---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My father was, in fact, illiterate."
description: "\"My father was, in fact, illiterate.\" — Linda Thomas-Greenfield"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/29e/linda-thomas-greenfield-5630_fact_my-father-was-in-fact-illiterate-2293999_2293999.jpg"
---

#  My father was, in fact, illiterate.

![“My father was, in fact, illiterate.” quote by Linda Thomas-Greenfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/29e/linda-thomas-greenfield-5630_fact_my-father-was-in-fact-illiterate-2293999_2293999.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/29e/linda-thomas-greenfield-5630_fact_my-father-was-in-fact-illiterate-2293999_2293999.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/29e/linda-thomas-greenfield-5630_fact_my-father-was-in-fact-illiterate-2293999_2293999.jpg)

> “My father was, in fact, illiterate.”

[Linda Thomas-Greenfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-thomas-greenfield/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

She reveals her father's illiteracy, highlighting personal background and humility.

**In simple terms:** Her father could not read or write.

Key Takeaway

Acknowledge humble origins.

Themes

humility family education

Mood

introspective empathetic

Type

personal biographical

When to use this quote

- biographical writing
- public speaking
- interview
- teaching

Key Concepts

social background personal narrative

Questions to Reflect On

- What impact did his illiteracy have on her?
- How does this shape her values?

A Different Perspective

May overlook other aspects of his life.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Fact](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fact/) [Fact Illiterate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fact-illiterate-5400849/) [Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father/) [Father Fact](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father-fact-5400850/) [Illiterate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/illiterate/) [In fact](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/in-fact/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/)

## Related quotes

> [I definitely consider 'Poses' - the whole album in fact - to be kind of a miracle. Like the last breath of that moment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rufus-wainwright/i-definitely-consider-poses-the-whole-album-in-fact-to-be-kind-of-a/)

[Rufus Wainwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rufus-wainwright/)

> [You know, you don't need a leader to sort of administer something that's going very well. In fact, in one sense, an overly ambitious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-v-gerstner-jr/you-know-you-don-t-need-a-leader-to-sort-of-administer-something-that/)

[Louis V. Gerstner, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-v-gerstner-jr/)

> [The Internet, the network of networks, is growing at an exponential pace. It's growing so fast, in fact, nobody really knows how many people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-kapor/the-internet-the-network-of-networks-is-growing-at-an-exponential/)

[Mitch Kapor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-kapor/)

> [Although we often assume that feelings inspire actions, in fact, actions also inspire feelings. By pushing myself to act happier, I make myself feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-rubin/although-we-often-assume-that-feelings-inspire-actions-in-fact/)

[Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/)

> [It's time for male leaders to not only ask for binders of qualified women, but to re-write the definition of 'qualified.' The best man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-m-kunin/it-s-time-for-male-leaders-to-not-only-ask-for-binders-of-qualified/)

[Madeleine M. Kunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-m-kunin/)

> [Attention may sound dull, but it is an essential aspect of consciousness. In fact, it governs what it is that we turn out to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iain-mcgilchrist/attention-may-sound-dull-but-it-is-an-essential-aspect-of/)

[Iain McGilchrist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iain-mcgilchrist/)

> [For children, diversity needs to be real and not merely relegated to learning the names of the usual suspects during Black History Month or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ridley/for-children-diversity-needs-to-be-real-and-not-merely-relegated-to/)

[John Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ridley/)

> [Basically, what Economic Hit Men are trained to do is to build up the American empire. To create situations where as many resources as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perkins/basically-what-economic-hit-men-are-trained-to-do-is-to-build-up-the/)

[John Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perkins/)

> [It did not come naturally; in fact, it would be difficult to conceive of any more dogmatic and less tolerant people than the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-harris/it-did-not-come-naturally-in-fact-it-would-be-difficult-to-conceive/)

[Paul Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-harris/)

> [From food trucks to hot dog stands to county fair favorites, 'street food' has enjoyed a rich and storied history in American cuisine. However,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/homaro-cantu/from-food-trucks-to-hot-dog-stands-to-county-fair-favorites-street/)

[Homaro Cantu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/homaro-cantu/)

> [I'm very, very focused on my children. In fact, I'm very religious about having breakfast with them every morning, having dinner with them every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zhang-xin/i-m-very-very-focused-on-my-children-in-fact-i-m-very-religious-about/)

[Zhang Xin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zhang-xin/)

> [America is not static. America is striving. And sometimes, America requires critique. Jingoism is an avoidance of realism. You can simultaneously love and be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-m-blow/america-is-not-static-america-is-striving-and-sometimes-america/)

