Dead Men’s Path

by

Chinua Achebe

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Government Education Officer / White Supervisor Character Analysis

The white government official, presumably employed by the Mission authorities, who visits Ndume Central School for a routine inspection. He happens to arrive the day after the grounds get destroyed—likely by the angry villagers—and thus writes a “nasty” review about the sorry state of the school. He also sharply criticizes Obi’s “misguided zeal,” which the Supervisor believes was the catalyst for the “tribal-war situation” that has come about between the school and the village.

Government Education Officer / White Supervisor Quotes in Dead Men’s Path

The Dead Men’s Path quotes below are all either spoken by Government Education Officer / White Supervisor or refer to Government Education Officer / White Supervisor. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Modernity and Progress Theme Icon
).
Dead Men’s Path Quotes

Obi woke up next morning among the ruins of his work. 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 pulled down… That day, the white Supervisor came to inspect the school and wrote a nasty report on the state of the premises but more seriously about the “tribal-war situation developing between the school and the village, arising in part from the misguided zeal of the new headmaster.”

Related Characters: Michael Obi, Nancy Obi, Government Education Officer / White Supervisor
Related Symbols: Path, Gardens
Page Number: 74
Explanation and Analysis:
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Government Education Officer / White Supervisor Quotes in Dead Men’s Path

The Dead Men’s Path quotes below are all either spoken by Government Education Officer / White Supervisor or refer to Government Education Officer / White Supervisor. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Modernity and Progress Theme Icon
).
Dead Men’s Path Quotes

Obi woke up next morning among the ruins of his work. 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 pulled down… That day, the white Supervisor came to inspect the school and wrote a nasty report on the state of the premises but more seriously about the “tribal-war situation developing between the school and the village, arising in part from the misguided zeal of the new headmaster.”

Related Characters: Michael Obi, Nancy Obi, Government Education Officer / White Supervisor
Related Symbols: Path, Gardens
Page Number: 74
Explanation and Analysis: