Summary the story of my life By Helen

Summary- the story of my life
Chapter 1
Helen’s apprehension before writing her autobiography
Helen felt a kind of hesitation before she set on the task of penning down her autobiography and, thus, reveal the story of her life. In addition, the task itself was a difficult one for Helen: looking back, she could hardly distinguish between the facts and the fancies across the years. Furthermore, in the process of learning new things, she had forgotten many important incidents and experiences of her childhood.
Birth of Helen
Helen Adams Keller was born on a plantation called Ivy Green in Tuscumbia, Alabama, on June 27, 1880. She was the eldest daughter of Captain Arthur H. Keller, a former officer of the Confederate Army, and Kate Adams. Helen was named after her grandmother, Helen Everett. Even as an infant, she showed signs of eagerness and independence. By the age of six months, Helen attracted everyone’s attention piping out words like “How d’ye” and “tea”.
Helen suffers an illness that leaves her deaf and blind
In February, 1882, at the age of nineteen months, Helen fell ill with “an acute congestion of the stomach and brain”, which could possibly have been scarlet fever or meningitis. This illness left her deaf and blind. Later on, her spirit was liberated from the “world of silence and darkness” by her teacher, Anne Sullivan.
Chapter 2
Helen’s initial attempts to communicate
After her sickness, Helen started using “crude signs” to communicate with others. A shake of the head meant “No” and a nod “Yes”, a pull meant “Come” and a push, “Go”. If she wanted anything, she would imitate the relevant action. Her mother encouraged her by involving her in the household activities. This made Helen more observant of the actions performed by the people around her.
Observing herself as different from others
Helen started to observe that unlike her, other people did not use signs for communication but talked with their mouths. She realized that she was different from others. She attempted to copy them but in vain. At times, she released her frustration on her nurse, Elisa, by kicking and screaming at her until she felt exhausted. She regretted her misbehavior but did not try to change it.
Companionship with Martha Washington and Belle
Martha Washington was a little coloured girl who understood Helen’s signs. She was the cook’s daughter. Martha submissively obeyed Helen, who in turn enjoyed domineering over her. Both the girls spent a lot of time in the kitchen, kneading dough balls, grinding coffee, quarrelling over the cake bowl.
Helen enjoyed feeding the hens and turkeys, and feeling them as they ate from her hands. She also loved to hunt for guinea-fowl eggs in the long grass. Even though Helen could not understand Christmas per se, she enjoyed the preparations leading to that occasion.
One July afternoon, when Helen and Martha were bored of cutting paper dolls, they came up with the idea of cutting each other’s hair. Helen cut Martha’s hair and Martha cut off a curl of Helen’s. Martha would have cut them all if it weren’t for Helen’s mother’s timely intervention.
Belle was a lazy old dog and a companion of Helen. Despite of her attempts, it was inattentive to her signs and gestures. As a result, Helen would get frustrated and go looking for Martha.
Helen is saved by the nurse from getting burnt
Once, while drying her wet apron in front of the hearth, Helen ended up going too close to the fire. Her clothes caught fire. Fortunately, she was saved by the nurse, Viny, who threw a blanket around her to extinguish the fire. Except for her hands and hair, she was not badly burnt.
Discovering the use of a key: used as a tool for mischief
About that time, Helen found out the use of a key. The mischievous Helen played a prank on her mother by locking her in the pantry. After Miss Sullivan arrived to teach her, she played the same prank on her. Helen locked her teacher in her room and refused to reveal the hidden key. Eventually, her father had to intervene and take Miss Sullivan out of the room through the window.
When Helen was around five years old, the Keller family moved from the ‘little vine-covered house’ to a large new one.
The loving relationship between Helen and her father
Helen’s father was loving and indulgent. Helen was fond of the stories her father narrated to her by forming spellings on her hand. Her father in turn enjoyed Helen’s reiteration of these stories. Her father’s death in the summer of 1896 was Helen’s “first great sorrow-- [her] first personal experience with death.”
Helen’s relationship with her baby sister
Initially, Helen viewed her younger sister, Mildred, as an intruder. She felt that her sister got all the attention from her mother. Helen vented her frustration and showed her affection on her doll, Nancy. Once Helen overturned Nancy’s cradle in which her sister was sleeping. Fortunately, their mother’s timely arrival saved Mildred. Later, however, the love between the hearts of the two sisters prospered despite the fact that neither of them understood the language of the other.
Chapter 3
The need for a better means of communication
Gradually, the few signs that were used by Helen to communicate became inadequate. Failure to get across her thoughts led to fits of anger and frustration in Helen. She felt miserable. As a result, it became imperative for her parents to find a teacher or a school for Helen so that she could learn a better means of communication.
Helen’s mother’s hope was aroused by an account she read in Dickens’s “American Notes” about the education of Laura Bridgeman, a deaf and blind student, by Dr. Howe. Unfortunately, his methods had possibly died with him. Besides, it would not be easy to find a teacher who would come to their distant town in Alabama to teach Helen.
The train journey to Baltimore
Helen was six when her father decided to consult an oculist in Baltimore for the treatment of Helen’s sight. Helen enjoyed the new experiences during her trip. She was happy to receive a box of shells from a lady and a doll made out of towels from her aunt during the journey. She also played with the “punching machine” of the conductor. In fact, she did not experience any fits of temper during her journey as there were so many things to keep her mind and hands busy.
Exploring the possibilities of Helen’s education at Baltimore
At Baltimore, Dr. Chisholm said that there was nothing he could do about Helen’s sight. However, he advised Helen’s father to consult Dr. Alexander Graham Bell of Washington, who would be able to guide them in regards to the education of Helen.
Meeting Dr. Bell was a great experience for Helen. He understood Helen’s signs, which made her happy. This meeting was the beginning of a long friendship between Dr. Bell and Helen. Helen later recalled this interview as the foundation of her journey from darkness to light, “from isolation to friendship, companionship, knowledge and love.”
Dr. Bell advised Mr. Keller to write to Dr. Anagnos, the director of the Perkins Institute in Boston. Her father wrote to him without any delay and got a reply in positive. Finally, in the March of 1887, Miss Sullivan arrived at the Keller house.

Chapter 4
The most important day of Helen’s life
Miss Anne Mansfield Sullivan arrived at the house of the Keller family on the third of March, 1887. This was the day from which Helen’s life started to transform; the ailing spirit of Helen could only find solace by the knowledge delivered by Miss Sullivan.
Beginning of the journey of knowledge with Miss Ann Sullivan
Miss Sullivan gave Helen a doll, which was a present from the little blind students of the Perkins Institute and was dressed by Laura Bridgeman. Miss Sullivan spelled the word ‘D-O-L-L’ on Helen’s hands. Helen managed to imitate the movements of her fingers even though she was not aware of the fact that Miss Sullivan was trying to teach her the name of the thing. It took several weeks for Helen to realize that everything has a name. Miss Sullivan tried to teach the names of several other objects to Helen, such as “M-U-G” and “W-A-T-E-R”, but Helen was annoyed at the repeated attempts of her teacher and she broke her doll on the floor.
