unintended consequences.
"Modern" is not always for the best.
A short, simple tale, quite straightforward in tone.
April 24, 2023
First, what a striking cover!
This is a very short, cautionary tale about colonialism, conflict, zeal for new ways, and respect for old ways. It’s a simple story, with layers of applications underneath.
It can be read online here: https://www.sabanciuniv.edu/HaberlerD...
This online version comes with an author’s note that is almost as long as the very short story. In this note, by way of personal anecdote, Achebe gives two recommendations, for when we are faced with a cultural crossroads.
1. Be curious, and
2. Get some distance to provide a fuller perspective.
Seems a good checklist before jumping in … to anything.
This is a very short, cautionary tale about colonialism, conflict, zeal for new ways, and respect for old ways. It’s a simple story, with layers of applications underneath.
It can be read online here: https://www.sabanciuniv.edu/HaberlerD...
This online version comes with an author’s note that is almost as long as the very short story. In this note, by way of personal anecdote, Achebe gives two recommendations, for when we are faced with a cultural crossroads.
1. Be curious, and
2. Get some distance to provide a fuller perspective.
Seems a good checklist before jumping in … to anything.
February 15, 2019
Ambition on it's own is never enough, one has to think and then re-think of plans, systems, strategies to reach a certain point or aim. A very inspirational short story. Though, it is so much deeper to be explained in few lines, but then, where's the fun if you don't seek it your own. Wink wink*
November 25, 2018
A village’s attempt to preserve their traditions against the “modern” practices of the new headmaster of the village’s school.- short story
April 22, 2025
Müasir dünyagörüşü ilə ənənəvi dəyər və inanclar sisteminin qarşıdurmasına dair kiçik bir hekayədir. Müəllifi müasir Afrika ədəbiyyatının atası hesab edirlər. 2007 International Man Booker qalibidir.
Fikir formalaşdırmaq və fərqlilik üçün bir ara romanlarına göz atmaq lazımdır.
Fikir formalaşdırmaq və fərqlilik üçün bir ara romanlarına göz atmaq lazımdır.
April 30, 2023
Read with the short story group. New to me, although I have read his longer fiction and a satisfying story. I wanted new short stories to read without plowing through entire books of them.
April 24, 2024
Meh.
It was ok, but not worth reviewing.
For the moment at least.
-----------------------------------------------
PERSONAL NOTE :
[1953] [5p] [Fiction] [Conditional Recommendable]
-----------------------------------------------
Meh.
Estuvo bien, pero no vale la pena reseñarlo.
Al menos por ahora.
-----------------------------------------------
NOTA PERSONAL :
[1953] [5p] [Ficción] [Recomendable Condicional]
-----------------------------------------------
It was ok, but not worth reviewing.
For the moment at least.
-----------------------------------------------
PERSONAL NOTE :
[1953] [5p] [Fiction] [Conditional Recommendable]
-----------------------------------------------
Meh.
Estuvo bien, pero no vale la pena reseñarlo.
Al menos por ahora.
-----------------------------------------------
NOTA PERSONAL :
[1953] [5p] [Ficción] [Recomendable Condicional]
-----------------------------------------------
April 19, 2023
"Dead Men's Path" by Chinua Achebe is a powerful and thought-provoking short story that explores the complexities of cultural clashes and the consequences of arrogance and ignorance. Achebe's writing is evocative and skillful, and he manages to convey the story's themes with precision and nuance.
At its heart, "Dead Men's Path" is a story about the clash between tradition and modernity and the ways in which different cultures can come into conflict. The main character, Michael Obi, is a young, ambitious schoolteacher eager to bring modernity and progress to his school. However, his efforts lead to conflict with the local villagers, who believe his actions disrespect their ancestors and their cultural traditions.
Achebe's story is a powerful reminder of the importance of respecting cultural traditions and understanding the complex histories and experiences that shape different cultures. The story's climax is shocking and poignant, leaving a lasting impression on the reader long after the story has ended. "Dead Men's Path" is a true masterpiece of African literature, and it is sure to resonate with readers of all backgrounds and experiences. Achebe's writing is beautiful and insightful, and his story is a powerful reminder of the importance of cultural understanding and mutual respect. 5 stars.
