--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: She would have had to keep her headscarf…" description: "\"“She would have had to keep her headscarf on, never laugh, never smile—if she smiles at a man he will think, ‘Ah, she loves me,’ ” Mohamed explained. A..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27e/geraldine-brooks-1324_headscarf_she-would-have-had-to-keep-her-headscarf_1831367.png" --- # She would have had to keep her headscarf on, never laugh… ![“She would have had to keep her headscarf on, never laugh, never smile—if she smiles at a man he will think, ‘Ah, she loves me,’ ” Mohamed explained. As” quote by Geraldine Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27e/geraldine-brooks-1324_headscarf_she-would-have-had-to-keep-her-headscarf_1831367.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27e/geraldine-brooks-1324_headscarf_she-would-have-had-to-keep-her-headscarf_1831367.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27e/geraldine-brooks-1324_headscarf_she-would-have-had-to-keep-her-headscarf_1831367.png) > ““She would have had to keep her headscarf on, never laugh, never smile—if she smiles at a man he will think, ‘Ah, she loves me,’ ” Mohamed explained. As”” [Geraldine Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geraldine-brooks/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She is told to hide joy to avoid misinterpretation of affection, highlighting gendered expectations. **In simple terms:** Women are pressured to conceal happiness. Key Takeaway Challenge restrictive social norms. Themes gender culture expression identity social pressure Mood empathetic concerned Type narrative observational When to use this quote - workplace interactions - family gatherings - public speaking - media representation Key Concepts gender roles emotional labor social expectations Questions to Reflect On - Why are women expected to mask emotions? - How does this affect personal relationships? A Different Perspective May not capture all cultural contexts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Headscarf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/headscarf/) [Headscarf Laugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/headscarf-laugh-2276038/) [Loves Mohamed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loves-mohamed-2276037/) [Man Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-think/) [Mohamed Explained](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mohamed-explained-2276039/) ## Related quotes > [What we argue in the piece is that the headscarf has become a political symbol for an ideology of Islam that is exported to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asra-nomani/what-we-argue-in-the-piece-is-that-the-headscarf-has-become-a/) [Asra Nomani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asra-nomani/) > [Compelling a woman to wear a headscarf is against Islam, and compelling her to remove it is against human rights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ramadan/compelling-a-woman-to-wear-a-headscarf-is-against-islam-and/) [Tariq Ramadan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ramadan/) > [I love my headscarf. I wear my head wrap every day with my hoop earrings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuna/i-love-my-headscarf-i-wear-my-head-wrap-every-day-with-my-hoop/) [Yuna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuna/) > [The hijab or a variation of the word shows up eight times in the Quran. And it never means headscarf. And so what's happened…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asra-nomani/the-hijab-or-a-variation-of-the-word-shows-up-eight-times-in-the/) [Asra Nomani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asra-nomani/) > [“Her skirts, sleeves, collar, and hat saw to it that none of the young ruffians of the Leased Territories would have the opportunity to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/her-skirts-sleeves-collar-and-hat-saw-to-it-that-none-of-the-young/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [I wear a lot of hair extensions because I'm doing a lot of shoots and things like that. But for me, a good edge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayesha-curry/i-wear-a-lot-of-hair-extensions-because-i-m-doing-a-lot-of-shoots-and/) [Ayesha Curry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayesha-curry/) > [“When we finally arrived, the chauffeur escorted my younger sister, Laila, and me up to my father’s suite. As usual, he was hiding behind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hana-ali/when-we-finally-arrived-the-chauffeur-escorted-my-younger-sister/) [Hana Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hana-ali/) > [The idea that the United States government would have to figure out what to do about the headscarf is simply ludicrous. We don't get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-l-eck/the-idea-that-the-united-states-government-would-have-to-figure-out/) [Diana L. Eck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-l-eck/) > [I've never gotten any complaints about my headscarf from a man. You can be sexy with a head wrap!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanaa-lathan/i-ve-never-gotten-any-complaints-about-my-headscarf-from-a-man-you/) [Sanaa Lathan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanaa-lathan/) > [My family is very feminist, and they consider that Islam is not a super feminist religion, which I know people can argue about. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elif-batuman/my-family-is-very-feminist-and-they-consider-that-islam-is-not-a/) [Elif Batuman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elif-batuman/) > [LET A MAN THINK AND CARE ever so little about God, he does not therefore exist without God. God is here with him, upholding,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/let-a-man-think-and-care-ever-so-little-about-god-he-does-not/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [Man cannot always think of matter, however pleasurable it may be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/man-cannot-always-think-of-matter-however-pleasurable-it-may-be/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [Society never made the preposterous demand that a man should think as much about his own qualifications for making a charming girl happy as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/society-never-made-the-preposterous-demand-that-a-man-should-think-as/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [Wait a minute man, who do you think I am? He answered, Mr. Springsteen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-springfield/wait-a-minute-man-who-do-you-think-i-am-he-answered-mr-springsteen/) [Rick Springfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-springfield/) > [Pain makes man think. Thought makes man wise. Wisdom makes life endurable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-patrick/pain-makes-man-think-thought-makes-man-wise-wisdom-makes-life/) [John Patrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-patrick/) ## More by Geraldine Brooks > [“The word for mother, umm, is the root of the words for “source, nation, mercy, first principle, rich harvest; stupid, illiterate, parasite, weak of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geraldine-brooks/the-word-for-mother-umm-is-the-root-of-the-words-for-source-nation/) [Geraldine Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geraldine-brooks/) > [“The lieutenant colonel wondered if the high scores reflected a defect in the newly built shooting range at the women’s academy. To find out,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geraldine-brooks/the-lieutenant-colonel-wondered-if-the-high-scores-reflected-a-defect/) [Geraldine Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geraldine-brooks/) > [“No wonder simple men have always had their gods dwell in the high places. For as soon as a man lets his eye drop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geraldine-brooks/no-wonder-simple-men-have-always-had-their-gods-dwell-in-the-high/) [Geraldine Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geraldine-brooks/) > [I was really interested in how marriages work, how you can, you know, be in love with somebody and spend many years with your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geraldine-brooks/i-was-really-interested-in-how-marriages-work-how-you-can-you-know-be/) [Geraldine Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geraldine-brooks/) > [Writing is like bricklaying; you put down one word after another. 