--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When my second husband shouted, 'Me or…" description: "\"When my second husband shouted, 'Me or your writing!' I replied, 'My writing.' We separated.\" — Nawal El Saadawi" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8a/nawal-el-saadawi-4167_husband_when-my-second-husband-shouted-me-or-you_2582796.jpg" --- # When my second husband shouted, 'Me or your writing!' I… ![“When my second husband shouted, 'Me or your writing!' I replied, 'My writing.' We separated.” quote by Nawal El Saadawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8a/nawal-el-saadawi-4167_husband_when-my-second-husband-shouted-me-or-you_2582796.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8a/nawal-el-saadawi-4167_husband_when-my-second-husband-shouted-me-or-you_2582796.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8a/nawal-el-saadawi-4167_husband_when-my-second-husband-shouted-me-or-you_2582796.jpg) > “When my second husband shouted, 'Me or your writing!' I replied, 'My writing.' We separated.” [Nawal El Saadawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nawal-el-saadawi/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Choosing art over a controlling partner shows prioritizing personal identity and creative freedom. **In simple terms:** She chose writing over a relationship. Key Takeaway Value personal passion over oppressive demands. Themes self‑determination artistic integrity gender dynamics Mood defiant empowered Type personal reflective When to use this quote - relationship decisions - creative careers - personal boundaries Key Concepts feminist literature personal autonomy Questions to Reflect On - What would you sacrifice for your art? - How do you recognize controlling behavior? A Different Perspective Choosing a partner may limit artistic growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Husband](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/husband/) [Husband Shouted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/husband-shouted-1792703/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriage/) [Second Husband](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/second-husband-885351/) [Separated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/separated/) [Shouted Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shouted-writing-1792702/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing Separated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-separated-1792701/) ## Related quotes > [I have no wish for a second husband. I had enough of the first. I like to have my own way to lie down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanna-moodie/i-have-no-wish-for-a-second-husband-i-had-enough-of-the-first-i-like/) [Susanna Moodie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanna-moodie/) > [For many years I had allowed my second husband to take credit for my paintings. But one day, unable to continue the deception any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-keane/for-many-years-i-had-allowed-my-second-husband-to-take-credit-for-my/) [Margaret Keane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-keane/) > [“But he’s a vampire.” — Heather Fidelia shrugged. “Nobody’s perfect. My second husband—he had six toes on one foot.” “This is a little more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerrelyn-sparks/but-he-s-a-vampire-heather-fidelia-shrugged-nobody-s-perfect-my/) [Kerrelyn Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerrelyn-sparks/) > [When my mother left her second husband, she wrote her autobiography and presented it to him for his approval.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-antin/when-my-mother-left-her-second-husband-she-wrote-her-autobiography/) [David Antin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-antin/) > [I met my second husband on a bus. We looked at each other and that was it. We were both married to other people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-bawden/i-met-my-second-husband-on-a-bus-we-looked-at-each-other-and-that-was/) [Nina Bawden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-bawden/) > [I was the one who kept telling my second husband he should become a cinematographer. I paid for him to get his director's card,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carmen-dell-orefice/i-was-the-one-who-kept-telling-my-second-husband-he-should-become-a/) [Carmen Dell'Orefice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carmen-dell-orefice/) > [Through singing, I met my second husband, Jonathan, who is a professional musician. He transformed our lives and relieved me of much of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-hawking/through-singing-i-met-my-second-husband-jonathan-who-is-a/) [Jane Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-hawking/) > [My second husband was an American. We traveled all over the world and everywhere we went he would say to people, I am an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-paxton/my-second-husband-was-an-american-we-traveled-all-over-the-world-and/) [John Paxton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-paxton/) > [My second husband encouraged me to go to a writing group at our local theatre. It was my 'coming out of the closet' moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-townsend/my-second-husband-encouraged-me-to-go-to-a-writing-group-at-our-local/) [Sue Townsend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-townsend/) > [My second husband, Eric Villency, is the father of my beautiful boy Ronan Anthony. Even though we're divorced, I'm still very close with his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberly-guilfoyle/my-second-husband-eric-villency-is-the-father-of-my-beautiful-boy/) [Kimberly Guilfoyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberly-guilfoyle/) > [When I was with my second husband, I'd always paint my nails and go to bed with my make-up on; he loved all that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-ballas/when-i-was-with-my-second-husband-i-d-always-paint-my-nails-and-go-to/) [Shirley Ballas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-ballas/) > [Though the world may often appear to be more charitable than the church, it is crucial to remember that, for the church, the