Dead Mans Path. Cultural conflict - Essay Example

Cultural Conflict The fiction en d Dead Man’s Path, written by Acebe in 1953, was narrated from an outsider’spoint of view and presented a cultural conflict focusing on respecting traditional norms and values versus according priorities for modernization. A turn of events would unfold as the main character was besieged with a dilemma regarding the requested retention of the traditional path, a spiritual realm of transcendence from this world to the next, or sheer disregard for cultural values of local historical setting.

The main character of the story is Michael Obi, the protagonist, the newly appointed headmaster of Ndume Central School. He is regarded as flat character due to his unchanging stance throughout the story; though a pivotal teacher due to academic competence in teaching. He openly supports modernism and application of western practices, thereby condemns traditional points of views and practices of old teachers and colleagues. Likewise, Nancy, his wife, shares the main character’s support for modernity.

The priest is considered the antagonist, the character who provoked Michael’s preferences for modern views. The rest of the characters provide minor depiction in roles such as the teacher Michael spoke to and the woman seen walking through the path. The story provides symbolism in terms of modernity through aesthetic beauty of the garden: analogous to paradise through landscaped lawns with flowering plants symbolizing growth and prosperity. The walking stick is another symbol used by the village priest to attest power and authority.

The ancestral footpath is a symbol of culture, tradition and norm. The fence symbolizes boundaries, restriction, and prevention of practicing tradition in culture. Finally, the torn hedges, trampled flowers and pulled down buildings depict absolute rage and disgust for disrespecting cultural orientations. Finally, the local historical setting of the story was in a rural area of Ndume Central School in Africa. It was illustrated as unprogressive, backward, school hardly maintained, grounds unkept, and disused path.

An unrecognized footpath that linked the village shrine to the ancestor’s burial place was the focal point and the source of cultural conflict. The cultural dilemma was provoked by the complete disregard of the main characters for cultural traditions. Michael’s plan for modernity and to project an image consistent with western standards unexpectedly failed. The Government Education officer who inspected the place provided a report that contained negative findings on the state of the school premises where highlight was emphasized on the “tribal-war situation developing between the school and the village” (Acebe, par. 29). A turn of events unfolded as the main character was besieged with the dilemma regarding the requested retention of the traditional path, a spiritual realm of transcendence from this world to the next, or sheer disregard for cultural values of local historical setting.

Work Cited Achebe, Chinua. Dead Man’s Path. 1953. Web. 30 March 2011. < http://www.scribd.com/doc/94568/Dead-Mens-Path>