Michael is a very passionate person with many ideas that could help transform the school. He believes in the modernisation and transformation of old beliefs. He seems to have been ‘infected’ by European customs. The word ‘infected’ is used, as it may have been thought of a bad thing then, in African culture, to believe in modern methods:
“In their two years of married life she had become completely infected by his passion for ‘modern methods’.”
Michael had two aims for the school: A high standard of education for the children, and for the school compound to be turned into a place of beauty. He also decided what sort of teachers ought to be employed at the school. He chose that all teachers should be young and unmarried. He believed that this way, all the teachers would put all their time work and energy in to their job and not be distracted my other commitments and people. His wife Nancy was against this idea as she wanted the teachers to be married so that other wives could “envy her position” and “she would set the fashion in everything.” This is a key example of Michael’s wife’s self-centredness.
Michael managed to transform the school gardens into a place of beauty. One day while he was admiring his work, he saw an old woman walking along a disused path that ran through the school compound. This annoyed Michael and he inquired one member of his staff about it. He found out that this path is apparently very important and blessed as it connects the village shrine to the cemetery. Michael was very selfless at this moment and decided to close down the path, as in a few days a “white inspector” would be coming to visit the school. Michael felt that the school couldn’t be used as a ‘through fare.’
Soon the path was closed, and blocked of with barbed wire. A few days later the village priest called upon the headmaster. The priest talked with Michael for a while. He wanted Michael to reopen the path. You get the impression from the priest that he is a very frail and elderly man who doesn’t wish to start argument, but merely get his opinion and thoughts across to Michael. The priest believed that the path was very sacred as ‘our dead relatives depart by it, and our ancestors visit us by it.’
This is a key example of traditionalist values: the path is ancient and sacred and dates back a long time; it is of great importance to the village as it is a link from the dead relatives to the village shrine.
Michael responds to the priest with a ‘satisfied smile’ upon his face. He tells the priest that the whole idea of a ‘dead man’s path’, is exactly what he is teaching the children not to believe in. Michael believes that the whole idea of a dead man’s footpath is completely fictional, imaginary and ‘fantastic.’ The priest responds by telling Michael some words of wisdom:
‘Let the hawk perch and let the eagle perch.’ This is basically saying that if you do what I say, we shall be at peace. The path does no harm; you carry on with your school, and let the path be reopened. The priest then leaves Michael alone. I believe he does this as he wishes for Michael to reflect on what he has just said.
A few days later a woman died while giving birth to a child. A diviner (spiritualist) prescribes heavy sacrifices to propitiate ancestors insulted by the fence. This therefore means that the diviner is angry that the path has been closed, and blames the death of the women on the closing of the path. The diviner believes that ancestors and dead people have been insulted by the blocking of their path. Thus, Michael’s modernised school is pulled down and the gardens are trampled upon. The inspector then came to visit and wrote a very mean report about the school and the situation between the school and the village.
This story shows us how modernisation can clash with traditionalist values. The closure of the path clashes with the views of the people and the priest.