One day, when they were walking in the garden, Miss Sullivan put Helen’s hand under a spout of water. As the cool stream gushed over Helen’s hand, Miss Sullivan spelled the word “water” on the other. Then Helen realized that ‘water’ meant that “cool something that was flowing over [her] hand”. She experienced the joy of gaining knowledge. When she returned to the house, she was eager to learn since “every name gave birth to a new thought”.
That day Helen learnt several new words, including “father”, “mother” and “teacher”. This eventful day left her very happy and excited. She waited eagerly for the upcoming new day.
Chapter 5
Helen could experience new joy as she learned the names of the objects and their uses. This made her more confident and familiar with the outside world.
Learning lessons in the lap of nature
Helen had many new experiences during her summer trip to the banks of the Tennessee River with Miss Sullivan. There, sitting on the warm grass, Helen learned lessons from her teacher. She got to know how birds make their nests; how trees grow with the help of the sun and the rain; how animals find food for themselves, etc. She became more sensitive to nature and rejoiced the company of the world about which she was now more informed.
Helen learns that nature is not always kind
One day Miss Sullivan helped Helen to climb up a tree. It was a pleasant sunny afternoon and they decided to have their luncheon there. Miss Sullivan left to fetch the food, with Helen sitting on a tree alone. Suddenly the weather became dark and stormy. Helen was terrified and felt alienated from the world. Helen longed for the return of her teacher and above all to get down from the tree. Too scared to jump, she “crouched down in the fork of the tree”. Just as she thought she would fall along with the tree, her teacher rescued her. Helen felt relieved to reach the ground safely. This experience taught her that nature is not always kind, that nature “wages open war against her children…”
Rejoicing independence and a new bond with nature
Helen continued to be terrified of climbing a tree for a long time. One day, however, she was lured to climb a ‘Mimosa tree’ by its beautiful fragrance. She did experience some difficulty in holding on to the large branches but the pleasure of attempting something new and wonderful kept her going. Finally, she sat down on a “little seat” and felt like a “fairy sitting on a rose cloud”.
Chapter 6
With the acquisition of words, Helen turns more inquisitive
Gradually, Helen’s knowledge grew in terms of vocabulary and subsequently, her area of inquiry broadened. She returned to the same subject repeatedly, eager for more and more information.
Challenges in understanding abstract ideas
One day Helen brought a bunch of violets for her teacher. Miss Sullivan put her arm around Helen to show her affection and spelled into her hand, “I love Helen”. But Helen failed to understand the meaning as she tried associating it with a thing and not with an emotion or an abstract idea. She was disappointed by the fact that her teacher could not “show” her what love meant.
The first conception of an abstract idea
A couple of days later, when Helen was stringing beads of different sizes, her teacher kept on pointing out mistakes to her. Helen was trying to think about the correct arrangement when Miss Sullivan touched her forehead and spelled the word “think” on her hand. Helen suddenly realized that the word is the name of the process going on in her mind. This was Helen’s first conscious awareness of an abstract idea. Finally, her teacher explained to her that, “you cannot touch love either; but you feel the sweetness that love pours into everything.”
The tedious process of learning for a deaf and blind child like Helen
Miss Sullivan encouraged Helen to talk to her. She supplied her with several words and idioms by spelling them on her hand. It was a long and tedious process that continued for several years. This was because Helen could neither distinguish between the different tonalities of the speaker nor look at his expressions.
Chapter 7
Learning to read
The next important lesson for Helen was learning how to read. Once Helen had managed to spell a few words, her teacher gave her slips of cardboard with raised letters printed on them. Helen promptly learned that each printed word stood for an object, an act, or a quality. She was given the slips of paper, which represented, for example, “doll”, “is”, “on”, “bed”, and each name was placed on the relevant object. Her doll was put on the bed with words is, on, bed arranged beside the doll, thus making a sentence out of it.
From the printed slips Helen moved on to read printed books. Helen enjoyed hunting for the words she knew in her book “Reading for Beginners”.
Learning lessons out of doors and through illustrations
Miss Sullivan taught Helen with the help of illustrations through beautiful story or a poem. In this way, she made each difficult lesson easy to learn.
The early lessons were carried out in the sunlit woods. Among other places that Helen often visited were the garden and the orchard. Helen’s favourite walk was to the Keller’s Landing, an old wharf on the Tennessee River. There she was also given geography lessons in a playful manner without any exhaustion or feeling of being taught lessons. Helen built dams with pebbles, made islands and lakes, and dug river-beds. Miss Sullivan built “raised maps in clay” on a sheet so that Helen could feel the mountains, ridges and valleys by following her fingers. She illustrated the division of earth into different zones with the help of illustrative strings and “orange stick” representations.
Miss Sullivan taught Helen arithmetic, botany and zoology with the same leisurely approach.
Learning in the form of stories that were based on the gifts received by Helen
A collection of fossils was once gifted to Helen by a gentleman. These served as a key to the “antediluvian world” on which Miss Sullivan narrated dreadful tales about various beasts and devils with unpronounceable names.
Another time, a beautiful shell was gifted to Helen, and it helped her to learn about the habitat of the marine animals. She associated the shell building process with the working of the mind. Just as the Nautilus changes the material it absorbs from water and makes it a part of itself, similarly, the mind converts the “bits of knowledge” that one gathers into “pearls of thought”.
Lessons of science from life itself
Miss Sullivan picked up illustrations for her lessons from life itself. She taught the growth of a plant by making observations on a growing lily plant kept on the window. Helen learnt about the behaviour of animals by feeling the tadpoles in a “glass globe” and monitoring their growth.
Teaching skills of Miss Sullivan
Miss Sullivan was a teacher with great teaching skills: she was sympathetic and loving. She could seize the right moment for delivering knowledge to Helen, which made learning experience pleasant. Helen developed such closeness with her teacher that she hardly thought herself distant from her. She acknowledges her teacher for all the good in her and as a source of aspiration to gain knowledge.
Chapter 8
Preparing for Christmas celebration
Helen eagerly waited for the first Christmas after the arrival of Miss Sullivan. Everyone in the house was planning surprises for Helen and she, in turn, was preparing surprises for them with the help of her teacher. Her friends incited her excitement by throwing hints at her with “half spelled words” and “incomplete sentences” which were both amusements and language lessons for her. Meanwhile, Miss Sullivan and Helen played the guessing game every evening to help her learn the use of language.
Christmas Eve
On Christmas Eve, Helen was invited to a school in Tuscumbia. She felt excited in the presence of a beautiful Christmas tree standing in the centre of the room. She was delighted when asked to distribute presents among the school children. She received her gifts as well. However, she was not satisfied with these and wanted those gifts that were being planned by her family and friends. Later, she waited eagerly for the morning to discover her Christmas presents from Santa Claus and others.
Helen’s new pet: Tim:
Helen woke up to a large number of gifts. She was most pleased by her teacher’s gift: a canary bird.