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"All of you, from the safe world, with your air bags and your tamper-proof packaging and your fat-free…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geraldine-brooks/you-he-continued-grabbing-my-wrist-all-of-you-from-the-safe-world/) [Geraldine Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geraldine-brooks/) > [“This is how an owl must look to a mouse in that last second before the talons sink into the flesh.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geraldine-brooks/this-is-how-an-owl-must-look-to-a-mouse-in-that-last-second-before/) [Geraldine Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geraldine-brooks/) > [And so, as generally happens, those who have most give least, and those with less somehow make shrift to share.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geraldine-brooks/and-so-as-generally-happens-those-who-have-most-give-least-and-those/) [Geraldine Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geraldine-brooks/) > [“The author of this text did not write to provoke, but merely to express a truth as he conceives it. Your own theologians have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geraldine-brooks/the-author-of-this-text-did-not-write-to-provoke-but-merely-to/) [Geraldine Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geraldine-brooks/) > [“So, you are happy to be a pigeon?” “Maybe so. But at least a pigeon does no harm. The hawk lives at the expense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geraldine-brooks/so-you-are-happy-to-be-a-pigeon-maybe-so-but-at-least-a-pigeon-does/) [Geraldine Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geraldine-brooks/) > [“Many men believe in the saying that educating women is like allowing the nose of the camel into the tent: eventually the beast will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geraldine-brooks/many-men-believe-in-the-saying-that-educating-women-is-like-allowing/) [Geraldine Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geraldine-brooks/) > [“No, no,” he said. “She can’t raise it at all. She may only clap. Women must be very careful of their voices. If”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geraldine-brooks/no-no-he-said-she-can-t-raise-it-at-all-she-may-only-clap-women-must/) [Geraldine Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geraldine-brooks/) > [If a man is to lose his fortune, it is a good thing if he were poor before he acquired it, for poverty requires…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geraldine-brooks/if-a-man-is-to-lose-his-fortune-it-is-a-good-thing-if-he-were-poor/) [Geraldine Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geraldine-brooks/) [Explore all 256 Geraldine Brooks quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geraldine-brooks/) ## More Headscarf quotes > [My family is very feminist, and they consider that Islam is not a super feminist religion, which I know people can argue about. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elif-batuman/my-family-is-very-feminist-and-they-consider-that-islam-is-not-a/) [Elif Batuman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elif-batuman/) > [I've never gotten any complaints about my headscarf from a man. You can be sexy with a head wrap!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanaa-lathan/i-ve-never-gotten-any-complaints-about-my-headscarf-from-a-man-you/) [Sanaa Lathan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanaa-lathan/) > [The idea that the United States government would have to figure out what to do about the headscarf is simply ludicrous. We don't get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-l-eck/the-idea-that-the-united-states-government-would-have-to-figure-out/) [Diana L. Eck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-l-eck/) > [“When we finally arrived, the chauffeur escorted my younger sister, Laila, and me up to my father’s suite. As usual, he was hiding behind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hana-ali/when-we-finally-arrived-the-chauffeur-escorted-my-younger-sister/) [Hana Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hana-ali/) > [I wear a lot of hair extensions because I'm doing a lot of shoots and things like that. But for me, a good edge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayesha-curry/i-wear-a-lot-of-hair-extensions-because-i-m-doing-a-lot-of-shoots-and/) [Ayesha Curry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayesha-curry/) > [“Her skirts, sleeves, collar, and hat saw to it that none of the young ruffians of the Leased Territories would have the opportunity to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/her-skirts-sleeves-collar-and-hat-saw-to-it-that-none-of-the-young/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [The hijab or a variation of the word shows up eight times in the Quran. And it never means headscarf. And so what's happened…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asra-nomani/the-hijab-or-a-variation-of-the-word-shows-up-eight-times-in-the/) [Asra Nomani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asra-nomani/) > [I love my headscarf. I wear my head wrap every day with my hoop earrings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuna/i-love-my-headscarf-i-wear-my-head-wrap-every-day-with-my-hoop/) [Yuna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuna/) > [Compelling a woman to wear a headscarf is against Islam, and compelling her to remove it is against human rights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ramadan/compelling-a-woman-to-wear-a-headscarf-is-against-islam-and/) [Tariq Ramadan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ramadan/) > [What we argue in the piece is that the headscarf has become a political symbol for an ideology of Islam that is exported to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asra-nomani/what-we-argue-in-the-piece-is-that-the-headscarf-has-become-a/) [Asra Nomani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asra-nomani/) [Browse all 11 Headscarf quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/headscarf/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“She would have had to keep her headscarf on, never laugh, never smile—if she smiles at a man he will think, ‘Ah, she loves me,’ ” Mohamed explained. 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