Ikemefuna is granted to Okonkwo by his village. Okonkwo, though he refuses to show it, is very fond of Ikemefuna as he is up to par with his limited standards of what a man is to be. Ikemefuna is well received by everyone in Okonkwo's family including Nwoye. When Nowye begins to speak ill of women Okonkwo is pleased and attributes the sudden change in his son's behavior to Ikemefuna's presence. Unfortunately, Ikemefuna's stay with Okonkwo and his family is short lived. One day Okonkwo is informed that the Oracle has ruled that Ikemefuna be murdered. Oknokwo is warned not to partake in the death of Ikemefuna as he calls him father. In an attempt to not look feeble to his village, Okonkwo goes against the advice of his friend and murders Ikemefuna himself. In this instance we see Okonkwo's tragic flaw really evolve into an unmanageable issue that takes on a path of destruction as he allows his own morals to shadow those of his people.
Unfortunately, Nwoye and Ikemefuna are not the only ones who feel the wrath of an angry Okonkwo. During the Peace Week in which the Ibo practice peace for seven days in hopes to appease the Earth God Ani, Okonkwo beats one of his wives for her negligence. According to the "Religions of The World of Africa" video, spirits can either bring good fortune or harm which is why they are so pertinent in African society. Sorrow hits Okonkwo's family once more when he attends the funeral of Ezeudu, a great warrior to the clan and also the individual who warned Okonkwo against partaking in Ikemefuna's death. During the funeral Okonkwo's shot gun accidentally fires resulting in the death of Ezeudu's sixteen year old son. Okonkwo's accidental murder of his fellow clansmen gets he and his family exiled from the village for seven years. After serving his time in exile among his family in the motherland, Okonkwo returns home to find that things are not as he has left them.