Helen named the little bird as ‘Tim’ and Miss Sullivan taught her to take proper care of it. Tim was a friendly bird who clenched to Helen’s fingertip and loved to eat candied cherries out of her hand. Helen grew quite fond of Tim, until one fateful day when a cat ate the bird. That day, she had forgotten to shut the door of the cage and as she was returning with water for the bird’s bath, she felt a pussy cat pass by her. Soon she realized what happened: she would not be able to see it again.
Chapter 9
The journey to Boston in May, 1888
In May, 1888, Helen travelled to Boston with Miss Sullivan and her mother. This journey was different from the previous journey to Baltimore as she was no longer a young “restless” child. Instead, she was now a calm child sitting beside her teacher who was informing her about the views outside the car window: the Tennessee River, cotton fields, hills, woods and so on.
Helen recalls the tragic end of Nancy, her doll
After their arrival at Boston, Helen’s doll Nancy underwent a sad experience. During the journey, the doll became dirty and hence, the laundress at the Perkins Institution gave her a bath. Consequently, the doll turned into a “formless heap of cotton” and could only be recognized by Helen by her “two bead eyes”.
Helen’s friendly arrival at the Perkins Institution for the Blind
Helen could befriend the blind children at the Perkins Institute quite easily. She was delighted to be able to communicate with the blind children in her own language. Besides, she was happy to be at the same institute where Laura Bridgeman had been taught. She envied the blind children only in one aspect: their ability to hear. Eventually, Helen felt contended and happy in their company and forgot all her pain.
Helen’s first history lesson at Bunker Hill
While Helen was at Boston, she visited the Bunker Hill. There she had her first history lesson. She was thrilled to imagine that she was standing at the high stairway which was once used by the soldiers to shoot their enemies.
Helen’s maiden ocean voyage: trip to ‘Plymouth’:
The next day, they went to Plymouth by water. It was Helen’s first trip on the ocean and first voyage on a steamboat. On reaching their destination, she felt the curves and cuts of the Plymouth Rock and the “1620” engraved on it. A gentleman at the Pilgrim Hall museum gave her a small model of the rock. She was familiar with the wonderful stories about the Pilgrims that visited that rock. She could idealize them for their bravery and zeal to acquire home in an unknown territory. Later on, she was disappointed to know about their shameful acts of persecuting minority groups like the ‘Quakers’.
Close companionship with Mr. William Endicott and his daughter
Among her close friends at Boston were Mr. William Endicott and his daughter. She was delighted by their stroll through their rose-garden of their house at Beverly Farms. Their dogs, Leo and Fritz, were quite friendly with Helen and the horse, Nimrod, poked his nose in her hand to get a pat.
She also enjoyed playing in the sand near the sea. Mr. Endicott told her about great Europe-bound ships that sailed by from Boston. Helen recounts her whole experience at Boston as full of pleasure and denotes the city in one phrase as “The City of Kind Hearts”.
Chapter 10
The vacation at Brewster with Mrs. Hopkins
When the Perkins institute closed for the summer, Helen and her teacher went to Brewster, on Cape Cod, to spend the vacation with a dear friend, Mrs. Hopkins. Helen had read about the sea in her book Our Worldand was excited to visit it.
Helen’s first encounter with the sea
Once at the sea shore, she hurriedly plunged into the water. She was enjoying the water, when suddenly her foot struck a rock. Her “ecstasy” changed into fear as she started drowning. She struggled for a while and finally, the waves threw her back on the shore and she was supported by the embrace of her teacher. After she recovered from the panic, she innocently asked her teacher, “Who put salt in water?”
After she had recovered from the incident, Helen enjoyed sitting on a big rock and feeling the dashing of waves against the rock, sending up a shower of spray. She noticed the movement of the waves and their affect on the pebbles and the beach.
The horseshoe crab
Miss Sullivan drew Helen’s attention to a sea organism---the horseshoe crab. Helen was so fascinated by it that she carried the heavy crab all the way to their house. On reaching their home, she carefully placed it in a trough of water. But to her surprise, it disappeared the next morning. Helen slowly but surely realized her mistake of separating the crab from his habitat and felt happy thinking that it had possibly safely travelled to its home.
Chapter 11
Spending a leisurely autumn at the Fern Quarry
Helen returned to her Southern home in autumn. She felt happy and content with her experiences in the north. She spent her autumn months with her family at their summer cottage, Fern Quarry. The cottage was like a “rough camp” situated on top of a mountain, near a limestone quarry. Helen spent her time in a leisurely manner at the cottage.
Many visitors came to Fern Quarry. In the evening, men played cards and talked about their hunting experiences. She woke up in the morning with the sound of rattling guns and the smell of coffee. All the men went off to hunt after bidding each other good luck for the season.
Later in the morning, barbecue was prepared. The “savoury odour” of meat made her hungry even before the tables were set. Afterward, the hunting party also joined the feast of veal and roast pig, following their discussion on their hunting events during the day.
Helen had a pony and she named it Black Beauty, having just completed the book. Sometimes, accompanied by her teacher, she rode the pony. At times, Miss Sullivan would release the rein and the pony would stop at his will to eat leaves from trees. On other days, they would go for walks in the woods and return home with armful of laurels, ferns and other beautiful flowers. Sometimes, she would go on similar trips with her sister and cousins.
Adventure with the train at the rail road
At the foot of the mountain there was a railroad and about a mile distant was a trestle spanning a deep gorge. Helen had never actually been there until one day when she, along with her sister and Miss Sullivan, got lost in the woods. They came across the trestle, which was a short cut to their home. Since they were lost, they decided to take this way in spite of the dangers: the ties were wide apart and quite narrow. Feeling the rails with the toes, Helen moved on the trestle cautiously but without fear. Suddenly, train was heard coming in from the other side. They had to climb quickly down upon the crossbraces while the train passed by. With some difficulty, they regained the track. When, ultimately, they reached back home, it had grown quite dark and all the family members were out looking for them.
Chapter 12
Chilly winter at a New England Village
After her first visit to Boston, Helen continued to visit the north every winter. Once Helen went on a visit to a New England village. This village had frozen lakes and vast snow fields. It was here that Helen got to experience the snow. She explored the snow-covered hills and fields that were devoid of any life, the empty nests and the bare trees.
One day, the advent of a snowstorm made Helen rush out-of-doors to enjoy the first few descending snowflakes. Gradually, the whole area was covered by snow and the morning became dark. In the evening, there was a snowstorm. Helen and her teacher spent their time sitting around the fire and narrating stories. At night, they could hear the terrifying noise of the wind on the trees around the house and the creaking and breaking sounds of the rafters. On the third day, the storm was over and sunlight peeped out from the clouds. It scattered to the different places making everything shine and glow. The trees were standing still as if statues of “white marble”. The roads and paths were all covered with snow. Helen could scarcely feel the earth below her feet.
The favorite amusement during winters: tobogganing
Helen’s favorite pastime during the winters was tobogganing. Helen enjoyed plunging through the drifts, leaping hollows, drifting and swooping down upon the lake while riding on a toboggan.
