Okonkwo's Relationship In Things Fall Apart

The way someone interacts with a person can tell a lot about them. Every person interacts differently with one another. When a person helps a total stranger, onlookers immediately think this person is kind and humble. People are constantly watching and labeling people based on what they see. Most of the time, you are being judged by how you interact with and treat others. In the novel Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, Okonkwo is determined to be seen as masculine and a warrior of the clan. Because of Okonkwo’s desire, he treated many people differently. Three interactions Okonkwo had with people that stood out were the way he treated his children. You can tell a lot about a man by the way he treats children. Okonkwo was no exception. Okonkwo treated Ezinma, Ikemefuna, and Nwoye completely different than the other, which exposed Okonkwo’s desires. Okonkwo’s daughter Ezinma was born to him by Ekwefi, Okonkwo’s second wife. Ezinma is Ekwefi’s only living child because Ekwefi had previously had nine miscarriages. Because of this situation, Ezinma was spoiled by her mother. Okonkwo did not like to admit it, but he favored Ezinma over all his other children.
Okonkwo considered Ikemefuna to be his son, even though he was not. Ikemefuna was given to Okonkwo to watch after him until Ikemefuna was supposed to be sacrificed. Okonkwo slowly bonded with Ikemefuna, and years later, Ikemefuna was basically Okonkwo’s son.Okonkwo even treated Ikemefuna better than he treated his oldest son, Nwoye. While Nwoye was a little coward, Ikemefuna was a strong, masculine boy who Okonkwo admired. Once Ikemefuna was finally sacrificed, Okonkwo could not do anything, but drink and think about his ‘son.’ Achebe states, “He did not sleep at night. He tried not to think about Ikemefuna, but the more he tried the more he thought about him,” (Pg 54). The way Okonkwo treated Ikemefuna shows that Okonkwo values manliness, and despises