Sympathy For Ikemefuna

In the novel, Things Fall Apart, written by Chinua Achebe, Okonkwo is a sympathetic character and unsympathetic character in regards to his family relationships with his adopted son, Ikemefuna, his daughter, Ezima, and his father, Unoka, as a result of he appears to genuinely care about his family; but, the pride within himself prevents his expression of such pride and concern openly.

Okonkwo and Walter may or may not have achieved it, but while their eyes are fixated on their end goals for success and what they are gaining, they overlook their losses. Because of Okonkwo’s fear of being regarded weak, he often acts overly aggressive to demonstrate his masculinity. Examples of his acting aggressive and cruel fills the entire novel. The first incident is his beating of his wife Ojiugo during the week of peace. No violence is permitted during this week, but Okonkwo breaks the laws only to establish his dominance in the house. Afterall, he cannot be “like the man in the song who had ten and one wives and not enough soup for his foo-foo” (Achebe 57). This incident is an indication of Okonkwo’s disregard for tribal laws because of how less they weigh than his masculinity does in his heart. After already losing respect for the Igbo cultures and customs, Okonkwo continues on losing a dear son. Ikemefuna is captured from

“{Ikemefuna} had become wholly absorbed into his new family. He was like an elder brother to Nwoye, and from the very first seemed to have kindled a new fire in the younger boy. He made him feel grown-up, and they no longer spent the evenings in his mother's hut while she cooked, but now sat with Okonkwo in his obi, or watched him as he tapped his palm tree for the evening wine. Nothing pleased Nwoye now more than to be sent for by his mother or another of his father's wives to do one of those difficult and masculine tasks in the home, like splitting wood, or pounding food. On receiving such a message through a younger brother or sister, Nwoye would feign annoyance and grumble aloud about women and their troubles.” [38] Before Ikemefuna came into their lives, Nwoye didn’t talk to his father very much, while he usually spent most of his time helping his mother in the kitchens. He was also a very emotional and ‘weak’ little boy. “Later in the day {Okonkwo} called Ikemefuna and told him that he was to be taken home the next day. Nwoye overheard it and burst into tears, whereupon his father beat him heavily.” [41] “...Okonkwo drew his machete and cut him down… As soon as his father walked in, that night, Nwoye knew that Ikemefuna had been killed, and something seemed to give way inside him, like the snapping of a tightened bow. He did

Ikemefuna knows many stories that the children have never heard before and he possesses many impressive skills, such as making flutes out of bamboo sticks and setting traps for little bush rodents. To Okonkwo’s delight, he also becomes like an older brother to Nwoye. Okonkwo himself grows quite fond of Ikemefuna, but he does not show any affection because he considers doing so a sign of weakness, which he refuses to tolerate in himself or others. Ikemefuna soon begins to call Okonkwo ―father. After the Week of Peace, the villagers begin to clear the land in preparation for planting their farms.

Eventually, The Oracle depicts that Ikemefuna must be killed but it is thought that Okonkwo shouldn't kill him because he is thought of as a father to him. Okonkwo tries to seem manly and masculine to those around him and kills him anyway. Ikemefuna was originally struck by two other men, he ran towards Okonkwo for safety and said “My father, they have killed me”. Afraid to seem weak or caring, he strikes down Ikemefuna as he runs towards him for safety. Overall, Okonkwo aims to be masculine and strong as a father figure for his family, He turns out to be a terrible father figure.

We sense that the death of Ikemefuna has been a turning point in the story. The sense of foreboding grows. We know the inevitability of disaster now; the crisis is developing. Okonkwo has ignored the advice of Ezeudu, the wise man inserted in the tale in traditional Greek form. Although he was warned, Okonkwo kills the boy to show his strength, his bravery,

It is a way to respectfully acknowledge Ekwefi’s suffering as a mother who has lost children. This society employs this measure as a way to acknowledge the sadness and goodness of these specific situations. Similarly, the people of Umuofia kill Ikemefuna as a way to avoid war with a neighboring tribe. His death is not performed for the sheer purpose of brutality. It is a response to the Oracle’s proclamation and in some cases produces depressed responses.

