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Nwoye
Ikemefuna is the ill-fated boy the Mbaino sacrifice to Umuofia in order to prevent war. Ikemefuna is unaware that his father had a hand in killing one of the daughters of Umuofia and doesn't understand why he's taken away from his mother and sister. He settles into Okonkwo's household for three years and comes to consider Okonkwo his true father. Nwoye looks up to Ikemefuna, and the two become inseparable. At the end of three years, the clan decides that the boy must be killed, and Okonkwo deals the killing blow.
Ikemefuna Quotes in Things Fall Apart
The Things Fall Apart quotes below are all either spoken by Ikemefuna or refer to Ikemefuna. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 8 Quotes
Ezinma took the dish in one hand and the empty water bowl in the other and went back to her mother's hut. “She should have been a boy,” Okonkwo said to himself again. His mind went back to Ikemefuna and he shivered.
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Explanation and Analysis:
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Ikemefuna Character Timeline in Things Fall Apart
The timeline below shows where the character Ikemefuna appears in Things Fall Apart. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 1
...of the greatest men of his time. As a result, he comes to look after Ikemefuna, the doomed boy who is later sacrificed to the village of Umuofia by their neighbors...
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Chapter 2
...days later to Umuofia with a 15-year-old boy and a virgin. The boy's name is Ikemefuna, and the narrator reveals that Ikemefuna's sad story will continue to be told in Umuofia...
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...will look after him until the elders decide his fate. For the next three years, Ikemefuna lives in Okonkwo's household.
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When Ikemefuna joins Okonkwo's household, Okonkwo hands him over to his most senior wife, who asks if...
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Chapter 4
The virgin is given to Udo as a wife, and Ikemefuna is placed in Okonkwo's care until the clan can decide what to do with him,...
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Ikemefuna becomes popular in the household, and he grows very close with Nwoye in particular. Even...
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Ikemefuna came to the household only a few days before the Week of Peace, during which...
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After the Week of Peace, Okonkwo begins preparing his seed-yams for planting. Nwoye and Ikemefuna help by counting, and occasionally Okonkwo allows them to prepare a few yams each. However,...
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Ikemefuna feels like a member of the family, telling his own folktales from the Mbaino. He...
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Chapter 5
...farm. His wives and children, however, are excited with the preparations, cleaning and decorating, and Ikemefuna in particular is excited to experience the feast.
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...signal the wrestling match, and as Ekwefi prepares the meal, she hears Nwoye's sister weeping. Ikemefuna and the first wife's children file in with dinner pots, but Nwoye's sister comes empty-handed....
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Chapter 7
Ikemefuna has spent three years in Okonkwo's household, becoming a part of his new family. He...
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...Ezeudu arrives to speak with Okonkwo, informing him that the clan has decided to kill Ikemefuna. Ezeudu advises him not to participate in the killing, since Ikemefuna calls him father.
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A group of elders arrive at Okonkwo's house early the next morning to discuss Ikemefuna's fate. After they leave, Okonkwo calls Ikemefuna to tell him that he'll be taken home...
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The next day, the party sets out with Ikemefuna and Okonkwo, who disregards Ezeudu's advice. Ikemefuna is reassured by Okonkwo's presence, feeling that Okonkwo...
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When Okonkwo walks into the house at night, Nwoye knows that Ikemefuna has been killed, and he feels something give way inside him—the same way he felt...
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Chapter 8
...and the next planting season. He calls himself a woman for his reaction to killing Ikemefuna and decides to visit his friend Obierika. Okonkwo shakes hands with Obierika's son and then...
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Chapter 13
...old man had visited him and advised him not to participate in the killing of Ikemefuna.
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Chapter 16
...and in fear. It reminded him of the twins crying in the bush and of Ikemefuna.
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