Dead Men’s Path by Chinua Achebe is a brilliant short story that really makes you think. The story is set in Nigeria and revolves around a young, energetic school headmaster, Michael Obi, who is full of modern ideas. He wants to reform the school and make it a model of progress. But in his excitement to modernize, he completely ignores the cultural beliefs and traditions of the local villagers.
There is an old path that runs through the school;the villagers believe it’s a sacred route used by their ancestors and also for important rituals like burials. But Obi sees it as nonsense and blocks it off with a fence, thinking he is promoting order and discipline. He believes education and modernity mean throwing away all old beliefs.
When the villagers try to explain the importance of the path, he dismisses them. But things take a turn when a burial needs to pass through, and the blocked path becomes a problem. The villagers retaliate, the school gets destroyed, and Obi’s dream falls apart.
Achebe, who was from Nigeria, beautifully shows how progress without understanding, and change without respect for others’ values, leads to destruction.
The message is simple but strong: tradition and modernity don’t have to clash, but when respect is missing, things fall apart.