How Does Ikwo Kill Ikemefuna

In the novel Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, the ideal traits of masculinity are portrayed with strength, aggression, and courage. These characteristics take over Okonkwo’s mind and warp his emotional and mental mindsets, leading him to tragic actions throughout the book. Okonkwo makes a quick, irrational decision to kill Ikemefuna because his image of masculinity and his status in the clan is threatened and the feminine emotions of fear and compassion that previously plagued his father begin to surface. The break between masculinity and femininity leads to unexpected consequences.
The death of Ikemefuna is heavily influenced by Okonkwo’s fear of becoming like his father, Unoka, who was perceived as weak and feminine. From the beginning
Throughout the course of the story, Okonkwo makes many irrational decisions without putting much thought into them first. He is constantly offending the Igbo traditions, such as when he beats his wife during the Week of Peace. When killing Ikemefuna, he does not think of Nwoye and himself and how it will affect both of them and the consequences it might bring. He can only think of one thing when killing Ikemefuna: he is afraid of being thought weak. He does not seem to care that Ikemefuna is running to him for help and for safety out of trust. He betrays the trust of Ikemefuna by delivering to him a killing blow. It is clear throughout the book that Okonkwo “became fond of the boy” (Achebe 28) and favors him over Nwoye. He would have preferred to keep Ikemefuna alive since he considers Ikemefuna as a son and as a positive, manly influence on Nwoye. Ikemefuna is the primary reason that Nwoye begins to grow up and become the man Okonkwo wants him to be, with Nwoye even beginning to“feign annoyance and grumble aloud about women and their troubles” (Achebe 52). Nwoye puts effort into pleasing his father even if he doesn’t believe in the downgrading of women. Okonkwo knows that the cause of the change in Nwoye is due to Ikemefuna, yet he kills the boy anyways without thinking of the consequences. This lack of
In the Ibo culture, masculinity is valued as being strong when faced with difficult times. Anything else is regarded as feminine. Okonkwo chooses to kill Ikemefuna to demonstrate his full acceptance of the values of masculinity and the prominent hold it has had on his life, to the point where nothing else matters. Manliness, the dominant principle of his life, finally corrupts Okonkwo to put above masculinity above family, feminine feelings, and future