notes

When the French colonized West Africa, missionaries were sent to rebuild and revamp the school system. The new headmaster Michael Obi tried to modernize the backward school he was assigned to. In doing so, he did cross the line when he blocked off a spiritual pathway crossing from the graveyard to the village intersecting the school. Michael Obi is described as young, energetic, enthusiastic, and outspoken. Achebe links Obi’s youthful energy to his passion for modernizing the education of African children. In conclusion, Dead Man’s Path, is a story that depicts a struggle between two themes; traditionalism and modernism. The third theme, change, come into place as some forces want changes that will make traditionalism pave way for modernism while there other forces resisting this kind of change. In attempt to change the villager from their traditional way life into modernism, Obi did not use very diplomatic channels and this resulted into a conflict that ended up badly. Obi does consult a priest that attempts to persuade Michael to not block the pathway. The priest warns Obi of terrible consequences once a spiritual pathway is intervened by a human force. He will cut "the path of children coming in to be born." Obi ridicules the elder, informing him that the purpose of the school is to eradicate such beliefs and to "teach our children to laugh at such ideas". Woman died, bad report.

born." Obi ridicules the elder, informing him that the purpose of the school is to eradicate such beliefs and to "teach our children to laugh at such ideas". Woman died, bad report.born." Obi ridicules the elder, informing him that the purpose of the school is to eradicate such beliefs and to "teach our children to laugh at such ideas". Woman died, bad report.born." Obi ridicules the elder, informing him that the purpose of the school is to eradicate such beliefs and to "teach our children to laugh at such ideas". Woman died, bad report.born." Obi ridicules the elder,