Chapter 13
Helen’s urge to speak
With the loss of the ability to hear, Helen’s speech had died down. However, from a young age, she had an impulse to speak. She tried to feel the noise that she made by keeping one hand on her throat and the other on her lips, feeling their movements. She produced sounds not to speak but for the exercise of her vocal chords. There was a feeling of lack in Helen which needed to be fulfilled. She was not satisfied with the means of communication she used and desperately wanted to learn to speak.
In 1890, Mrs. Lamson, one of the teachers at the Perkins Institutions, told Helen about a deaf and blind girl, Ragnhild Kaata who had been taught to speak. Helen resolved that she will also learn to speak and Mrs. Lamson took her for advice and assistance to Miss Sarah Fuller, the principal of Horace Mann School.
Speaking lessons from Miss Sarah Fuller
Miss Sarah Fuller was a “sweet-natured lady” who started tutoring Helen on the 26th of March, 1890. Miss Fuller passed Helen’s hand lightly over her face to make her feel her tongue and lips when she made a sound. Within the first hour itself, Helen learnt six elements of speech: M, P, A, S, T, I. “It is warm” is the first complete sentence that Helen managed to utter. In total, eleven lessons were given to her by Miss Fuller. The syllables were broken but, nevertheless, human. She was eager to share her happiness with her family and to see the joy on their faces. Miss Fuller taught her the elements of the speech but she was to continue practicing herself with Miss Sullivan’s help.
Helen learns to speak with Miss Sullivan’s assistance
Miss Sullivan dragged Helen’s attention to the “mispronounced words”. Helen had to depend on the vibrations felt by her fingers, the movement of the mouth and expressions of the face. Discouragement wearied her efforts initially but as soon as she thought of the joy of her family, she felt optimistic. Helen gave up the manual alphabet method to develop her speech even though Miss Sullivan and her friends continued to use it to communicate with her.
The final moment of joy: Helen’s speech
Finally, the happiest moment arrived. Helen had developed speech and was eager to return home. As she reached the station and her family heard her speak, they were overjoyed. Her mother was speechless with delight and hugged her tightly; Mildred danced in joy clasped her hand and kissed her; and her father expressed his pride and affection by a “big silence”.
Chapter 14
Helen’s first attempt to write a composition on her own
During her stay at the Fern Quarry, Miss Sullivan described to her the beauty of the “late foliage” plants. This apparently revived in Helen the memory of a story that had been read to her in the past. The story had been unconsciously retained in her mind but she thought that she was making up the story herself. She eagerly jotted down her ideas before they would slip away from her mind. The words and images smoothly flowed from her mind and she felt the joy of composing a story. The story was called “The Frost king”. She did not realize that the words and images coming to her mind without effort were not her own. For her, the boundary line between her own ideas and those she gathered from the books were blurred because most of the impressions came to her mind through the “medium of others’ eyes or ears”.
“The Frost King” appreciated by family and friends
After completing the story, she read it to everyone at dinner. Despite some pronunciation errors, she managed to impress everyone with her story. However, someone did ask her if she had read the story in a book. Helen did not have the faintest recollection of the story been read to her and so she denied it saying that it was her story and she had written it for Mr. Anagnos. Mr. Anagnos was delighted with her story and published it in one of the Perkins Institution reports.
Helen’s happiness gets crushed in Boston
During her short stay in Boston, Helen was astonished to discover that her story “The Frost King” was similar to “The Frost Fairies” written by Miss Margaret T. Canby. This story had appeared in the book, “Birdie and His Friends”, which was published even before Helen's birth. The fact that the language of the two stories was alike confirmed that Miss Canby’s story had been read to her and that hers was “a plagiarism”. Her joy changed into grief.
Mr. Anagnos felt deceived. He believed that Helen and Miss Sullivan had deliberately stolen the thoughts of a great writer to win his appreciation.
Helen at the court of investigation
Helen was brought before a court of investigation where she was examined and cross-examined by the teachers and officers of the Perkins Institution. The investigators seemed to force Helen to acknowledge that she remembered “The Frost Fairies” being read to her. Helen felt heavy at her heart because of the doubts and suspicions from her loved ones. She could respond to them only in monosyllables. Her consciousness could not be unburdened by the realization that she had only committed a ‘dreadful’ mistake. At last she was allowed to leave the room. Her friends and family assured her that she was a brave girl and that they were proud of her. That night, Helen wept pitiably, suffering for her mistake.
The problem in the composition of “The Frost King” acknowledged
Miss Sullivan had never heard “The Frost Fairies”, let alone read it to Helen. So, with the assistance of Dr. Alexander Graham Bell, she investigated the matter. At last, it was found out that Miss Canby’s story had been narrated to Helen by Mrs. Sophia Hopkins when she had spent a summer with her at Brewster. Even though Helen did not recall hearing the story, it sustained in her memory.
During this distressing time, Helen received a lot of messages of love and sympathy from her loved ones. She also received a kind note from Miss Canby herself, encouraging her to write something of her own in future that might help others. This was comforting to Helen but she was afraid of “playing with words” again for a long time fearing that she would repeat her mistake again. Miss Sullivan’s encouragement, however, helped her to continue writing in future.
Helen’s early compositions
Helen recognized herself as a part of the process of learning by “assimilation” and “imitation” to put ideas into words. Her early compositions are mainly assimilation of the descriptions from various forgotten sources. Helen gives an example of the composition she wrote for Mr. Anagnos about the beauty of the Greek and Italian old cities. Mr. Anagnos appreciated the ‘poetical essence’ in her ideas. Helen was happy that even though the works resembled a “crazy patchwork” comprising of her own thoughts and others’, they proved her ability to express of her admiration for beautiful objects in clear and “animated” language.
Effects of “The Frost King” incident in the later life of Helen
The good part of the tragic experience of “The Frost King” was that Helen started thinking about the problems of composition.
After the publication of “The Story of My Life” in the “Ladies’ Home Journal”, Mr. Anagnos, in a letter to Macy, stated his views supporting Helen in the matter of the “Frost King”. He also stated that he had cast his vote in favour of Helen in the court of investigation.
Helen remarks the “Frost King” incident as an important one for her education and, therefore, has included it in the chapter without an attempt to defend herself or laying the blame on anyone else.
Chapter 15
Helen outgrows the ‘Frost King’ episode as she attempts to write a sketch of her life
Helen spent the following summer and winter with her family in Alabama. By this time, the “Frost King” was forgotten and Helen was happy. She was then twelve years old.
However, every time Helen wrote something, the possibility that she could end up incorporating into her work the thought of other writers still haunted her. She would often express her doubt to her teacher. A year after she had written “The Frost King”, Miss Sullivan persuaded her to write, for the Youth’s Companion, a brief sketch of her life. This was a way to rebuild her self confidence. Helen wrote timidly and fearfully but determinedly. Gradually, she was able to outgrow the haunting shadow of the “Frost King” episode. Her mind became clearer as she attained a “truer knowledge of life”.
The trip to Washington and Niagara
In the year 1893, Helen visited many places, including Washington during the inauguration of President Cleveland; Niagara; and the World’s Fair. During this period, her studies were constantly being interrupted.
