Direction: In the 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

The dead men’s path is a battlefield, where tradition is on one side and modernization on the other. The clash of ideologies, the conflicts of values all point to whether or not to abolish the path. Peace is based on compromises. “Let the hawk perch and let the eagle perch.” It is the seemingly only solution to the raging war. The priest figures out a way to let two ways of life and thinking survive on the same land. The superstitious civilians can hold their own roots while the young headmaster eager for revolution can carry out his projects. Peace brews development and wars always lead to ruins and destruction. Although the dead men’s path still exists on campus, the spread of westernization will gradually diminish its impact on the young generation. Severe measures can cause a disaster of fierce opposition, depriving the ambitious headmaster of the opportunities to make improvement forever. Therefore the priest’s advice is not only to attain temporary peace but also to achieve prosperity.

The putative modernization is westernization in the story. A priest must have received some western education, so he may realize the absurdity of the path and the advantages of the western civilization, as can be perceived from the comparison he makes: “the hawk” and “the eagle”. However unlike the unscrupulous and self-asserted headmaster, he has a clear vision of the village, the residents and their tradition, which enables him to pursue his career. Moreover he knows well the spirit of tolerance and respect in a diversified community. It is he that really grasps the essence of the globalization and the skills of keeping a balance between the old and the new, the domestic and the foreign, the tradition and the modernization. “Let it be”, a good adage in a flat world.