At its heart, "Dead Men's Path" is a story about the clash between tradition and modernity and the ways in which different cultures can come into conflict. The main character, Michael Obi, is a young, ambitious schoolteacher eager to bring modernity and progress to his school. However, his efforts lead to conflict with the local villagers, who believe his actions disrespect their ancestors and their cultural traditions.
Achebe's story is a powerful reminder of the importance of respecting cultural traditions and understanding the complex histories and experiences that shape different cultures. The story's climax is shocking and poignant, leaving a lasting impression on the reader long after the story has ended. "Dead Men's Path" is a true masterpiece of African literature, and it is sure to resonate with readers of all backgrounds and experiences. Achebe's writing is beautiful and insightful, and his story is a powerful reminder of the importance of cultural understanding and mutual respect. 5 stars.
September 17, 2024
the lack of resolution was disappointing but that seems to be the point of the short story (painting colonialism as mutually destructive and causing cultural conflict). the details at the start set it up like a novel rather than a short story to me.
August 7, 2023
Extremely short story that explores what happens when modern thinking clashes with tradition.
Read as part of Goodreads “The Short Story Club”.
Read as part of Goodreads “The Short Story Club”.
April 11, 2023
I’d read this for the first time last year ( am not sure why I didn’t record it then ) and came back to reread it after reading Achebe’s essay.
A very short but compelling and cautionary tale addressing one to be wary of throwing out the old and bringing in the new. I had an interesting thought based on the protagonist’s and his wife’s last name that they weren’t the colonists but rather cat’s paws of the colonists, though Achebe doesn’t explicitly say this. I also thought the story was underdeveloped in regard to the wife who wanted to “be admired as…the queen bee of the school” but then is dropped out of the story.
A very short but compelling and cautionary tale addressing one to be wary of throwing out the old and bringing in the new. I had an interesting thought based on the protagonist’s and his wife’s last name that they weren’t the colonists but rather cat’s paws of the colonists, though Achebe doesn’t explicitly say this. I also thought the story was underdeveloped in regard to the wife who wanted to “be admired as…the queen bee of the school” but then is dropped out of the story.
April 23, 2022
In this short story of cultural clash, we follow Michael obi, a young reform minded educator on his unruly path of combating traditions and a stupid attempt of erasing the culture of his ancestors in favor of establishing western ideals.
Tasked with reforming Ndume Central school, a place known for its "unprogressive or backward ways", Michael arrive along with his wife with goals to enforce high standards of education and to turn the school campus into a place of beauty, meaning to plant flowers and bushes around the school perimeter, similarly to western ways of decoration.
He decides to block the foot path that binds the cemetery with the village shrine, but most importantly is used by the dead and newborn spirits to cross from and into the afterlife.
After the priest politely asked him to reopen the path, Michael indifferently suggested building another path. A meaningless compromise, because he clearly has no respect for his own people's ways and traditions.
Michael's uncooperative and stubborn person led to the school premise being destroyed as a sacrifice to the spirits, after a woman had died in childbirth.
Dead men's path is a story written to tell the post colonial experience. The aftereffects of European colonialism on Nigeria at the beginning of the 20th century. Due to them despising the culture and beliefs of the Igbo people, the colonizers introduced Christianity and western form of education through missionaries--it appears Michael was a missionary himself.
This was their attempt to weaken tribal affiliation.
Michael was described as "young and energetic" beside being very modern and progressive. According to the text "he was outspoken in his condemnation of the narrow views of these older and often less educated ones" he saw the older teachers as representatives of the conservative way of life that he wanted to replace with western methods.
Michael's lack of respect for the culture and the Igbo people leads to the conflict as people rightfully retaliate. Michael fails in his ambition because he sidelines the people he needs to help him succeed.
Personally, i think Michael got what he deserved, calling the customs of his people "pagan rituals" shows how much he looks down on his ancestors' culture and considered it to be backward and retrogressive. Screw him.
Chinua achebe does a wonderful job at portraying the contrast and struggle between the traditional and the new. In addition to the fight a culture has to go through in order to preserve itself from being erased by western influence.
Tasked with reforming Ndume Central school, a place known for its "unprogressive or backward ways", Michael arrive along with his wife with goals to enforce high standards of education and to turn the school campus into a place of beauty, meaning to plant flowers and bushes around the school perimeter, similarly to western ways of decoration.
He decides to block the foot path that binds the cemetery with the village shrine, but most importantly is used by the dead and newborn spirits to cross from and into the afterlife.