care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-hauerwas/though-the-world-may-often-appear-to-be-more-charitable-than-the/) [Stanley Hauerwas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-hauerwas/) > [When I came back to it, we amicably separated from Warner Bros. I just picked up where I left off, trying to write the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-jett/when-i-came-back-to-it-we-amicably-separated-from-warner-bros-i-just/) [Joan Jett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-jett/) > [People used to say my son looked like a Mexican Biggie. And when he was first born, memories of Biggie... you know, we didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/faith-evans/people-used-to-say-my-son-looked-like-a-mexican-biggie-and-when-he/) [Faith Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/faith-evans/) > [A composer knows that music is written by human beings for human beings and that music is a continuation of life, not something separated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanns-eisler/a-composer-knows-that-music-is-written-by-human-beings-for-human/) [Hanns Eisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanns-eisler/) ## More by Nawal El Saadawi > [There is not a revolution that succe Women are suffering because they are being excluded. The high military council excluded women from the committee…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nawal-el-saadawi/there-is-not-a-revolution-that-succe-women-are-suffering-because-they/) [Nawal El Saadawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nawal-el-saadawi/) > [To be creative means to connect. It's to abolish the gap between the body, the mind and the soul, between science and art, between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nawal-el-saadawi/to-be-creative-means-to-connect-it-s-to-abolish-the-gap-between-the/) [Nawal El Saadawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nawal-el-saadawi/) > [We here in Egypt are fed up with U.S. colonialism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nawal-el-saadawi/we-here-in-egypt-are-fed-up-with-u-s-colonialism/) [Nawal El Saadawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nawal-el-saadawi/) > [Education should be totally secular. I am not telling people not to believe in God, but it should be a personal matter which should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nawal-el-saadawi/education-should-be-totally-secular-i-am-not-telling-people-not-to/) [Nawal El Saadawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nawal-el-saadawi/) > [Home to me is the world because my books have been translated into more than 30 languages.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nawal-el-saadawi/home-to-me-is-the-world-because-my-books-have-been-translated-into/) [Nawal El Saadawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nawal-el-saadawi/) > [Doubt is the first step towards knowledge, not faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nawal-el-saadawi/doubt-is-the-first-step-towards-knowledge-not-faith/) [Nawal El Saadawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nawal-el-saadawi/) > [I had to educate myself about female circumcision, about the clitoris, about sexology. We studied gynecology only. Pregnancy, maternal care, etc.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nawal-el-saadawi/i-had-to-educate-myself-about-female-circumcision-about-the-clitoris/) [Nawal El Saadawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nawal-el-saadawi/) > [The feminists who are aware of the effects of patriarchy realize that we are all in the same boat from the dangers of patriarchy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nawal-el-saadawi/the-feminists-who-are-aware-of-the-effects-of-patriarchy-realize-that/) [Nawal El Saadawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nawal-el-saadawi/) > [If you are creative, you must be dissident.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nawal-el-saadawi/if-you-are-creative-you-must-be-dissident/) [Nawal El Saadawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nawal-el-saadawi/) > [“Now i had learnt that honor required large sums of money to protect it, but that large sums of money could not be obtained…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nawal-el-saadawi/now-i-had-learnt-that-honor-required-large-sums-of-money-to-protect/) [Nawal El Saadawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nawal-el-saadawi/) > [“Badreya whispered in her ear, “The price of freedom is high, Bodour, and there is no writing without freedom. Break your chains, Bodour, break…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nawal-el-saadawi/badreya-whispered-in-her-ear-the-price-of-freedom-is-high-bodour-and/) [Nawal El Saadawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nawal-el-saadawi/) > [Thus, after a period of about two thousand years the greatest crime became to worship a god other than the God of Moses, whereas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nawal-el-saadawi/thus-after-a-period-of-about-two-thousand-years-the-greatest-crime/) [Nawal El Saadawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nawal-el-saadawi/) > [If you do not love yourself, well, you cannot do anything well, that's my philosophy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nawal-el-saadawi/if-you-do-not-love-yourself-well-you-cannot-do-anything-well-that-s/) [Nawal El Saadawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nawal-el-saadawi/) > [ Women are suffering because they are being excluded. The high military council excluded women from the committee to change the constitution \[of Egypt\]. We… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nawal-el-saadawi/women-are-suffering-because-they-are-being-excluded-the-high-military/) [Nawal El Saadawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nawal-el-saadawi/) > [Solidarity between women can be a powerful force of change, and can influence future development in ways favourable not only to women but also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nawal-el-saadawi/solidarity-between-women-can-be-a-powerful-force-of-change-and-can/) [Nawal El Saadawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nawal-el-saadawi/) [Explore all 114 Nawal El Saadawi quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nawal-el-saadawi/) ## More