--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My first hero, as a teenager, was James…" description: "\"My first hero, as a teenager, was James Connolly. I remember discovering that he was a feminist, and that was an eye-opener, coming from a man of such ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e8/frances-o-grady-15069_discovering_my-first-hero-as-a-teenager-was-james-co_1545962.jpg" --- # My first hero, as a teenager, was James Connolly. I… ![“My first hero, as a teenager, was James Connolly. I remember discovering that he was a feminist, and that was an eye-opener, coming from a man of such poverty.” quote by Frances O'Grady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e8/frances-o-grady-15069_discovering_my-first-hero-as-a-teenager-was-james-co_1545962.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e8/frances-o-grady-15069_discovering_my-first-hero-as-a-teenager-was-james-co_1545962.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e8/frances-o-grady-15069_discovering_my-first-hero-as-a-teenager-was-james-co_1545962.jpg) > “My first hero, as a teenager, was James Connolly. I remember discovering that he was a feminist, and that was an eye-opener, coming from a man of such poverty.” [Frances O'Grady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-o-grady/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Discovering a historical figure's feminist stance reshapes personal ideals and challenges gender expectations. **In simple terms:** Learning about a man's feminism changed her view. Key Takeaway Seek role models beyond stereotypes. Themes identity gender inspiration history Mood reflective inspired Type biographical motivational When to use this quote - youth activism - education - personal growth - political awareness Key Concepts feminism class consciousness role model Questions to Reflect On - How does learning about unexpected traits in heroes affect your own values? - What other stereotypes can you challenge? A Different Perspective Historical figures may have complex legacies that conflict with modern values. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Connolly Remember](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/connolly-remember-5767542/) [Discovering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discovering/) [Discovering Feminist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discovering-feminist-5767543/) [Eye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eye/) [Feminist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feminist/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Hero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hero/) [Hero Teenager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hero-teenager-5767541/) [James Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/james-connolly-226877/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Poverty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poverty/) [Remember](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remember/) [Teenager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teenager/) ## Related quotes > [In discovering books, you became free to explore the full range of human motives, desires, secrets, and lies. All my life, people have scolded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/in-discovering-books-you-became-free-to-explore-the-full-range-of/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) > [Melbourne, where I grew up, is one of the street art capitals of the world. Something about discovering freshly painted walls always fills me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penelope-mitchell/melbourne-where-i-grew-up-is-one-of-the-street-art-capitals-of-the/) [Penelope Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penelope-mitchell/) > [Coming to appreciate your worth can, in some cases, dramatically improve your circumstances by changing the choices you make and the actions you take.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-millman/coming-to-appreciate-your-worth-can-in-some-cases-dramatically/) [Dan Millman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-millman/) > [“There were a lot of stressed out people in the company as we were discovering how dangerous the DeSoto Solar Farm was!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/there-were-a-lot-of-stressed-out-people-in-the-company-as-we-were/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [Marx, however imperfectly he worked out the details, set himself the task of discovering the law of motion of capitalism, and if there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-robinson/marx-however-imperfectly-he-worked-out-the-details-set-himself-the/) [Joan Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-robinson/) > [We can go up or we can do down. I think generally the world is going on an upward swing. We're in a part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-harrison/we-can-go-up-or-we-can-do-down-i-think-generally-the-world-is-going/) [George Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-harrison/) > [ “d\] One speaks in a language one doesn't understand, uses money whose worth one does not know, and wanders down streets for the very… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/d-one-speaks-in-a-language-one-doesn-t-understand-uses-money-whose/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [TV is, as I'm discovering now, a marathon. You have to keep going and going and going.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-nolan/tv-is-as-i-m-discovering-now-a-marathon-you-have-to-keep-going-and/) [Jonathan Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-nolan/) > [There are people I'll always love to listen to, and I'm always ending up discovering new songs by them, which is crazy. Like Stevie…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-armstrong/there-are-people-i-ll-always-love-to-listen-to-and-i-m-always-ending/) [Neil Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-armstrong/) > [The future teachers I try to recruit are those show have refused to let themselves be neutered in this way, either in their private…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kozol/the-future-teachers-i-try-to-recruit-are-those-show-have-refused-to/) [Jonathan Kozol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kozol/) > [There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-j-wheatley/there-is-no-power-for-change-greater-than-a-community-discovering/) [Margaret J. Wheatley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-j-wheatley/) > [I think the best SF writers are very aware of what we, in the scientific community, are doing, thinking, and discovering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-grinspoon/i-think-the-best-sf-writers-are-very-aware-of-what-we-in-the/) [David Grinspoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-grinspoon/) > [Discovering witnesses is just as important as catching criminals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-wiesenthal/discovering-witnesses-is-just-as-important-as-catching-criminals/) [Simon Wiesenthal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-wiesenthal/) > [Like a child exploring the attic of an old house on a rainy day, discovering a trunk full of treasure and then calling all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/like-a-child-exploring-the-attic-of-an-old-house-on-a-rainy-day/) [Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/) > [“It's kind of impressive...you know, the idea of discovering something that, for all intents and purposes, goes against your abilities, and yet still