After the priest politely asked him to reopen the path, Michael indifferently suggested building another path. A meaningless compromise, because he clearly has no respect for his own people's ways and traditions.
Michael's uncooperative and stubborn person led to the school premise being destroyed as a sacrifice to the spirits, after a woman had died in childbirth.
Dead men's path is a story written to tell the post colonial experience. The aftereffects of European colonialism on Nigeria at the beginning of the 20th century. Due to them despising the culture and beliefs of the Igbo people, the colonizers introduced Christianity and western form of education through missionaries--it appears Michael was a missionary himself.
This was their attempt to weaken tribal affiliation.
Michael was described as "young and energetic" beside being very modern and progressive. According to the text "he was outspoken in his condemnation of the narrow views of these older and often less educated ones" he saw the older teachers as representatives of the conservative way of life that he wanted to replace with western methods.
Michael's lack of respect for the culture and the Igbo people leads to the conflict as people rightfully retaliate. Michael fails in his ambition because he sidelines the people he needs to help him succeed.
Personally, i think Michael got what he deserved, calling the customs of his people "pagan rituals" shows how much he looks down on his ancestors' culture and considered it to be backward and retrogressive. Screw him.
Chinua achebe does a wonderful job at portraying the contrast and struggle between the traditional and the new. In addition to the fight a culture has to go through in order to preserve itself from being erased by western influence.
December 16, 2021
In this short story culture and ambition, which itself is motivated by “modernity”, clash together. In only a few sentences the author manages to show a rich culture and interesting characters.
All in all, a powerful and relevant story, and best of it: no moralising undertone.
All in all, a powerful and relevant story, and best of it: no moralising undertone.
September 22, 2021
Short, but inspiring, and with a grand moral insight which many today often lack or forget.
February 27, 2022
Beautiful short story about the danger of disregarding old traditions too rapidly. Differences will always exist, yet it’s better to build bridges between them, not fences.
December 3, 2022
I hated Michael obi with everything inside of me. The ending was satisfying and I thank them villagers for that.
May 14, 2023
He be say you be colonial man
You don be slave man before
Them don release you now
But you never release yourself.
—Fela Kuti, "Colonial Mentality"
Poor Michael Obi suffers from a bad case of colonial mentality. This ambitious, energetic young man has been appointed headmaster of the Ndume Central School, and he is eager to make improvements to this "unprogressive" Nigerian institution to please his British administrators and modernize this "backward" school. Infected by his passion for what he calls "modern methods," Mike tells his wife Nancy, "I was thinking what a grand opportunity we've got at last to show these people how a school should be run." And that eagerness puts him on a path toward conflict with the people of his new village, when in his desire to modernize the school, he ignores the traditions of the village.
Mike and Nancy see little value in the cultural traditions of their people. And aren't those names a sure-fire giveaway of the conflicts to come? If I can quote Fela again, he sings, "Them go proud of them name / And put them slave name for head / No be so? (He be so!)." Mike looks down on his fellow headmasters who have failed to embrace the new ways, and Achebe writes, "He was outspoken in his condemnation of the narrow views of these older and often less educated ones." This arrogance on his part and failure to navigate the cultural folkways of his village set Mike up for a massive failure in establishing the changes he hopes to achieve. Once more from Fela, "The think way black no good / Na foreign things them dey like / No be so? (He be so!)," and while Mike has good intentions, he makes a terrible mistake by not gaining the cooperation of his community members before attempting to make those changes.
Mike has two admirable goals in his attempt to curry favor with his Birtish administrators. He wants to create a high standard of teaching among his faculty, and he wants to beautify the school grounds with flower gardens. To meet these aims, Achebe (who perhaps bases Michael on a younger, foolish version of himself) writes, "Mr. Obi put his whole life into the work, and his wife hers too," as they are up against an oncoming deadine for an evaluation by a British supervisor. As Fela sings in "Colonial Mentality," "He be so, them dey do, them dey overdo / All the things them dey do (He be so!)" And Michael sure does overdo it, disrupting the life of the village in his haste and arrogance. Michael looks down on the older teachers with their "superannuated" ideas, but most importantly he refuses to allow access to a path which crosses school grounds, a pathway which has major cultural significance as it joins a village shrine with the village cemetery. When an older priest comes to talk with him and reach a kind of compromise which would continue giving villagers access to the pathway, Michael argues, "The whole purpose of our school...is to eradicate just such beliefs as that. Dead men do not require footpaths. The whole idea is just fantastic. Our duty is to teach your children to laugh at such ideas." The priest suggests there is room for the old and new to coexist together, "What I always say is: let the hawk perch and let the eagle perch," but in his arrogant colonial mentality, Michael refuses to bend.
