Search results
Obi has obliterated the line and has offended not only the villagers but, to their way of thinking, their ancestors. This ignorance is an unacceptable offense, and undermines the mission’s work which relies on the cooperation of the village elders, and Obi’s reputation is in tatters.
Significant quotes in Chinua Achebe's Dead Men's Path with explanations.
“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 relatives depart by it and our ancestors visit us by it. But most important, it is the path of children coming in to be born . . .”
Mistaken identity. The theme of Death is to Poetry what Mistaken Identity is to Drama. Play your part in the comedy, but don't identify yourself with your role! Some of the biggest cases of mistaken identity are among intellectuals who have trouble remembering that they are not God.
The duality of identity. William Blake sustains a serious injury and almost dies. Then, when he comes to, he is mistaken for the famous poet, William Blake. This can be seen as a symbolic misunderstanding.
- Jim Jarmusch
1. Cultural clashes: "Dead Men's Path" highlights the clash between traditional African beliefs and modern Western ideas. The protagonist, Michael Obi, is determined to modernize the school and disregard the traditional path used by the villagers for generations.
They speak of “dead men” who are “naked,” yet whose remains have been “picked clean” to the point where they exist solely as skeletons. Furthermore, the speaker makes the mysterious and prophetic claim that these dead men “shall be one / With the man in the wind and the west moon.”
