hortly after Okonkwo is exiled to his motherland, Uchendu engages him in a philosophical discussion. He asks why the Igbo people say that “Mother is Supreme” (Achebe 133). He asks Okonkwo to consider why a woman is buried in the land of her own kinsmen. Okonkwo has no answer. Uchenda goes on to explain that, though “a child belongs to its father”, it “seeks sympathy in its mother’s hut” (Achebe 134). A father beats a child, and it runs to its mother. Uchenda declares that “a man belongs to his fatherland when things are good and life is sweet” (Achebe 134). However, “when there is sorrow and bitterness he finds refuge in his mother” (Achebe 134). A mother exists to “protect” her children (Achebe 134). This motherly element is what is lacking
