0518118
Fred
21 June 2007
Time-writing 3
Directions:
In Dead Men’s Path the priest says “let the hawk perch and let the eagle perch.” Discuss what you think he means and what this saying reveals about him.
When the headmaster ignores the villagers’ opposition, the priest of the village does not lose his temper. He calmly tries to persuade him to change his mind. Hawk and eagle are the same kind of bird, which is eager to fight, but they can live together as long as they do not interfere with each other. The situation is similar here. Local people want to preserve their tradition and keep their way of life. If the headmaster could understand their choice, there would be no conflicts at all. As we all know, hawk and eagle stand for right wings. Obi’s behavior is very aggressive, but he should know that the local people are not easy to give in. They will fight for their rights and belief when necessary. The relationship between Obi and the villagers is similar with the relationship between hawk and eagle. This saying indicates the villagers may use violent means, which shows the tension between them.
This saying also reveals some characters of the priest. He is the head of the local people, and because of his honored position, he does not usually express his anger. He will make his opinion known by very soft words. This saying is not direct but has many meanings. In his eyes, he does not need to reprimand the headmaster. But he underestimates the headmaster. Obi is not local people and the priest is only the spiritual leader of the villagers. Obi does not have to take his words seriously and he actually does so. Because he does not truly understand what the priest means and carries on with his action, the villagers finally decide to give him a lesson.
Misunderstanding is too common among people. In my personal opinion, the priest did the right thing, though the outcome was not so pleasant. In fact, what the villagers want is only to keep their culture. Obi has no authority to deprive this right. The priest conveys the message that freedom is not free and they will fight as eagle when necessary. This shows his leadership and his confidence to deal with conflicts with others.
