comparative essay ENC1102 writing assignment

Ren Mesa

Prof. Sylne

English 1102

December 11, 2019

Power in Silence

The stories "Girl" by Jamaica Kincaid and "Dead Men's Path" by Chinua Achebe may not seem similar at first glance but they contain related themes. "Girl" is about a mother preparing her daughter to become a wife. "Dead Men's Path" is about a Nigerian headmaster who wants to build his school solely on progressive ideas. In both stories, readers see how men can dominate the world they live in, even when they do not speak.

In "Girl," the main female characters are controlled by a dominating male figure: a father who never shows up. Throughout the story, the mother is obsessed with teaching her daughter how to please a man. She is obsessed with serving the needs of the girl’s father, even though readers never really see this father (Kincaid 1). The man in the story never speaks, yet he occupies a position of formidable power. Ironically, the story’s two leading female characters fail to lead. Although they speak, the women are powerless. They exist to serve the man. Over and over, the mother’s rules remind her daughter how to properly "behave in the presence of men" (Kincaid 1). To obey the rules of a patriachal society is the only way she, the woman, can exist. Disobeying is not an option. Disobedience is fatal. In this way, the man in the story stealthily and quietly dominates the world he inhabits.

In "Dead Men's Path," Obi, a Nigerian headmaster is controlled by his obsession with obeying the rules of the white man. Despite the resistance of villagers, Obi tries to enforce the ideas of Western colonists on locals in a small Nigerian community. Although he does not realize it, Obi is under the control of a white man. Because Obi is worried about living up to the ideals of the white man, Obi cannot think for himself (Achebe 2). Obi’s fear causes him to put the needs of the institution above the needs of the people who attend his school. When confronted with the Priest of Ani, a powerful figure in the village, Obi argues that the traditions of the villagers are not acceptable because they go against Western ideals. "It is against our regulations,” Obi insisted when the villagers try to honor their tradition of maintaining an important, ancestral footpath (Achebe 3). Ironically, it is very likely Obi’s supervisors appointed Obi to the position of headmaster because he was Nigerian and could understand the traditions of villagers.This knowledge was the very thing that would allow Obi to succeed where a foreigner could not. Yet Obi’s obsession with obeying the rules of the white man robbed him of the chance to become a leader in his community. Here we see how, although powerful, men can contribute to their own downfall. Although readers never hear the white man speak in Achebe’s story, the ideals of the white man lead to failure of the story’s main character.

The main characters from “Dead Men’s Path” and “Girl” share a similar fate: they fail to achieve their potential because of their fear of male authorities. Ironically, in both stories, absent, male figures dominate the story. The influence of these absent male characters significantly affects the lives of the main characters. This further suggests that a powerful person does not need to speak maintain power. It may even be said that dominating male figures tend to be deceptively quiet. “The use of abstract language...[can lead] a speaker to be perceived as more powerful compared to concrete language" (You). In this way, silence can speak volumes. Certain men (particularly white men) can manipulate their world without saying a word. “The manipulator determines the rhythm of communication for their purposes... the other person is nothing but a tool… They feel insecure and doubt every step they take" (Calculated). Despite their potential, minorities like women and black men constantly doubt themselves. This will continue to be an issue when the light of their full potential is diminished by influence of a smaller group of men.

"Girl" and "Dead Men's Path" both show how the influence of male figures can dominate the world. This dominating male influence tends to threaten the lives of minorities, especially women. The pervasive influence of men is particularly alarming because it is a power that can be occupied in silence. As we consider the space we occupy in the world, it is important to ask ourselves if the role we play will reinforce our power or our powerlessness.

Works Cited

Achebe, Chinua. "Dead Men's Path." Literature: A Pocket Anthology. Pearson. 2014.

“Calculated Silence: A Form of Manipulation.” Exploring Your Mind, Exploring Your Mind, 1 Dec. 2017, https://exploringyourmind.com/calculated-silence-form-manipulation/.

Kincaid, Jamaica. “Girl.” The New Yorker, The New Yorker, 14 Sept. 2018,

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1978/06/26/girl.

“You Look More Powerful When You Avoid Talking Details, Study Shows.” Association for

Psychological Science - APS, 11 July 2014, https://www.psychologicalscience.org/news/minds-business/you-look-more-powerful- when-you-avoid-talking-details-study-shows.html.