Liesl
June 21, 2007
Timed-writing Three
Directions: In Dead Men’s Path the priest says “let the hawk perch and let the eagle perch.” Discuss what you think he means and what this saying reveals about him. (100%)
“Dead Men’s Path” by Chinua Achebe writes of a modern young headmaster who wanted to modernize the school and annoyed other villagers by closing a path of which the deceased were sent to be burnt. This path is regarded as a sacred one, but the young headmaster Michael Obi denounced it and decided to close it, as he thought the religious path will affect the modernism of his school, and affect his own reputation as a modern headmaster.
The priest in the village came to approach him upon hearing the path is to be closed. He tried to persuade Obi to reserve the path in the school. He explained the importance of the path and why it should not be closed, but Obi just ignored him. Being so disappointed with Obi’s attitude, the priest said “let the hawk perch and let the eagle perch”, before he left.
To me, the words seem to reflect the priest’s rage upon Obi, and hoped all the angry spirits to take place to set a revenge on Obi. Obi woke up one morning to find his beautiful garden in the school has been destroyed, following his rejection to reserve the path. The angry villagers who protest Obi’s decision had come to ruin his efforts. They did not only destroy the garden, but the pride and selfishness of Obi too.
This saying somehow reveals the action of destroying Obi’s garden is the idea of the priest himself. He is the hawk, and the villagers the eagle. Though the religion disallows bad deeds, the priest and the villagers destroyed Obi’s garden out of the anger of Obi’s disrespect towards their religion. Instead of discourage the villagers, the priest permitted them to do so, and together they ruined the hard work of Obi, turned his dreams into ashes.
Only if Obi was not so stubborn, not to ignore others just to get what he wants to be done, and be more tolerate, they could gain a situation where both sides were satisfied. Being idealistic like Obi is not wrong, he wanted to make progression in the school, and it is the good sake for the villagers. Perhaps it is his stubbornness and selfishness that shown killed his own dreams.
