Michael Obi, the main character in Chinua Achebe's "Dead Men's Path" is the newly appointed headmaster of the Ndume School. Upon his arrival, his religious and cultural beliefs are immediately challenged by those in his new village. .
A path leads from the village shrine to the sacred burial ground and cuts through the schoolyard. The path is an important part of village culture and religion, for they believe it be sacred. Mr. Obi has plans to remove the pathway from the village to the burial grounds, causing great turmoil and animosity between him and the people of the village. .
Michael Obi's personal beliefs were so different from those of the villagers that the conflicting ideals instantly created conflict. In Achebe's "Dead Men's Path," symbols and character traits are used to convey the various themes of the story. .
First off, one of the many symbols Chinua Achebe's (the author) uses in the setting is the cultural and religious path that leads from the village shrine to the sacred burial ground of the villagers. In this short story Obi states to one of his colleagues that has been teaching there for three years, "It amazes me", that you people allowed the villagers to make use of this footpath. It is simply incredible". "The path", said the teacher apologetically, "appears to be very important to them. Although it is hardly used, it connects the village shrine with their place of burial". The priest also states to Michael Obi, headmaster, "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 relative of the villagers depart by it and our ancestors visit us by it. It is the path of children coming in to be born". All of this said, the path represents the views, beliefs, culture of the village people and their lives. When the headmaster, Michael Obi decides to block the path and uses barb wire that causes problems with the villagers.