Husband quotes > [I don't like being away from home. That's one reason why I don't work as much as I used to \[when I started my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-powell/i-don-t-like-being-away-from-home-that-s-one-reason-why-i-don-t-work/) [Jane Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-powell/) > [Do you think that God would separate me from my husband if I killed myself? I feel as though I am going out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/do-you-think-that-god-would-separate-me-from-my-husband-if-i-killed/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Her dignity consists in being unknown to the world; her glory is in the esteem of her husband; her pleasures in the happiness of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/her-dignity-consists-in-being-unknown-to-the-world-her-glory-is-in/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [When I was in my twenties and just so sexually prolific, the first time I went to Machu Picchu, this guy, a spiritual teacher,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-harrelson/when-i-was-in-my-twenties-and-just-so-sexually-prolific-the-first/) [Woody Harrelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-harrelson/) > [While husbands and lovers in the stories are of all kinds, ranging from sympathetic to disgusting, women are invariably deceivers: inconstant, unscrupulous, quarrelsome, querulous,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-tuchman/while-husbands-and-lovers-in-the-stories-are-of-all-kinds-ranging/) [Barbara Tuchman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-tuchman/) > [My husband really loves my feet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayesha-curry/my-husband-really-loves-my-feet/) [Ayesha Curry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayesha-curry/) > [An ideal wife is any woman who has an ideal husband.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/booth-tarkington/an-ideal-wife-is-any-woman-who-has-an-ideal-husband/) [Booth Tarkington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/booth-tarkington/) > [There are few husbands whom the wife cannot win in the long run, by patience and love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-of-valois/there-are-few-husbands-whom-the-wife-cannot-win-in-the-long-run-by/) [Margaret of Valois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-of-valois/) > [To husband is to use with care, to keep, to save, to make last, to conserve. Old usage tells us that there is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/to-husband-is-to-use-with-care-to-keep-to-save-to-make-last-to/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [Every wife ought to answer for her man. If the husband be engaged in a seditious club, or drinks mysterious healths, or be frugal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/every-wife-ought-to-answer-for-her-man-if-the-husband-be-engaged-in-a/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [Sonny Von Bulow, who said to her husband Claus on their honeymoon, Stop needling me. Never got a dinner!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/red-buttons/sonny-von-bulow-who-said-to-her-husband-claus-on-their-honeymoon-stop/) [Red Buttons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/red-buttons/) > [That's your friend. My husband is my best friend. He's not the mirror that holds up my flaws. He's just the guy who's like,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/that-s-your-friend-my-husband-is-my-best-friend-he-s-not-the-mirror/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [“I am happier when I love than when I am loved. I adore my husband, my son, and my grandchildren, my mother, my dog,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/i-am-happier-when-i-love-than-when-i-am-loved-i-adore-my-husband-my/) [Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/) > [Men often joke about this assignment (I Peter 3:7): 'Who can understand a woman?' God has answered the question loud and clear. You can.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stu-weber/men-often-joke-about-this-assignment-i-peter-3-7-who-can-understand-a/) [Stu Weber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stu-weber/) > [I would like not only to have a successful band, but I want to have children, a home, and a husband. Two or three.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-corr/i-would-like-not-only-to-have-a-successful-band-but-i-want-to-have/) [Caroline Corr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-corr/) [Browse all 4,389 Husband quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/husband/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When my second husband shouted, 'Me or your writing!' I replied, 'My writing.' We separated.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Nawal El Saadawi" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nawal-el-saadawi/when-my-second-husband-shouted-me-or-your-writing-i-replied-my/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Husband" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nawal-el-saadawi/when-my-second-husband-shouted-me-or-your-writing-i-replied-my/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8a/nawal-el-saadawi-4167_husband_when-my-second-husband-shouted-me-or-you_2582796.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8a/nawal-el-saadawi-4167_husband_when-my-second-husband-shouted-me-or-you_2582796.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8a/nawal-el-saadawi-4167_husband_when-my-second-husband-shouted-me-or-you_2582796.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When my second husband shouted, 'Me or your writing!' I replied, 'My writing.' We separated.” — Nawal El Saadawi", "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": "Nawal El Saadawi", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nawal-el-saadawi/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When my second husband shouted, 'Me...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nawal-el-saadawi/when-my-second-husband-shouted-me-or-your-writing-i-replied-my/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nawal-el-saadawi/when-my-second-husband-shouted-me-or-your-writing-i-replied-my/#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 } } ] } ```