1 Hazel Theresia Li ENG 270Y1 Prof.

Chelva Kanaganayakam University of Toronto F riday, March 5, 2010 Significance of Ikemefunas Death in Chinua Achebes Things Fal l Apart: Things Do Fall Apart Introduction Achebes Things Fall Apart takes place in the late 1800s in Nigeria, in a conservative patriarchal society in a village called Ibo, within a clan by the name of Umofia. This novel largely focuses on elements of power that are often associated with such notions as masculinity, vi olence, and bloodshed, while maintaining a sense of traditionalism in the ritual s. This paper will discuss the significance of a ritual in Chinua Achebes Things Fall Apart, which is the murder of a young innocent boy named Ikemefuna as an em blem of sacrifice before Umofia earth gods. Ikemefunas death foreshadows, as well as initiates, the downfall of the Umofia clan in Ibo village. His death deeply affects Okonkwo, the protagonist who serves as a metonymic figure and an epitome of the clan1, as he experiences a consecutive series of physical and psychologi cal deterioration, eventually leading to his gruesome suicide, which inevitably marks the collapse of Umofia. In the novel, the accomplishment of Ikemefunas deat h is crucial, for it is a request of the earth gods. Although Okonkwo originally refused to take part in killing Ikemefuna, he does not want to be seen as weak or effeminate like his father, especially by his fellow clansmen. Fuelled by his fear of becoming like his unmanly father, Okonkwo goes and murders Ikemefuna wi th his own hands. 1 He personifies Umofia because he is seen as the centre of the clan. People regar d him highly; he is well received among members of the clan.

2 Okonkwo Growing up in the shadow of his effeminate, status-less father, Okonkwos adulthood is determined not to imitate his fathers life. Unoka, his father, was a failure because he was lazy and improvident and was quite incapable of thinking about tomorrow [He was] a debtor, and he owed every neighbour some money (5). Okon kwo turns out to be the exact opposite of what his father had been. He is an und efeatable wrestler and a wealthy farmer with 2 barns full of yams (8). He is als o a man of his own principle who is resistant to changes from the traditional wa ys. When European colonizers arrive in Ibo village and the theory of Christianit y and conversion is introduced to its citizens, Okonkwo stands his ground and re jects the need to adapt to these changes. Okonkwos willpower and diligence bring him favourable outcome that sets him apart from his father, thus granting him hi gh regards from his peers. In relation to Ikemefunas death, Okonkwo persists to h is principle and what he believes in, regardless how much it is hurting his inne r soul. Okonkwos deterioration Following Ikemefunas death ritual, Okonkwo is severely impa cted and he becomes distraught by this incident because throughout the three yea rs Ikemefuna lived in his household, Okonkwo had grown fond of him and considere d him as his own son. Likewise, Ikemefuna referred to him as his father. After I kemefunas death, Okonkwo starts to experience physical, mental and psychological decline, most likely caused by regret, which ultimately spurs into an act of sel f-preservation. The physical aspect of his

3 downturn could be contributed to his loss of sleep and lack of appetite, as is stated in the eighth chapter of the novel: Okonkwo did not taste any food for tw o days after the death of Ikemefuna He did not sleep at night His eyes were red an d fierce like the eyes of a rat when it was caught by the tail He was so weak tha t he felt like a drunken giant walking with the limbs of a mosquito (63). The term drunken giant in this statement refers to the absence of Okonkwos conscious mind. He is greatly hurt and emotionally shaken by the death of Ikemefuna that he beco mes numb, as if he is unable to feel or think of anything else. As a metonymic f igure and epitome to the clan of Umofia, Okonkwos first and most pivotal deterior ation as caused by Ikemefunas death, marks the harbinger of destruction, which is yet to be brought upon Umofia. The second stage that signals future demolition of Umofia is attributed to Okonkwos psychological deterioration, which then cause s him to commit a serious crime in Umofia killing an innocent boy, while the boys fathers funeral transpires. Umofia has witnessed many violent deaths, but nothing like this had ever happened (125). Okonkwo accidentally fires his gun and it imm ediately kills the boy as the bullet punctures through his heart2 (125). Althoug h Okonkwos action was inadvertent, for someone so stern and powerful as he, this incident is unusual. Prior to the murder, Okonkwos status in the community was fl awless and everyone in the clan held him in such high esteem for his perfect rep utation, power and righteousness. Nobody, not even Okonkwo, knows why he had mur dered the boy. The situation worsens as Okonkwo is exiled to his motherland, Mba nta, while his animals and barns are deliberately destroyed in a fire set up by his clansmen to bring about justice as commanded by the earth goddess. The earth gods demand that either Okonkwo be punished for his offense, or the 2 Ironically rendering Okonkwos broken heart.

