Lin 1

Phillip Lin
HELA II
Rager 2
16 September 2014
Okonkwos Decision
Okonkwo made the wrong decision when he killed his son, Ikemefuna. Okonkwo was
always very fond of Ikemefuna, And, indeed, Ikemefuna called him father (28). The quote
signifies that Okonkwo accepted Ikemefuna into his family. Okonkwo showed his affection
toward Ikemefuna inwardly because he thought that showing affection was a sign of weakness.
Okonkwo also enjoyed the fact that Ikemefuna was Nwoyes role model. Okonkwos choice to
kill Ikemefuna was unjust because he had already accepted Ikemfuna as a family member.
Okonkwo killed Ikemefuna for selfish reasons. Dazed with fear, Okonkwo drew his
machete and cut him down. He was afraid of being thought weak (61). Okonkwo always feared
being cowardly like his father, so when a critical situation appeared, he reacted in a negative way
and killed Ikemefuna. The only reason Okonkwo did this was so that he would not look weak in
front of his clan.
Okonkwo felt guilty after he had slain Ikemefuna. This signifies that Okonkwo regrets
making his decision in killing Ikemefuna. Okonkwo did not taste any food for two days after
the death of Ikemefuna (63). Okonkwo was guilt driven by the actions he had taken and started
to fall apart as person. He tried to escape from the grief he caused himself, but could not.