As they discuss the path, Michael tells the priest,"the whole purpose of our school is to eradicate just such beliefs as that". Unlike the priest Michael does not consider tradition a good argument for the path's existence. In fact, he clearly wants to move away from what he considers old superstitions, whereas the priest sees tradition as a pillar of belief. For Michael it is something to be cast off or turned away from. Additionally, compared to the priest, Michael is disrespectful. We cannot all accept or agree with the beliefs of others, but as seen with the priest, it is important to at least respect the person who is different from us. Michael fails to do this, he does not respect those who are older than him; for instance, he rejects the older teachers right to teach and thinks they'd be better off working in the Onitsha market. Moreover, Michael not only doubts the priest's beliefs, he mocks them. He tells the priest that he should simply relocate the path, adding, "I don't suppose the ancestors will mind the little detour". Michael's use of the very small word "little" implies that the path need not have a specific location and any argument against moving it would be ludicrous. Furthermore, he exclaims, "Dead men do not require footpaths. . . . Our duty is to teach your children to laugh as such ideas". Thus, he is not only content to mock the beliefs of the villagers and the priest but he is teaching the children to do the same. When we consider how kind and respectful the priest is when faced with Michael's mocking ways, we cannot help but see Michael as a negative a character. .
The priest acts as a positive role model of how to treat others. The reader, through the priest's character and his strong contrast to Michael can see the importance of listening to and respecting others. During the meeting with Michael the priest is patient listening to all the things that Michael says and he respects Michael's right to believe them.