With the help of a boy by the name of Ikemefuna, who is taken to live with Okonkwo as a result of a deal with another clan that is soon turned around. Ikemefuna began “to feel like a member of Okonkwo’s family” and he and Nwoye “had become so deeply attached to each other” due to the fact Ikemefuna seem to know everything (41). With the help of Ikemefuna, Nwoye soon changed into the liking of his father and grew “into a tough young man” (57). Things then take a turn for the worst when the village of Umuofia decides that the fate of Ikemefuna is death. When Nwoye's father got back from walking Ikemefuna “home”, Nwoye already knew what had happened and “something had given way inside him” (Achebe 66). He questioned everything that haunted him, like the “twins crying in the bush (which he questioned ever since he saw twins in a little basket in the forest) and the question of Ikemefuna who was killed”

I was able to realize that's Ikemefuna pattern of doing everything that was the opposite of his father’s was also the right resolution because his father is a representation of a man doing more harm than good. An example of my judgement is when he is trying to show his manliness. He believes that being masculine is having the ability to control everybody in the household. This stereotypical father is not being the best role model for his son. Adding on, he believed that, "no matter how prosperous a man was, if he was unable to rule his women and his children he was not really a man" (China Achebe46). This is why he would always talk down to his children and wives to show that he is the authority figure in the house and if anyone one would question

In the novel Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo considers himself, as well as everyone else in their clan, to be a great warrior and someone who was well-respected. Throughout the story, Chinua Achebe hints “the second coming” (Yeats line 11) when he is told he has to get rid of Ikemefuna. Secretly, he really did like this boy, but as he was respected in the community and wanted to keep it that way, he agreed to kill him. Ogbuefi Ezeudu shows his disapproval of Okonkwo being apart of the killing through his words of wisdom. “That boy calls you father. Do

When Ikemefuna came to Umuofia, Okonkwo “became very fond of the boy- inwardly of course… He therefore treated Ikemefuna as he treated everybody else- with the heavy hand. But there was no doubt that he liked the boy” (24). This establishes that Okonkwo loves Ikemefuna but because he wants to look strong and demonstrate power he shows little to no emotion of love towards him. Correspondingly, when Ikemefuna is facing his death, he runs to Okonkwo asking for help. As this happens Okonkwo, acting on impulse, slays Ikemefuna with his machete. Okonkwo try’s to act like he does not have affection for Ikemefuna, but the reader sees the reality when, after Ikemefuna’s death, “Okonkwo did not taste any food for two days…He drank palm-wine from morning till night…[and] did not sleep at night” (55). In other words, Okonkwo is mourning over the loss of Ikemefuna and. Though this is the case a close reader might see that Okonkwo’s impulse of killing Ikemefuna was because he wanted to seem strong but the evidence shows the reality of his emotion. One might conclude that Okonkwo can be loving and compassionate, but because of his need to look masculine his relationship with Ikemefuna is

How does the writer create tension and convey sympathy for Ikemefuna in this passage from the novel?

Okonkwo’s participation in the slaying of his adopted son, Ikemefuna is a pivotal moment in Things Fall Apart. It is a moment of horror that cannot please Ani, the great earth goddess, the center of community, the ultimate judge of morality for the clan. It is a moment that changes the course of events, a moment eerily paralleled in the death of Ezeudu’s son. It is a moment that ultimately causes Okonkwo’s son, Nwoye’s to abandon his ancestors and become a Christian. It is a moment when the center of community life, the need to honor blood ties and the need to respect the earth goddess, can no longer hold. It is a moment when things fall apart.

Okonkwo having to kill Ikemefuna is an example of “change is destructive.” Okonkwo had to take care of Ikemefuna after he was taken, along with a virgin girl, when the wife of a man from Umuofia got killed by a man from another village. After some time, Okonkwo grew to like Ikemefuna, because

Throughout the clan Okonkwo was respected for his strength, his success, and his skills. Okonkwo had killed five enemies in clan wars and thrown the cat in a wrestling match showing his strength to the clan. His success was defined by Okonkwo having three wives and a plentiful amount of yams. After the clan settles a dispute with another clan, Okonkwo is given the important job of caring for the child that was part of the exchange, “The elders of the clan had decided that Ikemefuna should be in Okonkwo’s care for a while.” (Page 27) This displays the trust and respect the elders feel toward Okonkwo. Furthermore, Achebe makes it clear that Okonkwo carried enough titles and created an identity that gave him the chance to take on this immense honor of caring for Ikemefuna. Okonkwo had also gained enough of a presence to be like one of the elders for the clan, “The elders and grandees of the village sat on their own stools brought there by their young sons or slaves. Okonkwo was among them.” (Page 46) Okonkwo is like the elders, because he is able to sit with them during clan events. This illustrates Okonkwo’s identity throughout the clan, being viewed by people of lower rank in the clan, while beside the most respected of the clan. In addition Okonkwo viewed himself as one of the high members of the clan, by challenging himself to be unlike his father and gain titles to contradict his father.