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Things Fall Apart

by Chinua Achebe

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What two philosophical questions does Uchendu pose?

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Uchendu asks why the Igbo give their children the name 'Nneka' or 'Mother is Supreme'. He also asks why a woman is buried in her motherland, with her own people. Okoknwo can answer neither question, and Uchendu uses the dialogue as a means of teaching Okonkwo the value of the feminine in Igbo culture, and to help save him from his despair of exile.

The key chapter is 14.

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