Nwoye's exile

Long before Okonkwo is forced to take his family into exile to atone, there is a complex parallel of exile to be seen with his true son, Nwoye. Okonkwo finds Nwoye to be lazy and isn't very proud of his son. He harbors this attitude because he is afraid Nwoye could end up like his father, Unoka. He is more or less ashamed of Unoka's behavior while he was alive, especially his cowardly actions and his struggles with owing money. Since Okonkwo makes the comparison from Nwoye to his father, he ultimately seems to reject him and leave him isolated and lonely. When Okonkwo takes charge of Ikemefuna, he seems to look at him as an ideal son. Nwoye forms a bond with Ikemefuna as well, but his own father Okonkwo never seems to embrace his real son. He is happy with the notion of Nwoye developing a more masculine character, which largely comes about because of Ikemefuna's influence. Ikemefuna, in many ways, is not only an "older brother" to Nwoye, but a father figure as well. Okonkow's neglect for his son may reveal a lot about how his own father treated him. Nwoye cries when he finds out Ikemefuna is leaving, and eventually realizes that he is dead. He has, in a sense, been exiled from his father, and has instead taken comfort in his relationship with Ikemefuna. Once Ikemefuna is also taken from him, he is being further driven away from filial ties.