Dead Men's Path Symbolism

Symbolism in Short Stories

A symbol can be a character, item, activity or an animal that better clarifies the plot of the story. A symbol gives a deeper explanation of the story which gives a metaphorical meaning to it. It frequently represents abstract ideas such as religious and spiritual forces. In the short story “Dead Men’s Path” by Chinua Achebe, symbolism is very important because it connects the universe of the dead and the alive together. It shows how ignorant people can be by overlooking someone else’s importance. Similarly, in the story “The Man to Send Rain Clouds” by Leslie Marmon Silko, concentrates on the social clash between two societies. Thus, both stories use symbolism to show disconnectedness between two cultures.

In “Dead

When Taefolio was found dead, he was found by his grandsons, Ken and Leon, who wanted a proper Indian Burial Ceremony for him. The grandsons don't generally believe the Catholic priest who is constantly asking about grandfather. They need their granddad's grave to be sprinkled with holy water because they didn’t want him to be thirsty and can send them rain clouds. They also tied a feather to his hair, which symbolizes trust, appreciation and dignity. “It’s O.K., Father, we just want him to have plenty of water.’…’ You know I can’t do that, Leon. There should have been the Last Rites and a funeral Mass at the very least.” (Silko 741). Father Paul was very disappointed and frustrated because he wanted to perform the burial in the Catholic way but, in the end he uses holy water as a part of the traditional

Michael Obi was described as a very ignorant and uncomprehending person since he does not believe that that souls travel through the path. He knew how important the path was to the fellow villagers; yet he still prohibited its use. In the matter of fact, he did not listen to the old priest’s suggestion about leaving the path alone. Same thing with “The Man to Send Rain Clouds”, the priest thought it would be a better idea to perform the burial in the Catholic way, that is way he was unsure of giving the grandson holy water. Unlike Michael, the priest later on performed the burial ceremony despite his own religion. He filled the gap the was disconnecting the beliefs of both cultures. However, Michael acted differently upon the request and he paid the consequence of not respecting the spiritual belief of some people. “…The beautiful hedges were torn up not just near the path but right round the school, the flowers trampled to death and one of the school buildings were pulled down…” (Achebe 12). Later on, the school grounds were demolished, and he was dismissed from his current