---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: She wasn’t a woman who smiled and said…"
description: "\"“She wasn’t a woman who smiled and said hello.”\" — Arundhati Roy"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/945/arundhati-roy-346_woman_she-wasn-t-a-woman-who-smiled-and-said-h_141871.png"
---

#  She wasn’t a woman who smiled and said hello.

![“She wasn’t a woman who smiled and said hello.” quote by Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/945/arundhati-roy-346_woman_she-wasn-t-a-woman-who-smiled-and-said-h_141871.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/945/arundhati-roy-346_woman_she-wasn-t-a-woman-who-smiled-and-said-h_141871.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/945/arundhati-roy-346_woman_she-wasn-t-a-woman-who-smiled-and-said-h_141871.png)

> ““She wasn’t a woman who smiled and said hello.””

[Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

She defies expectations by not conforming to typical friendly behavior.

**In simple terms:** She isn’t a typical friendly woman.

Key Takeaway

Question stereotypes.

Themes

identity nonconformity perception

Mood

intriguing serious

Type

literary character

When to use this quote

- personal interactions
- literary critique

Key Concepts

character analysis social norms

Questions to Reflect On

- Why does she reject smiles?
- What does this reveal about her?

A Different Perspective

May be misinterpreted.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Said Hello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said-hello-283880/) [Smiled Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smiled-said/) [Wasn Woman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wasn-woman-1600160/) [Woman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/woman/) [Woman Smiled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/woman-smiled-354523/)

## Related quotes

> [There wasn't a woman alive who could resist a man who paid attention to her, who made her feel like she was the only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-day/there-wasn-t-a-woman-alive-who-could-resist-a-man-who-paid-attention/)

[Sylvia Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-day/)

> [I wasn't the first woman to try to make it in the world of sport, right? There were so many that came before me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-burke/i-wasn-t-the-first-woman-to-try-to-make-it-in-the-world-of-sport/)

[Doris Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-burke/)

> [“The older woman smiled. 'You're a good girl, my dear. Just what His Grace needs - someone to take him in hand.' Finley didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kady-cross/the-older-woman-smiled-you-re-a-good-girl-my-dear-just-what-his-grace/)

[Kady Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kady-cross/)

> [“Whenever a woman smiled his way, she'd already begun dividing her life into trimesters.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ta-nehisi-coates/whenever-a-woman-smiled-his-way-she-d-already-begun-dividing-her-life/)

[Ta-Nehisi Coates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ta-nehisi-coates/)

> [“Has Amelia talked to you of the . . . ways between a man and a woman?” I smiled to cover the laugh. Or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffe-kennedy/has-amelia-talked-to-you-of-the-ways-between-a-man-and-a-woman-i/)

[Jeffe Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffe-kennedy/)

> [Angelina came up, and as soon as we said hello, I thought, This is going to be great. I'm really going to love doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerard-butler/angelina-came-up-and-as-soon-as-we-said-hello-i-thought-this-is-going/)

[Gerard Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerard-butler/)

> [I was introduced to Amitabh Bachchan by Ram Gopal Varma. He said 'Hello Sudeep' and I just said 'Hi, sir.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sudeep/i-was-introduced-to-amitabh-bachchan-by-ram-gopal-varma-he-said-hello/)

[Sudeep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sudeep/)

> [I don't go out of my way to get noticed. When I'm in Scotland it's tough, because loads of people come up to me.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-murray/i-don-t-go-out-of-my-way-to-get-noticed-when-i-m-in-scotland-it-s/)

[Andy Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-murray/)

> [I've been called funny. I assume my wife thinks I'm funny. But generally, if you bumped into me and said hello, I would say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-webb/i-ve-been-called-funny-i-assume-my-wife-thinks-i-m-funny-but/)

[Robert Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-webb/)

> [When I said hello to you, I never thought I would end up having to say goodbye so soon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-i-said-hello-to-you-i-never-thought-i-would-end-up-having-to-say/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [From the moment I saw you I knew you were special.And when you said to me hello I was blown away.The thing is I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewshy/from-the-moment-i-saw-you-i-knew-you-were-special-and-when-you-said/)

[Ewshy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewshy/)