She visited Niagara in March, 1893. While standing on the point which overhangs the American falls, she experienced a strong and thrilling emotion as she felt the vibration of air and the earth trembling.
Visit to the World Fair with Miss Sullivan and Mr. Alexander Graham Bell
During her trip to the World’s fair with Miss Sullivan and Mr. Alexander Graham Bell in the summer of 1893, Helen encountered many wonders of the world and scientific inventions. She enjoyed her trip to the Midway Plaisance. Helen gives a detailed description of the things that she saw there, such as, an Indian bazaar; models of pyramids with long processions of camels; the lagoons of Venice; and a Viking ship.
She also visited a model of “Santa Maria” where she was shown the Columbus’s cabin by the captain. She was most interested in an hourglass on the desk which made her imagine Columbus looking at the sand dropping grain by grain while the conspirators were planning against him.
Helen was permitted by the President of the World’s Fair, Mr. Higinbotham, to touch the exhibits.
At the Cape of Good Hope exhibit, she learned the process of mining diamonds, and felt the cutting and polishing machine of stones.
In an electrical building, they examined telephones, autophones, phonographs and other inventions. Dr. Alexander Graham Bell explained to Helen about the transmission of messages through the electrical wires transcending space and time boundaries just as Prometheus transcended the boundary of human knowledge by stealing fire from the gods for mankind.
They also visited the anthropological department and saw the ruins of Mexico and other stone implements which served as a record of an age. From these stones and relics, Helen got a chance to learn more about the “progress of man” than what she had learnt from the books.
While spending time in the fair, Helen’s interests took a leap from the childish interest in fairy tales and toys to the appreciation of the dynamics of the real world.
Chapter 16
Improvement of Helen’s reading and speaking skills
Before October 1893, Helen studied her subjects herself and in a less uniform manner. She read the histories of Greece, Rome and the United States. Helen tried to learn French pronunciation as par the descriptions given in her French Grammar book. She tried to make up stories in her head using the new words that she came across. Having acquired sufficient knowledge, she enjoyed reading, “La Fontaine’s Fables”, “Le Medicine Margaret Lui” and passages from “Athalie”.
Helen also worked on her speech by reading aloud and by reciting the passages of her favorite poems to Miss Sullivan while the latter corrected her pronunciation. After October, 1893, however, Helen started taking lessons in special subjects at fixed hours.
Lessons under Mr. Irons at Hulton
During this time, Helen and Miss Sullivan were at Hulton, Pennsylvania, visiting Mr. William Wades. Mr. Wades’s neighbour, Mr. Irons, was a Latin scholar and he gave Latin grammar lessons to Helen. He also helped her in arithmetic. Mr. Irons read Tennyson’s “In Memoriam” with her and taught her to read books from a critical point of view. Miss Sullivan sat beside Helen spelling on her hand whatever Mr. Irons taught her. Gradually, Helen developed a deep interest in the Latin language and she began amusing herself by reading Latin passages. She was introduced to a world of new thoughts, vocabulary and images with the knowledge of this language. She had just begun reading Caesar’s “Gallic Wars” when she returned to her home in Alabama.
Chapter 17
Helen attends Wright-Humason-School for the Deaf
In the summer of 1894, Helen attended a meeting at Chautauqua of the American Association to promote the Teaching of Speech to the Deaf. While there, it was decided that she would be sent to the Wright-Humason-School for the Deaf in New York City. In October, 1894, accompanied by Miss Sullivan, Helen went to this school and remained there for the next two years. This school provided her with the highest advantages in vocal culture and training in lip-reading. Helen was also taught arithmetic, physical geography, French and German.
Learning German, French, arithmetic and other subjects in New York
Helen learnt German with her teacher Miss Reamy. Since Miss Reamy could use the manual alphabet method, she learnt German easily. Within a few months, she managed to understand almost every word spoken by her teacher. By the end of the year, Helen could read “Wilhelm Tell”.
She was taught French by Madame Olivier. Madame Oliver was not familiar with the manual alphabet and Helen experienced difficulty in reading her lips. Consequently, she learnt French at a slower pace than German. However, she did manage to read “Le Medecin Malgre Lui” again, although she did not enjoy it as much as “Willhem Tell”.
Even though Helen and her teachers continued to work hard on her speech and lip-reading, they failed to get the desired results. Besides, learning arithmetic was still difficult for Helen. She either guessed or jumped on to the conclusions, which aggravated her difficulties more in learning the subject. These disappointments were followed by moments of depression. But she took great pleasure in the other subjects, especially physical geography. She enjoyed learning the secrets of nature, which she had been reading about in the Old Testament in the form of beautiful descriptions about the forces of nature and man’s efforts to overcome them.
Walks and excursions in the city
Helen remembers with delight the walks in New York Central Park. She also enjoyed sailing on the Hudson River whose “wild, simple, grandeur” she had read about in William Bryant’s poems. She had also visited West Point, Tarrytown, the home of Washington Irving.
The tragic news of the death of Mr. John P. Spaulding
Helen experienced one of the greatest sorrows of her life before leaving New York: the death of her benefactor, Mr. John P. Spaulding. He had died in Boston in February, 1896, leaving a vacancy in Helen’s life.
Chapter 18
Helen joins Cambridge School for Young Ladies
Helen had a desire to attend Harvard since a young age. The nearest approach to Harvard was to join Cambridge School for Young Ladies. Thus, in October, 1896, she went to Cambridge to be prepared for Radcliffe. Miss Sullivan had to attend the classes with Helen so that she could interpret the lectures to her by spelling them on her hand. Helen’s subjects for the first year were English History, English Literature, German, Latin, arithmetic, Latin composition and occasional themes. Since she was familiar with most of these subjects, she did not require much special attention.
Difficulties during lessons; Miss Sullivan’s efforts
Miss Sullivan could not spell out everything on Helen’s hand and it was very difficult to have textbooks embossed in time for her use. Her teachers soon became aware of her incorrect speech and corrected her whenever required. She could neither prepare notes nor write exercises in class. Helen had to prepare her compositions and translations at home using her typewriter.
Every day, Miss Sullivan went to class with her and patiently spelled each lecture on her hand. In study hours, she had to look for the new words for Helen and read and re-read the notes and books that did not have a raised print.
Teachers’ kind assistance to Helen
Among Helen’s teachers, Frau Grote, the German teacher, and Mr. Gilman, the principal, were the ones who had learnt the Braille script to give her instructions. Frau Grote taught Helen twice a week to give Miss Sullivan some rest. Helen finished arithmetic that year and reviewed her Latin grammar and read three chapters of Caesar’s “Gallic War”. She also finished reading many German books partly by herself and partly with the assistance of Miss Sullivan. Mr. Gilman shared his broader views on history and literature with Helen. They together read works of Shakespeare, Burke and Macaulay.
The stirring effect of Burke’s “Speech on Conciliation with America” on Helen’s mind
Helen found Burke’s speech very illuminating. She imagined the times and her mind was moved with thoughts about the two contending nations. She thought about Burke’s “masterly speech” and the ignorance of King George who had disregarded Burke’s prophecy regarding the victory of America. She was unhappy to notice that such “seeds of wisdom and truth” from a deep thinker like Burke were not put to use because of “ignorance” and “corruption”.
