Influence of Ikemefuna towards Nwoye

In Okonkwo’s house, I had a closer relationship with Nwoye, Okonkwo’s son. He always sticks with me. I feel happy because I have a close company in this new environment. Day by day, I found out that Nwoye admired me. I think he admired me for my life experience and knowledge. For example, I could fashion out flute from bamboo stems and even from the elephant grass. I also knew the names of all the birds and could set clever traps for the little bush rodents.

After I got into know more about Nwoye, I feel that Nwoye is not masculine enough. Nwoye like to listen to my folk tales. Normally, in Umuofia, folk tales are for woman. The interest of Nwoye towards folk tales shows that Nwoye does not show manliness like Okonkwo.

I can feel that Nwoye treated me just like his elder brother which he is looking up to. Soon after, I noticed that Nwoye no longer spent the evenings in his mother’s hut while she cooked, but now he sat with Okonkwo in his obi or watched him as he tapped his palm tree for the evening wine. I can see that he became more masculine. For instance, he tends to help his mother or other wife of his father to do difficult and masculine tasks such as splitting wood or pounding food.  In my perspective, my presence caused Nwoye to grow up.