"I am learning to live again, slowly and with difficulty."
This quote suggests a process of recovery and resilience after a challenging or traumatic period in life. The speaker is gradually regaining control over their life, but the process is tedious and demanding. It implies that even after overcoming hardships, one may not immediately return to normalcy, instead learning to live again in a new, possibly changed state.
"Everyone has their own private America."
Hisham Matar's quote, "Everyone has their own private America," suggests that each individual perceives or imagines a unique version of America based on personal experiences, beliefs, culture, media exposure, and societal conditioning. This private America is not bound by geographical borders but rather exists within the mind of every individual, reflecting their distinct perspectives, aspirations, fears, and ideals associated with this iconic nation. It's a reminder that while America may have a universal image, its true essence lies in the collective stories, experiences, and interpretations of its people.
"Exile is not a place you go to but a state of being lost."
This quote by Hisham Matar suggests that exile, or being away from one's homeland, is not merely a physical location, but an emotional and psychological condition. Exile, in this context, is about feeling disconnected, adrift, and lost - a state of being uprooted from one's identity and sense of belonging. This idea encapsulates the profound impact that displacement has on individuals, transcending geographical boundaries to affect their emotional wellbeing and self-perception.
"To forget is human; to remember, divine."
This quote by Hisham Matar underscores the fundamental difference between our human and divine nature. Forgetting represents our inherent fallibility as humans, our ability to make mistakes, learn, and move on from past experiences. Remembering, however, is a divine quality - it symbolizes wisdom, understanding, and the ability to carry knowledge and lessons throughout our lives. It's a testament to our capacity for growth, empathy, and a deeper connection with ourselves and others.
"In exile, we are never truly alone, for all the ghosts of our past cling to us like shadows."
This quote suggests that those in exile (physical or emotional) carry with them the echoes of their past experiences, memories, and lost connections. These "ghosts" serve as a reminder of who they once were and where they came from, creating an invisible bond between the individual and their past life. The use of "shadow" implies that these ghosts are constant companions, ever-present yet intangible, providing comfort in familiarity but also casting a sense of lingering sadness or longing. Overall, Matar's quote underscores the powerful role memories play in shaping and influencing the lives of those who have experienced exile, reminding us that our past is an integral part of our identity even when we are far from home.
One of the dark truths about dictators - and it applies to Gaddafi - is that on some level, they love their people. But it is a strange love. It says, 'I love you for me; I don't love you for you.' That rhymes with a certain kind of Libyan father who was always certain about what was good for those around him. Those fathers lose in the end.
- Hisham Matar
Grenfell, the building set on fire with the help of its own face, is a scene of a complex injustice: one that is moral, economic, political, and aesthetic. Not only was the cladding unsafe, it was ugly; not only was it ugly, it was untrue both to the architecture of the building it covered and untrue to its responsibility to human safety.
- Hisham Matar
The Arab Spring, with all of its failings and failures, exposed the lie that if we are to live, then we must live as slaves. It was an attempt to undermine not only the orthodoxy of dictatorship but also an international political orthodoxy where every activity must be approved by the profit logic of the 'ledger.'
- Hisham Matar
In Libya, I did well at school because I was clever. In Egyptian public school, I got the highest marks for the basest of reasons. And in the American school, I struggled. Everything - mathematics, the sciences, pottery, swimming - had to be conducted in a language I hardly knew and that was neither spoken in the streets nor at home.
- Hisham Matar
From before I was born, we Arabs have been caught between two forces that, seemingly, cannot be defeated: our ruthless dictators, who oppress and humiliate us, and the cynical western powers, who would rather see us ruled by criminals loyal to them than have democratically elected leaders accountable to us.
- Hisham Matar
I can pinpoint the exact moment when I first began to think about what profession I should go into. It was 1978. I was seven and had just been handed over by the women of my family to the earnest and self-important gatherings of the men. I was no longer the responsibility of my aunts and older female cousins. I was now a man. This was a tragedy.
- Hisham Matar
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