As you might imagine, things don't go well for Michael, and his much-anticipated school evaluation results in low marks for our eager young headsir. In this simple short story, Achebe gives much insight into the conflicts inherent with the process of modernization and shows how essential compromise and community cooperation is for progress to be enacted in the developing world. And he also sheds a lot of light on the impact a colonial mentality can have on its arrogant sufferers. Despite his focus on modernity and development, Michael is walking a dead man's path.
If you’d like to listen to the song I've been quoting:
"Colonial Mentality" by Fela Anikulapo Kuti
+++++++++++++++++++
Read for GoodReads short story group
March 17, 2025
This story thought me something that every person should understand.
traditions may contradict logic sometimes, and the only thing that we should do is respect it!
these traditions have raised societies and nations ...
I remember once my professor said " Do you think a woman who believes that a path brings her healthy children ( either ethically or physically ), would be encouraged to give birth if this same path gets destroyed ?"
His answer was NO.
And this made me think a lot because at that time I did not understand.
Now I do.
The story covers the colonial impact on society's mindset ... Colonists do not only attack the land but also the mindset of its inhabitants.
Many follow the new mindset forgetting the traditions and costumes that brought them up considering these traditions somewhat ridiculous. Always trying to change them under the slogans of _modernity_
traditions may contradict logic sometimes, and the only thing that we should do is respect it!
these traditions have raised societies and nations ...
I remember once my professor said " Do you think a woman who believes that a path brings her healthy children ( either ethically or physically ), would be encouraged to give birth if this same path gets destroyed ?"
His answer was NO.
And this made me think a lot because at that time I did not understand.
Now I do.
The story covers the colonial impact on society's mindset ... Colonists do not only attack the land but also the mindset of its inhabitants.
Many follow the new mindset forgetting the traditions and costumes that brought them up considering these traditions somewhat ridiculous. Always trying to change them under the slogans of _modernity_
April 29, 2023
Read with The Short Story Club
‘Dead Man’s Path’ is about a clash between two very different sets of values and worldviews. The story focuses on a new headmaster attempting to impose modern values in a traditional community. A simple fable that one can apply to any new situation where anyone arrives in a position of power over someone, be it as a new manager in a work situation, or the new coach of an already established sports team, or even a new stepparent with a family . It has, however, a fuller significance when we realize it was written in Africa at a time when many of the countries were pushing for independence from the colonizers who had introduced their ways and imposed the values. I read it and I got it, but I didn’t feel bowled over by it.
‘Dead Man’s Path’ is about a clash between two very different sets of values and worldviews. The story focuses on a new headmaster attempting to impose modern values in a traditional community. A simple fable that one can apply to any new situation where anyone arrives in a position of power over someone, be it as a new manager in a work situation, or the new coach of an already established sports team, or even a new stepparent with a family . It has, however, a fuller significance when we realize it was written in Africa at a time when many of the countries were pushing for independence from the colonizers who had introduced their ways and imposed the values. I read it and I got it, but I didn’t feel bowled over by it.
April 21, 2023
Wisdom to heed: "Look here, my son," said the priest bringing down his walking-stick, "this path was here before you were born and before your father was born. The whole life of this village depends on it. Our dead relatives depart by it and our ancestors visit us by it. But most important, it is the path of children coming in to be born. . .."
June 3, 2025
3.5 stars
loved the short story, i need to read it again to take in details better but i love the symbolism here
“The distance becomes not a separation but a bringing together like the necessary backward step which a judicious viewer may take in order to see a canvas steadily and fully.” beautiful writer, so purposeful and so intent with his words
loved the short story, i need to read it again to take in details better but i love the symbolism here
“The distance becomes not a separation but a bringing together like the necessary backward step which a judicious viewer may take in order to see a canvas steadily and fully.” beautiful writer, so purposeful and so intent with his words
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 9, 2020
"Out with the old and in with the new" is an idiom I'm sure most people are familiar with. 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.
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