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Alifa Rifaat Quotes

1930–1996 Egypt

Fatimah Rifaat (June 5, 1930 – January 1996), better known by her pen name Alifa Rifaat (Arabic: أليفة رفعت), was an Egyptian author whose controversial short stories are renowned for their depictions of the dynamics of female sexuality, relationships, and loss in rural Egyptian culture.

Egypt
Authors
Short story writers

Also known as: Distant View of a Minaret and other stories

Random Alifa Rifaat quote

5 quotes

Isn’t it better, when he returns, for your father to find himself with a legitimate son [rather] than an illegitimate grandson?

Distant View of a Minaret and Other Stories (1983)

“Father, you gave me a real beating tonight.”

Distant View of a Minaret and Other Stories (1983)

She returned to the living room and poured out the coffee for herself. She was surprised at how calm she was.

Distant View of a Minaret and Other Stories (1983)

Daughter, I’m not crying now because I’m fed up or regret that the Lord created me a woman. No, it’s not that. It’s just that I’m sad about my life and my youth that have come and gone without my knowing how to live them really and truly as a woman.

Distant View of a Minaret and Other Stories (1983)

The fact is there’s no joy for a girl in growing up, it’s just one disaster after another till you end up an old woman who’s good for nothing and who’s real lucky if she finds someone to feel sorry for her.

Distant View of a Minaret and Other Stories (1983)

Attribution

Quotes and notes from Wikiquote: Alifa Rifaat (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0.