Chinua AchebeDead Men's Path

Dead Men’s Path




Chinua Achebe’s “Dead Men’s Path” is the story of a young teacher, Michael Obi, who is appointed a headmaster in a small village school in Algeria. Michael is full of idealistic, modern ideas about how to run a school. His intent is to demonstrate a high standard for the school’s teachers to emulate. His ideas even run so far as to turn the school compound into a beautiful garden, an act that becomes his undoing. Michael is young, passionate and too proud to see that he cannot change everything from one day to the next. He did not respect the little village’s traditions and the people’s belief in certain superstitions. Eventually, the villagers turn against him and destroy his entire work and career. “Dead Men’s Path” teaches us that we cannot impose our ideas on a people, even with the best of intentions. Instead, we must respect and learn about the people’s faith and traditions before we ...