Helen is perplexed by Macaulay’s “Life of Samuel Johnson”
While reading Macaulay’s “Life of Samuel Johnson”, Helen’s heart was moved by Samuel Johnson’s kindness: in spite of living in great poverty, he was always helpful to others. She appreciated Macaulay’s “faculty” of making the commonplace seem scenic. The impact of his arguments incited in her a questioning attitude rather than that of admiration as in the oration by Demosthenes of Great Britain.
The joy of companionship with friends and family at Cambridge
At Cambridge, she lived with many girls of her age in a house connected with the school. Some of her friends had learnt to converse with her in her language and Miss Sullivan did not have to repeat their conversation to her. She joined them in many of their games, took long walks together and discussed studies with them.
At Christmas, Helen’s mother and sister arrived to spend the holidays with her. Mr. Gilman offered Mildred an opportunity to study at his school. So, Mildred stayed back with Helen for six months and thereafter, they spent most of the time together.
Preliminary Examination for Radcliffe in 1897
Helen took up her preliminary examinations for Radcliffe from 29th June to 3rd July in 1897. Helen offered German, French, Latin, English, and Greek and Roman history. She passed in all the subjects and received “honours” in German and English.
The examination papers were given at nine o’ clock to Harvard and brought to Radcliffe by a special messenger. Each candidate was known by a number and not by name; Helen’s number was 233. She was given a separate room for writing her paper on her typewriter to avoid disturbance to the other students. Mr. Gilman sat beside Helen and read the paper to her first, then made her repeat it to ensure that she had understood each and every word. After completing her paper, she would insert necessary changes, if any, in her paper. She did not have this advantage in any of her further examinations.
According to Helen, she passed with higher credits in the preliminaries than that in the finals because of two reasons. In the finals, no one read her work over to her. Besides, the subjects offered to her in her preliminaries were familiar to her before she had come to Cambridge. Helen had passed her examinations in English, History, French and German, which were given to her by Mr. Gilman from previous Harvard papers. He sent papers written by her to the examiner with a certificate stating that candidate number 233 had written the papers. All the preliminary examinations were conducted in a similar manner. The good grades that she received in the other papers encouraged her to write her papers with greater determination.
Chapter 19
Difficulties during the second year at the Gilman School
During the second year at the Gilman school, Helen experienced many difficulties. Mr. Gilman had decided that she would study mathematics, physics, algebra, astronomy, Greek and Latin that year. However, most of the books were not available in raised print. Besides, classes were being held in large rooms which made it difficult for the teachers to give her special attention. Miss Sullivan’s interpretation did not seem enough. When it became necessary for her to write algebra and geometry in the class and solve problems in physics, a Braille writer was hired to note down the processes and steps. Another problem for her was that her eyes could not follow the geometrical figures drawn on the board.
Gradually, her difficulties were simplified with the arrival of embossed books and other apparatus. But she was yet unable to derive the desired results in algebra and geometry as she lacked aptitude for mathematics. In the case of geometrical diagrams, she failed to understand the relation between different parts because of her inability to view the diagram. It was only after the arrival of Mr. Keith that she finally got a grip on the subject.
Mr. Gilman against overburdening Helen with her work
In the beginning, it was agreed that Helen would take five years to prepare for her college. But looking at her performance at the end of the first year, Miss Sullivan, Miss Harbaugh and one other teacher felt that she would not take more than two years for the same. Mr. Gilman, however, decided that she should spend three years at his school because he did not want Helen to overstrain herself. He expressed his dissent to Miss Sullivan and also reduced the number of Helen’s recitations. Helen was unhappy with this plan as she wished to enter college with her class.
Helen’s departure from Cambridge school
Helen missed school on the seventeenth of November as she was unwell. Even though the illness was not serious, Mr. Gilman concluded that it was an effect overworking. He decided that she would not appear for her final exams with her class. As a result of difference in opinion between Miss Sullivan and Mr. Gilman, Helen’s mother decided to withdraw her and Mildred from Cambridge school.
Helen at the Chamberlains in Wrentham
Miss Sullivan and Helen spent the rest of their winter with the Chamberlins in Wrentham, about twenty-five miles away from Boston. From February to July, 1898, Helen’s studies were continued under the guidance of her tutor, Mr. Merton S. Keith of Cambridge, who taught her algebra, geometry, Greek and Latin twice a week.
In October, 1898, Helen and Miss Sullivan returned to Boston. There, Helen was taught by Mr. Keith five times in a week, in periods of about an hour each, for eight months. His instructions were interpreted by Miss Sullivan. He explained to Helen each time what she had not understood in the previous lesson, assigned her with new task and returned to her the assignments after having corrected them. It was a much pleasing experience for Helen to be taught by herself rather than in a class, without any rush or confusion. This reflected in her performance as well. Mr. Keith even managed to incite her interest in mathematics.
Trouble during the final exams for Radcliffe College
Helen took up her final exams for Radcliffe College on the 29th June and 30th June, 1899. She appeared for the “Elementary Greek” and “Advanced Latin” on the first day; Algebra, Geometry and Advanced Greek on the second day.
Unfortunately, the college authorities did not allow Miss Sullivan to read the examination papers to Helen. Instead, Mr. Vining, one of the instructors at the Perkins Institute for Blind, was employed to copy the question papers in American Braille. This created another problem, specifically in geometry and algebra, as for these subjects Helen had used the English Braille whose signs and symbols were totally different from the American Braille. When he sent a copy of old Harvard papers to Helen two days before her examination, she was disappointed to find it in American notations. As per her request, Mr. Vining sent a table of signs pertaining to the American system. With much difficulty, Helen tried to learn the notation the night before the algebra examination.
On the day of the examination, she went to the college with Mr. Keith a little earlier, so that Mr. Vining could explain to her the “American symbols” in more detail.
Overcoming the difficulties in reading the notations during her examination
During the examination, Helen faced a lot of difficulty in reading the geometrical propositions and in solving the algebraic expressions which she was accustomed to solve mentally and not to type it on her typewriter. She had to read the examples repeatedly to understand what she was suppose to do and, therefore, she attempted the questions at a slow pace. But Helen managed to overcome all the difficulties.
Chapter 20
Helen’s dream of going to college realised
Having cleared her exams, Helen could join Radcliffe College. However, it was decided that she should study for another year under Mr. Keith before that. Finally, towards the end of 1900, she took admission in Radcliffe College.
She was looking forward to the first day of her college with eagerness and interest. She felt as if she has entered the world of “beauty and light”, a “wonderland of the Mind”. She felt the lecture-rooms to be full knowledge. She considered the professors to be the “embodiment of wisdom”. With enthusiasm, Helen started her journey in college.
