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Dr. Azad
A neighbor of Nazneen’s who knows everything about everyone living in Tower Hamlets, and who keeps a seemingly endless supply of handkerchiefs up her sleeves. Later, Nazneen learns from Razia that the handkerchiefs are a holdover from a time when Mrs. Islam and her husband ran a shady business at home in Bangladesh. A ruthless usurer, Mrs. Islam loans people money to help them out of jams but collects far more than they owe in interest. Chanu borrows money from her in order to buy a sewing machine for Nazneen and a computer for himself. Much to Mrs. Islam’s surprise and anger, a newly empowered Nazneen eventually refuses to pay her exorbitant rates, claiming, rightly, that the debt has already long been paid off.
Mrs. Islam Quotes in Brick Lane
The Brick Lane quotes below are all either spoken by Mrs. Islam or refer to Mrs. Islam. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 3
Quotes
“If you think you are powerless, then you are. Everything is within you, where God put it. If your husband does not do what is required, think what you yourself have left undone.”
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Chapter 4
Quotes
You can spread your soul over a paddy field, you can whisper to a mango tree, you can feel the earth beneath your toes and know that this is the place, the place where it begins and ends. But what can you tell to a pile of bricks? The bricks will not be moved.
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Chapter 1
Quotes
“Mixing with all sorts: Turkish, English, Jewish. All sorts. I am not old-fashioned,” said Mrs. Islam. “I don't wear burkha. I keep purdah in my mind, which is the most important thing. Plus, I have cardigans and anoraks and a scarf for my head. But if you mix with all these people, even if they are good people, you have to give up your culture to accept theirs. That’s how it is.”
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Mrs. Islam Quotes in Brick Lane
The Brick Lane quotes below are all either spoken by Mrs. Islam or refer to Mrs. Islam. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 3
Quotes
“If you think you are powerless, then you are. Everything is within you, where God put it. If your husband does not do what is required, think what you yourself have left undone.”
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 4
Quotes
You can spread your soul over a paddy field, you can whisper to a mango tree, you can feel the earth beneath your toes and know that this is the place, the place where it begins and ends. But what can you tell to a pile of bricks? The bricks will not be moved.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 1
Quotes
“Mixing with all sorts: Turkish, English, Jewish. All sorts. I am not old-fashioned,” said Mrs. Islam. “I don't wear burkha. I keep purdah in my mind, which is the most important thing. Plus, I have cardigans and anoraks and a scarf for my head. But if you mix with all these people, even if they are good people, you have to give up your culture to accept theirs. That’s how it is.”
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