> [I was getting make up done in the car when the door opened and Park Bo Gum came in. After we said 'Hello,' an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwak-dong-yeon/i-was-getting-make-up-done-in-the-car-when-the-door-opened-and-park/)

[Kwak Dong-yeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwak-dong-yeon/)

> [I said hello unnoticed, you said good-bye too soon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-stewart/i-said-hello-unnoticed-you-said-good-bye-too-soon/)

[Rod Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-stewart/)

> [I'd met Harrison Ford before, but he was just finishing a meet with Jon Favreau and the other producers on the film, and we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-carradine/i-d-met-harrison-ford-before-but-he-was-just-finishing-a-meet-with/)

[Keith Carradine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-carradine/)

> [When I slid into comedy, naturally the first thing I said was, "hello, I am a washed up rapper."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doc-brown/when-i-slid-into-comedy-naturally-the-first-thing-i-said-was-hello-i/)

[Doc Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doc-brown/)

## More by Arundhati Roy

> [...As the disparity between the rich and the poor grows, the fight to corner resources is intensifying. To push through their "sweetheart deals," to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/as-the-disparity-between-the-rich-and-the-poor-grows-the-fight-to/)

[Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/)

> [In 2001, we were told that the war in Afghanistan was a feminist mission. The marines were liberating Afghan women from the Taliban. Can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/in-2001-we-were-told-that-the-war-in-afghanistan-was-a-feminist/)

[Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/)

> [Poverty is a crime and the poor are terrorists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/poverty-is-a-crime-and-the-poor-are-terrorists/)

[Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/)

> [Flat muscled and honey coloured. Sea secrets in his eyes. A silver raindrop in his ear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/flat-muscled-and-honey-coloured-sea-secrets-in-his-eyes-a-silver/)

[Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/)

> [Fiction and non-fiction are only different techniques of story telling. For reasons I do not fully understand, fiction dances out of me. Non-fiction is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/fiction-and-non-fiction-are-only-different-techniques-of-story/)

[Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/)

> [NGOs have a complicated space in neoliberal politics. They are supposed to mop up the anger. Even when they are doing good work, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/ngos-have-a-complicated-space-in-neoliberal-politics-they-are/)

[Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/)

> [I've never been that person who thought that because I've written one novel, I should write another and another. It's only when there was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/i-ve-never-been-that-person-who-thought-that-because-i-ve-written-one/)

[Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/)

> [It is such a supreme folly to believe that nuclear weapons are deadly only if they're used.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/it-is-such-a-supreme-folly-to-believe-that-nuclear-weapons-are-deadly/)

[Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/)

> [I think one of the saddest things that's happening to literature is that it's getting over-simplified by this diet of simple political ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/i-think-one-of-the-saddest-things-that-s-happening-to-literature-is/)

[Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/)

> [The only dream worth having, I told her, is to dream that you will live while you're alive and die only when you're dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/the-only-dream-worth-having-i-told-her-is-to-dream-that-you-will-live/)

[Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/)

> [But what was there to say? Only that there were tears. Only that Quietness and Emptiness fitted together like stacked spoons. Only that there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/but-what-was-there-to-say-only-that-there-were-tears-only-that/)

[Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/)

> [Truly, there's no alternative to stupidity. Cretinism is the mother of fascism. I have no defence against it, really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/truly-there-s-no-alternative-to-stupidity-cretinism-is-the-mother-of/)

[Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/)

> [“...the secret of the Great Stories is that they have no secrets. The Great Stories are the ones you have heard and want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/the-secret-of-the-great-stories-is-that-they-have-no-secrets-the/)

[Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/)

> [“stilts, the ground floors given over to parking. It’s a good idea in this car-maddened city,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/stilts-the-ground-floors-given-over-to-parking-it-s-a-good-idea-in/)

[Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/)

> [“Perhaps it’s true that things can change in a day. That a few dozen hours can affect the outcome of whole lifetimes. And that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/perhaps-it-s-true-that-things-can-change-in-a-day-that-a-few-dozen/)

[Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/)

[Explore all 628 Arundhati Roy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/)

## More Woman quotes

> [I had to get to the point where I just had to embrace carrying the torch for the traditional girls out there. I love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamera-mowry/i-had-to-get-to-the-point-where-i-just-had-to-embrace-carrying-the/)