Disappointments and disadvantages at college
Gradually, Helen discovered that college was not the “romantic lyceum” of her dreams and that there are disadvantages of going to college. What bothered Helen most was the lack of time for herself: to think, to reflect and to listen to the inner melodies. Helen felt that a student goes to college only to learn and not to think. There was hardly any direct interaction with the professor. During a lecture, a student’s mind was busy in the “mechanical process” of taking down the notes rather than understanding the subject or the way it was presented. But Helen could not even take notes in her class as her hands were busy “listening” to the interpretation of the lecture. She could only jot down the points that she remembered when she reached back home.
Helen’s Hammond typewriter was of great help to her. She used it to write the assignments, exercises and tests. With the help of this machine she had access to the different set of characters, such as Greek, French or Mathematical.
While reading the Latin prosody, Helen had to devise a system of signs for different “meters” and “quantities” for her teacher.
Not all of the textbooks used in the college were available in raised print. Thus, Helen had to spend more time in preparing her lessons than her classmates did. This, at times, made her quite upset. Nevertheless, each time Helen overcame the discontentment and managed to encourage herself.
Helen is helped out by a number of her teachers
Her teacher, Mr. William Wade, and Mr. E.E. Allen, the principal of the Pennsylvania Institution for the Instruction of Blind, helped her by providing her with books in a raised print. Helen offers her gratitude for the help they had provided.
Helen mentions the name of Mr. Charles Copeland, her professor who taught her literature. Helen admired him for offering literature in its “original freshness and power”.
She enjoyed studying her favorite subjects—economics, Elizabethan literature and Shakespeare—in her second year under Professor George L. Kittredge. Under Professor Josiah Royce, Helen studied the “History of Philosophy”.
Exploring the right foundation of knowledge at college
According to Helen, one does not get the opportunity to directly meet the great and wise scholars in a place like college. Helen felt that most of the scholars are “mummified”. For Helen, it was one’s depth of sympathy that was important for the enjoyment of texts rather than “explanations and hypotheses”. But the views of Professor Kittredge were as enlightening to his students as Jesus curing the blind. The interpretation offered by Professor Kittredge managed to bring alive poets like Shakespeare back to life.
Helen feels overburdened by the large number of prescribed texts
Access to the wide domain of knowledge through a wide variety of prescribed books made her mind “so full of heterogeneous matter” that was difficult to put it into order.
She obtained the chance to gain knowledge from the college but she condemns the knowledge gained because it hampered her faculty of thinking and retaining it. Often, the mind was under the burden of writing examinations; the days before these exams were spent in cramming the mind with all the lessons. Helen condemns the faculty of her mind which failed to recall the right piece of information at the right time making it uneasy for her to write the examination papers.
A transitional phase for Helen at college
Helen’s “romantic” thoughts about studying at college underwent great changes. But Helen notes that this alteration ended up teaching her a number of things. She learnt the ‘art of patience’ while acquiring knowledge. She refers to the gaining of knowledge not as acquisition of “power” but as an acquisition of happiness.
Chapter 21
Books as companions and source of knowledge
Helen points out the importance of books in her life and education. The books not only gave her pleasure and delight but served the purpose of eyes and ears to her.
Helen mentions the beginning of her interest in books
Helen read her first connected story in May, 1887, at the age of seven. This marked the beginning of her lifelong relationship with printed books. In those initial years, she neither read regularly nor did she follow any proper pattern. Besides, she had only a few books in raised print: “readers” for beginners, a children’s story book and a book about earth called “Our World”. Nevertheless, she kept on reading and re-reading these books. Though Miss Sullivan narrated short stories and poems to her by spelling them on her hand, she preferred reading the stories herself.
During her initial visit to Boston, Helen got an opportunity to visit a library for the first time. She spent hours in the Institution library, reading parts from every book she laid her hands on. It hardly mattered to her whether she could understand the words on the page or not. These readings were unconsciously retained by her mind, enriching her vocabulary.
Little Lord Fauntleroy: the first book Helen read with sensitivity
When Helen was around eight years old, Miss Sullivan introduced Helen to the story of a young boy in “Little Lord Fauntleroy”. The story grabbed Helen’s interest to such an extent that she even failed to notice the unfamiliar words in it. Later, Mr. Anagnos got the story embossed on her request. Helen read it repeatedly with so much interest and pleasure that she could recall parts of the story by heart. It was after reading “Little Lord Fauntleroy” that Helen had truly developed interest in reading books.
List of books that Helen read in the subsequent two years
Helen read books for pleasure and for the information contained in these books about a world she herself was deprived from; she did not analyse these books critically. Some of the books that she read during this time include: Greek Heroes; La Fontaine’s Fables; Hawthorne’s Wonder Book; Bible stories; Lamb’sTales from Shakespeare; A Child’s History of England by Dickens; The Arabian Nights; etc.
Helen mentions the names of various authors and the impacts of their works on her. She also offers her own observation on these works. She mentions how Little Women by Louisa Alcott gave her the pleasure of the “sense of kinship” with the children who, like herself, could not see and hear. Helen writes of how she did not enjoy books that gives caricatures of men in the figures of animals, as in Fables by La Fontaine. On the other hand, Helen loved to read books on real animals like The Jungle Book and The Wild Animals I Have Known. She loved the Iliad more than Aeneid because it was more lively and animated.
Helen did not enjoy reading the Bible at her young age. Later, however, after meeting Bishop Brook, she developed an interest in reading the Bible and many other religious texts (as mentioned in the last chapter of this book).
The first books of Shakespeare that Helen read left in her some unpleasant memories. Helen experienced the horror of ghosts and witches for a long time in her dreams after reading Macbeth. The scene fromKing Lear where Gloucester’s eyes are pulled out scared Helen to a great extent.
Helen was also fond of reading history. Helen is indebted to Swinton’s World History for imbibing in her a real sense of history. It gave her knowledge of the development of cities and civilizations and that of the people of different lands and races.
Helen also talks about the German and French literature that she read, including the works by Goethe, Balzac, Moliere, Racine, Victor Hugo.
Helen expresses the joy of her companionship not only with books but also mentions her liking for authors such as Wordsworth, Carlyle, Hood, Herrick, Whittier, Mark Twain and many more.
Literature: Helen’s Utopia
She regards Literature as a perfect place where she could overcome her physical barriers and derive freedom for her senses and could interact with her “book-friends” without “embarrassment or awkwardness”.
Chapter 22
Helen’s leisure activities like swimming, rowing and canoeing
Apart from reading books, Helen was also fond of pursuing recreational activities, such as out-door sports. She enjoyed rowing and swimming during the summers since a young age. She recalls her experiences in Wrentham, Massachusetts, where she had enjoyed the pleasure of boating with her friends. She also loved canoeing, especially on the moonlit nights.
Sailing: Helen’s favorite amusement
In the year 1901, Helen and Miss Sullivan visited Nova Scotia and Halifax. Helen had sails to the Bedford Basin, McNabb’s, York Redoubt and to the Northwest Arm.
Helen shares a thrilling experience at the ocean. One day, Helen and Miss Sullivan went to witness a race among hundreds of boats on the Northwest Arm. On their way back from the race, the weather underwent a sudden change and they had to sail across the stormy sea. However, the captain managed to steer the boat safely to the shore.
