Chinua Achebes A Dead Man's Path - Essay Example

In his efforts to beautify the school compound, he cuts off an old village path in favor of uniform hedges… despite the fact that the locals believe their family spirits use the route, as well as unborn children, who follow it to be born in the village.  In Walker’s story, the character of Dee fulfills a similar role as Obi.  She provides a unique mixture of modern attitudes yearning for ancestral roots.  Unfortunately, the connection she longs for involves disavowing her immediate heritage, even to the point of changing her name to Wangero Leewanika Kemanjo, despite the fact that her name had been a family name, most recently derived from her Aunt Dicie.

  Dee has returned for a brief visit to see her mother and younger sister, but also to try and loot the household for ‘historic’ articles.  She snaps a number of photos of her family, being sure to include the house… as if to authenticate the distance from which she has risen.  She claims the churn top and the dasher along with it, asking for it but wrapping it up without actually getting permission, or without determining if her mother was attached to the churn or even still had need of it.

  Dee does not plan to use them for their purpose, but instead for some “artistic” design she has in mind.  This callous insensitivity results in her mother denying Dee’s desire to have the family quilts by claiming them for Maggie, the youngest daughter.  Dee’s hopes are blunted here, much as Obi’s are when he discovers that his entire hedges have been destroyed, along with one.. Dee does not plan to use them for their purpose, but instead for some "artistic" design she has in mind.

This callous insensitivity results in her mother denying Dee's desire to have the family quilts by claiming them for Maggie, the youngest daughter. Dee's hopes are blunted here, much as Obi's are when he discovers that his entire hedges have been destroyed, along with one of the school buildings, in retribution for the fencing off of the path. Both Obi and Dee learn the pitfalls of improperly honoring tradition. The most significant difference in these two stories is the choice in point of view, which is told from Obi in Achebe's story and from the mother's in Walker's.

These choices allow the authors to display latent sympathies through a more thorough understanding of their psychologies. Obi is trying to prove himself to his superiors: the village's retribution results in the visiting inspector giving him an unfavorable report. He has no particular attachment or respect for the indigenous culture and while he is forced to acknowledge their beliefs, in his mind this event is only another example of progress being dragged down by the foolish obstinacy of tradition.

Walker's character of the mother is at the opposite end of the spectrum. While she is not exactly a heroine of the African American movement, she is a fierce defender of her family heritage, particularly as her economic situation means that much of their traditions still have valid purpose. The mother loves both of her children, but recognizes that Dee has chosen to be progressive, a fact that only sharpens the comparison of the youngest daughter