4 entire land would have to face judgement (126). For someone so vigilant and aw are as Okonkwo, this sort of unfortunate mishap could have been easily avoided. But due to the psychological disorientation caused by Ikemefunas death, Okonkwo s inks into a zone where everything seems to go wrong in his life, in Umofia. Thin gs are falling apart. Self-preservation caused by regret Self-preservation is a defense mechanism that is frequently used by humans upon withstanding to accept a difficult situation in their life. Okonkwos regret in the death of Ikemefuna prompts him to be defens ive when being confronted by his good friend, Obierika, during a discussion. Oko nkwo attempts to vindicate his argument by justifying what he had done, concerni ng Ikemefunas death ritual, as obedience to the decree of the earth gods: The Eart h cannot punish me for obeying her messenger A childs fingers are not scalded by a piece of hot yam which its mother puts into its palm (67). Okonkwo is saying th at his killing Ikemefuna is an act of obedience to the earth gods. He did not me an Ikemefuna any harm when the deed was committed, just as a mother trying not t o hurt her child. Obierika then replies that had he been in the same situation, he would not take part in his childs death (67). Okonkwos remorse triggers the nee d to preserve himself to keep his emotions from further detrimental damage. Okonkwos death Okonkwos death is the next most important occurrence in the underly ing message of the novel because it marks the fall of Umofia. Okonkwos resistance to

5 changes leads him to take up the already-heated situation into his own hands d etermining his own fate, taking away his own life. Following his return from the 7-year exile, Okonkwo is encountered with European colonizers. Okonkwo disagree s with everything the colonizers are bringing upon Umofia their European religio n and the villages expected conversion into the new denomination. Being the man O konkwo has always been, he is not the type to comply or to adapt to any alterati ons put forward by the colonizers, be it in is life or his clan. As a consequenc e of various disputes between Okonkwo and the colonizers, he proposes a war with a purpose to fight off the colonizers out of his land (205). However, Okonkwo l ater realizes that he might be the only person in Umofia whose stubbornness keep s him to continue safeguarding Umofia. Because of this, Okonkwo pulls the matter into his own hands and finds an alternative route, as Achebe describes it: Then they came to a tree from which Okonkwos body was dangling (207). Okonkwos death by suicide symbolizes the death of Umofia as a clan. He, who once was the centre of the clan, the revered individual who lived a perfect exemplary life, one of the greatest men in Umofia (208) has fallen apart and is now to be buried like a dog (208). There is a parallel between Ikemefuna and Okonkwos death. While Ikemefunas death foreshadows and initiates the destruction that was to be brought upon Umof ia, Okonkwos death marks the beginning of Umofias end. Conclusion Ikemefunas death ritual holds a remarkable magnitude in Things Fall Ap art because it signifies the collapse of Umofia, a clan that once existed in Ibo village. As a

6 figure that personifies and acts as a metonymic character in this novel, Okonk wos deterioration, both physically and psychologically as a result of Ikemefunas d eath, plays a factor in Umofias fall altogether. Okonkwos death in the end amalgam ates with Ikemefunas death and creates a bigger picture that parallelizes both in cidents, as mentioned in the previous paragraph. At the close of the novel, a st rong indication that points to the demise of Umofia is the title of the book tha t The Commissioner plans to write: The Pacification of the Primitive Tribes of t he Lower Niger. This title suggests the tribes have been appeased; there is no m ore resistance, no more combats against the European colonizers as the tribes ar e now under their authority. It is of major importance to note that just as thin gs started to fall apart in Okonkwos hands, things have fallen apart, and ended, all in his hands. Turning and turning in the widening gyre The falcon cannot hear the falconer; Thi ngs fall apart, the center cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world. W.B. Yeats, The Second Coming Works Cited Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. Anchor Books, New York: 1994.