deciding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/it-s-kind-of-impressive-you-know-the-idea-of-discovering-something/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) ## More by Frances O'Grady > [The implication that women work for pin money and can manage on a worse pension, presumably by relying on husbands, riles. But even more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-o-grady/the-implication-that-women-work-for-pin-money-and-can-manage-on-a/) [Frances O'Grady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-o-grady/) > [I like independent films... European films. I do go and see popular films as well because my kids force me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-o-grady/i-like-independent-films-european-films-i-do-go-and-see-popular-films/) [Frances O'Grady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-o-grady/) > [I do know what it's like to worry about bills, I do know what it's like to worry about even finding a child-minder, never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-o-grady/i-do-know-what-it-s-like-to-worry-about-bills-i-do-know-what-it-s/) [Frances O'Grady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-o-grady/) > [Would I describe myself as new Labour? I'm Labour, organised Labour. 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I've always believed that the relationship between an employer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-o-grady/i-came-from-a-family-where-joining-a-union-was-the-expected-thing-to/) [Frances O'Grady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-o-grady/) > [There are lots of small businesses in Britain that have a pretty tough time but many of them are also parts of supply chains,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-o-grady/there-are-lots-of-small-businesses-in-britain-that-have-a-pretty/) [Frances O'Grady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-o-grady/) > [In the U.S. the powerful critics of austerity such as Paul Krugman and Robert Reich rightly identify the decline of 'labor' as a problem,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-o-grady/in-the-u-s-the-powerful-critics-of-austerity-such-as-paul-krugman-and/) [Frances O'Grady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-o-grady/) > [I cherish the creation of public space and services, especially health, housing and the comprehensive education system which dared to give so many of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-o-grady/i-cherish-the-creation-of-public-space-and-services-especially-health/) [Frances O'Grady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-o-grady/) > [RFK was a compelling figure because he was willing to challenge his audiences, and in turn connect with them in a unique way. Kennedy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-o-grady/rfk-was-a-compelling-figure-because-he-was-willing-to-challenge-his/) [Frances O'Grady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-o-grady/) > [Never has a strong, responsible trade union movement been so needed. With austerity policies biting hard and with no evidence that they are working,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-o-grady/never-has-a-strong-responsible-trade-union-movement-been-so-needed/) [Frances O'Grady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-o-grady/) > [The difficulty for the Government is there's this ideological straitjacket of the market will provide, let the market rip and everything will work out...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-o-grady/the-difficulty-for-the-government-is-there-s-this-ideological/) [Frances O'Grady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-o-grady/) > [Governments of all stripes want to deliver growth and rebalance their economies now that they have learned the hard way that, left to their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-o-grady/governments-of-all-stripes-want-to-deliver-growth-and-rebalance-their/) [Frances O'Grady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-o-grady/) > [I am a feminist and I have no problems being called that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-o-grady/i-am-a-feminist-and-i-have-no-problems-being-called-that/) [Frances O'Grady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-o-grady/) > [It is not natural or inevitable that half the world goes hungry; that the freedom of markets trumps protection of the planet; or that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-o-grady/it-is-not-natural-or-inevitable-that-half-the-world-goes-hungry-that/) [Frances O'Grady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-o-grady/) [Explore all 44 Frances O'Grady quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-o-grady/) ## More Discovering quotes > [In discovering books, you became free to explore the full range of human motives, desires, secrets, and lies. All my life, people have scolded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/in-discovering-books-you-became-free-to-explore-the-full-range-of/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) > [Like a child exploring the attic of an old house on a rainy day, discovering a trunk full of treasure and then calling all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/like-a-child-exploring-the-attic-of-an-old-house-on-a-rainy-day/) [Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/) > [Discovering witnesses is just as important as catching criminals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-wiesenthal/discovering-witnesses-is-just-as-important-as-catching-criminals/) [Simon Wiesenthal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-wiesenthal/) > [I think the best SF writers are very aware of what we, in the scientific community, are doing, thinking, and discovering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-grinspoon/i-think-the-best-sf-writers-are-very-aware-of-what-we-in-the/) [David Grinspoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-grinspoon/) > [There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-j-wheatley/there-is-no-power-for-change-greater-than-a-community-discovering/) [Margaret J. Wheatley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-j-wheatley/) > [The future teachers I try to recruit are those show have refused to let themselves be neutered in this way, either in their private…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kozol/the-future-teachers-i-try-to-recruit-are-those-show-have-refused-to/) [Jonathan Kozol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kozol/) > [There are people I'll always love to listen to, and I'm always ending up discovering new songs by them, which is crazy. Like Stevie…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-armstrong/there-are-people-i-ll-always-love-to-listen-to-and-i-m-always-ending/) [Neil Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-armstrong/) > [TV is, as I'm discovering now, a marathon. You have to keep going and going and going.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-nolan/tv-is-as-i-m-discovering-now-a-marathon-you-have-to-keep-going-and/) [Jonathan Nolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-nolan/) > [ “d\] One speaks in a language one doesn't understand, uses money whose worth one does not know, and wanders down streets for the very… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/d-one-speaks-in-a-language-one-doesn-t-understand-uses-money-whose/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [We can go up or we can do down. I think generally the world is going on an upward swing. 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