After Okonkwo's gun accidentally explodes, killing Ekeudu's son at Ekeudu's funeral, he is exiled from the village for seven years. His land and property are destroyed, with the exception of yams saved from his farm, and the property that Okonkwo and his family take with them.
Outwardly, nothing happens at first. Okonkwo has proven himself a man, capable of heartless action. Nwoye withdraws from his shows of manliness as well as his father. Okonkwo suffers mental pain and can not eat for several days. It may be said that the Goddess of the Earth curses Okonkwo, leading later to his exile.
However, the killing tears apart Okonkwo's family through Nwoye; the event is a large part of why Nwoye defects to the Christians.
Okonkwo became deeply depressed and ate nothing for days, drinking nothing but palm-wine. He sat in his hut, and did not work, passing out when drunk.
Later on, he tries to justify his decision to his friend Obierika, considering it manly.
Okonkwo suffers no punishment for this deed, as he has not harmed her nor killed a clansman. Indeed if he had shot her to death, it is unknown whether he would be punished officially as she is a woman and his wife, and woman were not valued as highly.
The village elders told Okonkwo to take care of Ikemefuna until his fate was decided. When Ikemefuna is sentenced to die, Okonkwo is afraid of being seen as weak. When Ikemefuna cries to him, Okonkwo takes care of Ikemefuna, (kills him).
Ikemefuna is led by the tribe on a long march outside of its lands. One tribeman cuts him with a machete. As Ikemefuna runs to Okonkwo for safety, Okonkwo chops Ikemefuna down with his machete.
He feels that he has a duty to the gods and the Oracle to participate. He delivers the killing blow because when Ikemefuna cries out to him, he inwardly feels compassion, and worries that he might do something that would cause him to be seen as unmanly, like attempting to save the child. Okonkwo overcompensates by killing Ikemefuna himself, and ending the personal trial.
Although Ikemefuna is from a different family, Nwoye treats Ikemefuna as an older brother to look up to and mimic. Ikemefuna is the older brother that Nwoye never had.
The oracle concluded that Ikemefuma must die. Okonkwo kills Ikemefuma to show his peers that he is not weak. It is ironic that Ikemefuna is, besides Okonkwo, the most manly man in his family.
Yes, the men of Umuofia have mixed feelings about killing Ikemefuna. On one hand, they follow the oracle's decree and believe it is necessary for the stability of the village. However, some men, like Okonkwo, struggle with their personal feelings of affection for Ikemefuna and the act of killing him.
Yes. Ikemefuna's death foreshadows Okonkwo's accidental killing of Ezeudu's son.
Ikemefuna is taken in as a peace offering to the Umuofia village after the killing of the daughter of Umuofia in "Things Fall Apart." He becomes a part of Okonkwo's household, serving as a "son" to him. However, tragedy strikes when Ikemefuna is eventually killed in a ritualistic sacrifice, leading to a turning point in the story.
Ikemefuna is taken into Okonkwo's home as part of the compensation for a murder committed by the neighboring village. He lives with Okonkwo's family and forms a close bond with Okonkwo's son, Nwoye. However, tragically, Okonkwo ultimately participates in Ikemefuna's killing to demonstrate his masculinity and avoid appearing weak.
Okonkwo is warned not to take part in the killing of Ikemefuna, the young boy who was living with his family. The Oracle warns him that he should not personally participate in the killing as it would bring about grave consequences.
The village elders told Okonkwo to take care of Ikemefuna until his fate was decided. When Ikemefuna is sentenced to die, Okonkwo is afraid of being seen as weak. When Ikemefuna cries to him, Okonkwo takes care of Ikemefuna, (kills him).
After killing Ikemefuna, Okonkwo is profoundly affected. He is troubled by the guilt and remorse, and he is haunted by the memory of the boy's death. The text describes how Okonkwo is unable to sleep or eat, indicating his mental and emotional turmoil.
Obierika is saddened and critical of the village's decision to kill Ikemefuna, as he viewed him as an adopted son and struggled to come to terms with his death. He questions the wisdom of the oracle and the customs that demand such sacrifices.
Okonkwo ends up killing Ikemefuna, against the advice of the elder Ezeudu.
In "Things Fall Apart" by Chinua Achebe, Ikemefuna, a boy from another village, was taken in by Okonkwo's family. Eventually, Ikemefuna was killed by the villagers as a sacrifice to avoid retribution for a murder that took place in their village. Okonkwo's participation in Ikemefuna's death deeply affects him and contributes to his own downfall.
There was no 'European response'.
That the Oracle said that Ikemefuna had to be killed. He also said that Okonkwo should not go with for the killing. However, he did. Okonkwo said that Ikemefuna was going back to his home tribe.