[Charles M. Blow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-m-blow/)

> [The CIA has acknowledged that it has detained about 100 terrorists since 9/11, and about a third of them have been subjected to what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-brennan/the-cia-has-acknowledged-that-it-has-detained-about-100-terrorists/)

[John O. Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-brennan/)

> [I'm very happy with the success of short films. In fact, for me, the short films make more money than the features.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-plympton/i-m-very-happy-with-the-success-of-short-films-in-fact-for-me-the/)

[Bill Plympton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-plympton/)

> [I'm one of those people who believes that part of the greatness of the United States is our private sector. It's what we do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-cheney/i-m-one-of-those-people-who-believes-that-part-of-the-greatness-of/)

[Dick Cheney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-cheney/)

## More by Linda Thomas-Greenfield

> [Our peacekeeping efforts should always make people the priority.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-thomas-greenfield/our-peacekeeping-efforts-should-always-make-people-the-priority/)

[Linda Thomas-Greenfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-thomas-greenfield/)

> [Who you are and the choices you make - how you choose to use your skills, how you put your values into practice, how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-thomas-greenfield/who-you-are-and-the-choices-you-make-how-you-choose-to-use-your/)

[Linda Thomas-Greenfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-thomas-greenfield/)

> [We can't lose our sense of humanity, our compassion for people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-thomas-greenfield/we-can-t-lose-our-sense-of-humanity-our-compassion-for-people/)

[Linda Thomas-Greenfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-thomas-greenfield/)

> [If the Russians make the decision to invade Ukraine, this is an attack on the entire U.N. Charter. It is an attack on peace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-thomas-greenfield/if-the-russians-make-the-decision-to-invade-ukraine-this-is-an-attack/)

[Linda Thomas-Greenfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-thomas-greenfield/)

> [You know, I wish someone had told me I could be anything, that I could do anything... I did not know when I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-thomas-greenfield/you-know-i-wish-someone-had-told-me-i-could-be-anything-that-i-could/)

[Linda Thomas-Greenfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-thomas-greenfield/)

> [As the international community comes together to create rules for developing and deploying technology, America and its allies and partners aim to advance peace,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-thomas-greenfield/as-the-international-community-comes-together-to-create-rules-for/)

[Linda Thomas-Greenfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-thomas-greenfield/)

> [Gumbo should have a nice brownish color.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-thomas-greenfield/gumbo-should-have-a-nice-brownish-color/)

[Linda Thomas-Greenfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-thomas-greenfield/)

> [Those of us who experience racism cannot, and should not, internalize it, despite the impact that it can have on our everyday lives. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-thomas-greenfield/those-of-us-who-experience-racism-cannot-and-should-not-internalize/)

[Linda Thomas-Greenfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-thomas-greenfield/)

> [You know, being on the international stage can always be frustrating if you can't accomplish all of your goals as fast as you want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-thomas-greenfield/you-know-being-on-the-international-stage-can-always-be-frustrating/)

[Linda Thomas-Greenfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-thomas-greenfield/)

> [Every year, tens of thousands of lives are impacted by terrorist violence around the globe. These are brothers, sisters, sons, and daughters. They are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-thomas-greenfield/every-year-tens-of-thousands-of-lives-are-impacted-by-terrorist/)

[Linda Thomas-Greenfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-thomas-greenfield/)

> [There are areas in the Security Council and more broadly in our bilateral relationship where we can cooperate with the Chinese. Climate change is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-thomas-greenfield/there-are-areas-in-the-security-council-and-more-broadly-in-our/)

[Linda Thomas-Greenfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-thomas-greenfield/)

> [Wherever I was posted around the world, I invited people of different backgrounds and beliefs to make homemade gumbo. It was my way of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-thomas-greenfield/wherever-i-was-posted-around-the-world-i-invited-people-of-different/)

[Linda Thomas-Greenfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-thomas-greenfield/)

> [I was working on refugee issues in 1993, as the refugee coordinator for the Horn of Africa.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-thomas-greenfield/i-was-working-on-refugee-issues-in-1993-as-the-refugee-coordinator/)

[Linda Thomas-Greenfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-thomas-greenfield/)

> [Increased airlift capacity empowers peacekeeping missions to respond rapidly to threats against civilians, move freely to monitor and report on human rights abuses, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-thomas-greenfield/increased-airlift-capacity-empowers-peacekeeping-missions-to-respond/)

[Linda Thomas-Greenfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-thomas-greenfield/)

