Essay Draft Two

Conflicts lend uncertainty and complication to life. Even a person with good intention can not avoid misunderstandings and conflicts that follows. Conflicts may take place between a severe father and a young daughter, as well as a serious boss and a mentally-toughened employee. However, when it stepped up to tradition and modern civilization, the situation is more difficult to deal with.

Nigeria, at the turn of the twentieth century, is a good example of culture conflicts mentioned above. A Christian Nigeria, Chinua Achebe, who was born and raised in Igbo but attended a mission school as a Christian, experienced the tension between tradition culture and modern civilization. “Dead Men’s Path”, which Achebe wrote in 1953, painted a vivid picture of culture conflicts in a time of social transformation. In the story, Michael Obi, a young and energetic headmaster who had zeal to change the backward of the school, closed a “dead men’s path”, in spite of the advice from the colleagues and the warning of the tribal priest. As a result, the destruction of the school compound by the tribal people leads to his failure in the report on the white supervisor’s inspection of the school. The ending was ironical but in my imagination. If Obi compromises with the tribal culture and keep inflexibility in mind, he could make a success. Inflexibility is a necessary element in dealing with the conflicts tradition culture and modern civilization.  

Obviously, he was a proud and confident man who sticks to his opinion and judgment before he was appointed headmaster. At the beginning of the story Mr. Obi is described as “a young and energetic man” who had great enthusiasm and ambition to catch the wonderful opportunity of running an unprogressive secondary school by his modern principle and ideal. In the value system of Mr. Obi, he looked down at the tribal culture. “He was outspoken in his condemnation of the narrow views of those older and often less-educated ones.” (52) He was a radical figure who oppose to the traditional culture strongly. The backward situation should be changed through the only way: civilization. Superstitious and backward concepts should be replaced by the modern ones introduced from the western. Obi’s a combative impulse and firm stand is obviously stated and he can’t bear any criticism.

And here is a role we have to mention, that is Obi’s wife. Her appearance is a pretty and artful writing skill Achebe applied to the story, which also adds the weight to his solid character. As the good news of promotion reaches his wife, she has even “see her already as the admired wife of the young headmaster, the queen of the school”. “In their two years of married life she had become completely infected by his passion for ‘modern methods’ and his denigration of ‘those old and superannuated people in the teaching filed who would be better employed as traders in the Onitsha market.’”(52) In her tone, we can obviously find that she was dreaming of the wonderful and modern life. Obi paints a colorful and delightful picture of the modern life. As an inflammatory man, he “infected” his wife the passion for modernization and disdain towards the tradition. This confirms that he is a man filled with firm position from the side.

When appointed as headmaster, Obi still insists on the firm stand to the traditional culture. As a new and vigorous headmaster, he has the confidence, the vigor, the efforts to create a modern school which accords with his standards. However, when he saw “an old women from the village hobble right across the compound”(53), he was shocked and then raged. He found “faint signs of a disused path through the school compound” (53) with a “scandalized” (53) spirit. The word “scandalized” demonstrated the rage and shock of Obi’s sight at the scene. It offends him very much as he can not tolerate any act to ruin his modern work. “‘It amazes me,’ said Obi to one of his teachers who had been three years in the school, “that you people allowed the villagers to make use of this footpath. It is simply incredible.” He shook his head.” (53) The exaggerated words and the critic tone reflect Obi’s shock and anger. He can’t tolerate such “ridiculous” acts that happen under his very eyes. The shook of his head emphasize his disagreement with the traditional “dead men’s path”. In his world, the right and wrong is absolutely clear. He lacks of the needed compromise and inflexible attitudes towards the culture conflicts.

Even the colleagues of Obi recalled the memories of “a big row some time ago they attempt to close it” (53), he insisted on closing it with no hesitation. “Heavy sticks which planted closely”, were “further strengthened with barbed wire” (54). Obi chooses a fierce and frontal way to solve the contradiction, rather than a roundabout way. As a completely idealist, he sticks to his principles and dreams. He refuses to compromise with the tribal people on the issue of the “dead men’s path”.

The following climax of the dispute between Obi and the village priest proves the lack of Obi’s tolerance and flexibility. He was a firm and opinionated man. The solid characteristic when goes to extremes can be called a stubborn mind. Obi chooses to sting to his methods of dealing with the conflicts. He did not wait for the end of the old priest’s words and interrupted him. The impatient and impolite act fuels the urgent denial of the traditional culture. “Yes,” replied Mr. Obi. “We can not allow people to make a highway of our school compound.”(54) He cut off his retreat. No matter how the old priest told the past of the “dead men’s path”, or put emphasis on the importance of it, Obi turned a deaf ear to it. He laughed at the concept of “dead men’s path” and staunchly defended the modern civilization. In his mind, “the whole purpose of the school is to eradicate just such beliefs. Dead men do not require footpath.” (54) He advocates a revolution in the field of civilization and culture. He lacks a mind of multi-culture in the congregation of a society. He refuses to be flexible and compromise to the traditional culture.

He evaluates wrongly the power of the traditional culture. As the priest has said, “The whole life of this village depends on it. Our dead relatives depart by it and our ancestors visit us by it.” (54), the dead men’s path has close, or rather inseparable, tie to the tribal people’s belief and faith. It represents life in tribal people’s mental world. The revolutionary campaign in the mental world is not a good method to change the backwardness. Enlightening the tribal people, a step-by-step, programmatic approach is necessary. Evolution, not revolution, is the key to dealing with the conflicts between the tradition culture and modern civilization. The radical way has no efforts except aggravating the contradictions. So inflexibility should be kept in mind to deal with the true situation. But unfortunately, Obi did not. It is the cause of the tragedy.

Obi’s way of dealing with the conflicts between the tradition culture and modern civilization is worth thinking. Owing to his inflexibility and intolerance, the school compound was destroyed while Obi was evaluated by the supervisor as a headmaster with “misguided zeal” (54). The climax of conflicts added a brilliant touch to the story. In my point of view, culture conflicts at the point of tradition and modern ones. An inflexible attitude helps to deal with such conflicts. If Obi could be inflexible, compromising to the reality and adjust your way of solving the problem, you will do a good job in dealing with the conflicts of tradition and modern cultures.

27.5.07 15:43