[Tamera Mowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamera-mowry/)

> [The name Phenomenal Woman was inspired by Maya Angelo, who wrote 'Phenomenal Woman', a favorite poem of mine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meena-harris/the-name-phenomenal-woman-was-inspired-by-maya-angelo-who-wrote/)

[Meena Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meena-harris/)

> [Because of the womb being a central phenomenon in the feminine body, the whole psychology of woman differs: she is non-aggressive, non-inquiring, non-questioning, non-doubting,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/because-of-the-womb-being-a-central-phenomenon-in-the-feminine-body/)

[Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/)

> [Each woman is like an instrument, waiting to be learned, loved, and finely played, to have at last her own true music made.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/each-woman-is-like-an-instrument-waiting-to-be-learned-loved-and/)

[Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/)

> [“If attempting to make the world a civilized one, makes you a bad woman in the eyes of the dumb patriarchal society, then, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/if-attempting-to-make-the-world-a-civilized-one-makes-you-a-bad-woman/)

[Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/)

> [I want to make my music and be a happy woman, a good wife, a good mom and one day hopefully have a child…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leann-rimes/i-want-to-make-my-music-and-be-a-happy-woman-a-good-wife-a-good-mom/)

[LeAnn Rimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leann-rimes/)

> [I know how hard it is to be a woman, especially a black woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-tyson/i-know-how-hard-it-is-to-be-a-woman-especially-a-black-woman/)

[Mike Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-tyson/)

> [“I never learned how to be a woman in this world because I didn't know what it meant to be one. What I learned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-alec/i-never-learned-how-to-be-a-woman-in-this-world-because-i-didn-t-know/)

[Elaine Alec](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-alec/)

> [That Woman is in love with her own grief.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/that-woman-is-in-love-with-her-own-grief/)

[Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/)

> [What a man notices first about a woman is whether she notices him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlene-dietrich/what-a-man-notices-first-about-a-woman-is-whether-she-notices-him/)

[Marlene Dietrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlene-dietrich/)

> [Some of the mail I've had has been weird. When I played Guy of Gisborne, a woman crocheted a mini-version of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-armitage/some-of-the-mail-i-ve-had-has-been-weird-when-i-played-guy-of/)

[Richard Armitage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-armitage/)

> [“Just because she doesn't talk about it, doesn't mean she isn't feeling it. She hurts, but she won't wear it on her sleeve. She…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfa-h/just-because-she-doesn-t-talk-about-it-doesn-t-mean-she-isn-t-feeling/)

[Alfa H](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfa-h/)

> [I'm a very stubborn woman and I'm from a very stubborn family of headstrong women. I have sisters, so the women rule the coop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evangeline-lilly/i-m-a-very-stubborn-woman-and-i-m-from-a-very-stubborn-family-of/)

[Evangeline Lilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evangeline-lilly/)

> [“Whether you are possessed of a simple heart or the ambitions of an Amazon, whether you are trying to make it to the top…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarissa-pinkola-estes/whether-you-are-possessed-of-a-simple-heart-or-the-ambitions-of-an/)

[Clarissa Pinkola Estés](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarissa-pinkola-estes/)

> [“God doesn't give a man anything more precious than a good woman.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-randall/god-doesn-t-give-a-man-anything-more-precious-than-a-good-woman/)

[Alice Randall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-randall/)

[Browse all 8,534 Woman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/woman/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“She wasn’t a woman who smiled and said hello.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Arundhati Roy"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/she-wasn-t-a-woman-who-smiled-and-said-hello/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Woman"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/she-wasn-t-a-woman-who-smiled-and-said-hello/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/945/arundhati-roy-346_woman_she-wasn-t-a-woman-who-smiled-and-said-h_141871.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/945/arundhati-roy-346_woman_she-wasn-t-a-woman-who-smiled-and-said-h_141871.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/945/arundhati-roy-346_woman_she-wasn-t-a-woman-who-smiled-and-said-h_141871.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“She wasn’t a woman who smiled and said hello.” — Arundhati Roy",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Arundhati Roy",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“She wasn’t a woman who smiled...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/she-wasn-t-a-woman-who-smiled-and-said-hello/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/she-wasn-t-a-woman-who-smiled-and-said-hello/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