> [We are a country that continues to evolve. We're not perfect, but we are willing to acknowledge our foibles. We are willing to talk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-thomas-greenfield/we-are-a-country-that-continues-to-evolve-we-re-not-perfect-but-we/)

[Linda Thomas-Greenfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-thomas-greenfield/)

[Explore all 100 Linda Thomas-Greenfield quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-thomas-greenfield/)

## More Fact quotes

> [The shelves of many evangelicals are full of books that point out the flaws in evolution, discuss it only as a theory, and almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-collins/the-shelves-of-many-evangelicals-are-full-of-books-that-point-out-the/)

[Francis Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-collins/)

> [Maybe there's some kind of modeling that can be tedious, like catalogue modeling, but there's a kind of modeling, with runways or working with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabella-rossellini/maybe-there-s-some-kind-of-modeling-that-can-be-tedious-like/)

[Isabella Rossellini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabella-rossellini/)

> [“Religion, like science, is only noteworthy when it emphasizes a matter of what is true rather than whose belief is greater or lesser or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/religion-like-science-is-only-noteworthy-when-it-emphasizes-a-matter/)

[Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/)

> [There is no science without fancy and no art without fact.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/there-is-no-science-without-fancy-and-no-art-without-fact/)

[Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/)

> [You basically have a group of four spies who are chosen for a mission they feel for the fact of how competent they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-leblanc/you-basically-have-a-group-of-four-spies-who-are-chosen-for-a-mission/)

[Matt LeBlanc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-leblanc/)

> [I'm not an artist, and I want to take risks, and when the possibility of failure occurs, it's because the idea is all exciting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-morgan/i-m-not-an-artist-and-i-want-to-take-risks-and-when-the-possibility/)

[Peter Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-morgan/)

> [Two elements are needed to form a truth - a fact and an abstraction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/remy-de-gourmont/two-elements-are-needed-to-form-a-truth-a-fact-and-an-abstraction/)

[Remy de Gourmont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/remy-de-gourmont/)

> [I'm just, like, totally normal. The fact that any of this has happened, that we're sitting here at the Beverly Hills Hotel just gets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwen-stefani/i-m-just-like-totally-normal-the-fact-that-any-of-this-has-happened/)

[Gwen Stefani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwen-stefani/)

> [“The fact that I can get away with something is the very reason why I shouldn’t do it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/the-fact-that-i-can-get-away-with-something-is-the-very-reason-why-i/)

[Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/)

> [I'm a fact-based leader.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/london-breed/i-m-a-fact-based-leader/)

[London Breed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/london-breed/)

> [The fact of the matter is that the Internet has brought together millions of people who trust one another for reasons that are unknown.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-huh/the-fact-of-the-matter-is-that-the-internet-has-brought-together/)

[Ben Huh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-huh/)

> [As human beings, we aren't as individual as we'd like to believe we are. And I think that's what makes acting possible. Despite the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lupita-nyong-o/as-human-beings-we-aren-t-as-individual-as-we-d-like-to-believe-we/)

[Lupita Nyong'o](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lupita-nyong-o/)

> [I suppose I'm led to do so by the fact of what happened to my contemporaries - people whom I've admired, people who I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-woodcock/i-suppose-i-m-led-to-do-so-by-the-fact-of-what-happened-to-my/)

[George Woodcock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-woodcock/)

> [Any fact becomes important when it's connected to another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/any-fact-becomes-important-when-it-s-connected-to-another/)

[Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/)

> [The fact that I'm very close with my past relationships is something I pride myself on. My mom is still close to her first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-bosworth/the-fact-that-i-m-very-close-with-my-past-relationships-is-something/)

[Kate Bosworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-bosworth/)

[Browse all 2,571 Fact quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fact/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "My father was, in fact, illiterate.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Linda Thomas-Greenfield"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-thomas-greenfield/my-father-was-in-fact-illiterate/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Fact"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-thomas-greenfield/my-father-was-in-fact-illiterate/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/29e/linda-thomas-greenfield-5630_fact_my-father-was-in-fact-illiterate-2293999_2293999.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/29e/linda-thomas-greenfield-5630_fact_my-father-was-in-fact-illiterate-2293999_2293999.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/29e/linda-thomas-greenfield-5630_fact_my-father-was-in-fact-illiterate-2293999_2293999.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“My father was, in fact, illiterate.” — Linda Thomas-Greenfield",
                "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": "Linda Thomas-Greenfield",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-thomas-greenfield/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "My father was, in fact, illiterate.",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-thomas-greenfield/my-father-was-in-fact-illiterate/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-thomas-greenfield/my-father-was-in-fact-illiterate/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