Helen’s “tree friends” at Wrentham
At the Chamberlin’s at Wrentham in summer, Helen participated in all the activities of her friends. Mr. Chamberlin instigated in Helen a love for trees and flowers. Helen had many “tree friends” in Wrentham but an old oak tree overlooking the King Philip’s pond held a “special pride” in her heart. Her other tree friend was a linden that grew at Red Farm. One day, to Helen’s shock and disappointment, the linden fell down during a thunderstorm.
Helen’s walks through the country streets
In the summer that year, Helen and Miss Sullivan went to a lake-side cottage in Wrentham for a holiday. She left behind the worries of the world to enjoy the lakes, fields and woods. She enjoyed her strolls through the dirty and narrow streets of the country observing the poor people and children there. She felt sorry for those people who were forced to live in pitiable conditions, devoid of the necessities of life.
Helen also loved the splendid feeling of the air cutting across her face while riding on her tandem bicycle.
Helen’s dog companions
At times, Helen took her dog along while going for a walk or a ride. Over the years, Helen had many pet dogs—mastiffs, spaniels, setters and bull terriers. The dogs understood her limitations and were affectionate towards her, giving her company whenever she was alone. The one at the present was a bull terrier dog Phiz with a long pedigree, a crooked tail and “the drollest “phiz” in dogdom.”
Spending her idle hours indoors
During the rainy days, Helen passed her time indoors playing checkers or chess with her friends. When alone, she loved knitting and reading books and playing solitaire. She also enjoyed playing and spending time with kids.
Visit to a museum and her love of art objects
Helen showed keen interest in the art stores and Museums. She admired the works of art by tracing the line and curves of the object. She had a Homer’s Medallion hung in her room and she could imagine the blind poet singing to her the poetry of life, love and war.
Going to a theatre
Helen loved going to the theatre. She preferred it when a play was described to her while it was being enacted on the stage than just reading it. She had had the privilege of touching the costumes and faces of some great theatre artists, including Miss Ellen Terry and Mr. Joseph Jefferson. Helen recalls the joy she felt when she saw her first play “The Prince and the Pauper” at a young age with Miss Sullivan.
Helen’s optimism in spite of all adversities
Helen often felt isolated and discontented due to her limitations. But she managed to feel contented with learning about the world around her through the eyes and ears of others.
Chapter 23
In the final chapter, Helen acknowledges the contribution of both renowned as well as unknown people in her life.
Helen’s discontent with the newspaper reporters and hypocritical people
Helen expresses her displeasure with the “stupid and curious” behavior of the newspaper reporters. Helen dislikes them and those other deceitful people who talk to her in a condescending manner.
Spiritual journey of Helen with Bishop Brooks
Helen recounts her first meeting with Bishop Brooks who taught her no dogma or creed but impressed two main ideas on her mind—“fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man”. He had preached to her only one universal religion—“the religion of love”. After Bishop’s death, Helen read the Bible and many other philosophical texts like Swedenborg’s Heaven and Hell. But she valued Brook’s teachings above all others.
Sweet memories of reciting poems with Dr. Holmes
Helen recalls meeting Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes in his library just after she had learnt to speak. Helen had recited the lines from Tennyson’s poem which made Dr. Holmes quite emotional.
Dr. Holmes introduced Helen to another poet Mr. John Greenleaf Whittier. Helen recited poems from a copy of his book In School Days which he had in raised print. Helen was delighted to read and recite many poems in his company.
Learning important lessons for life from Dr. Hale
Dr. Edward Everett Hale, whom Helen had known since she was eight, was one of her oldest friends. His wise sympathy had cheered Helen and Miss Sullivan in the tough and demanding times. Helen acknowledges his contribution in teaching her the love of country. He also taught her the importance of showing kindness and “a sincere desire to live upward and onward.”
A long friendship with Dr. Alexander Graham Bell
Helen had met Dr. Alexander Graham Bell at a young age and their meeting has been described in the third chapter of the book. Since then, she had spent much with him at Washington during her visit to the “World’s fair” and also at his home in the heart of Cape Breton’s Island, near Baddeck. Helen remembered him for ability to make even the most “abstruse theories” of science interesting. Apart from being an inventor, Helen had discovered that he was humorous and poetic too. She felt grateful to him for his “labours in the behalf of the deaf” that would benefit the future generations.
Introduction to Mr. Lawrence Hutton; a true friendship with Mrs. Hutton
During her stay at New York, Helen met Mr. Lawrence Hutton and Mrs. Hutton at their home. Helen admired Mr. Hutton for his power of bringing the best thoughts in everyone. Mrs. Hutton gradually became one of Helen’s truest friends who encouraged her during her moments of depression. It was at their house that Helen met many literary figures, such as Mr. William D. Howells, Mark Twain, Mr. Richard W. Gilder, Mr. Edmund C. Stedman, Mr. Charles Dudley Warner and Mr. John Burroughs. Helen mentions how all of them were sympathetic and gentle towards her.
Helen’s affectionate bond with Mrs. Dodge and Mrs. Riggs
Her friends, Mrs. Mary Mapes Dodge (editor of a magazine called St. Nicholas) and Mrs. Riggs (the author of “Patsy”) shared an affectionate bond with her. They shared their thoughts and knowledge with Helen through letters and photographs.
Helen’s indebtedness to Mrs. Thaw and an unnamed benefactor
Helen ends the chapter by mentioning the names of her last two friends. One was Mrs. William Thaw of Pittsburg and other friend is left unnamed. She appreciates Mrs. Thaw for her generosity and her attempts to make everyone around her happy. The other friend may be either Mr. John P. Spaulding, who was a renowned philanthropist, or her benefactor, J.P. Morgan, who had helped Helen to make her way to college.
Helen feels indebted to her friends, who form a valuable part of the story of her life, for transforming her “limitations into beautiful privileges”.
Character sketches
Helen Keller
Helen Keller is the writer, narrator as well as the central character of The Story of My Life. The book, while tracing her journey from childhood to her college days, underlines many of her characteristic traits. In spite of her disabilities, Helen showed exemplary determination and perseverance in her life. Even though Helen had become mute with the loss of her ability to hear, through her hard work and unfailing resolve, she learnt how to speak. Helen overcame all the ordeals and fears on her journey to realise her dream of going to college. Helen appears to be an enthusiastic and, at times, unruly from a very young age. She was frequently gripped by bouts of depression and discontentment. But strong will-power motivated her to overcome all negativities.
Being deaf and blind, her only source of knowledge about the world was her books. Thus, Helen was an avid reader. Helen also loved travelling and staying out-of-doors. Her love of the countryside is evident throughout the text. Even though she lacked the sense of sight, she could appreciate the beauty of nature and the works of art.
Mrs. Anne Mansfield Sullivan
Miss Sullivan is the teacher and constant companion of Helen. She successfully awakens Helen’s soul to light and freedom, and sets her “spirit free”. “She is thy spiritual liberator”, Whittier has said to Helen about Miss Sullivan.
On third of March, 1887, Miss Sullivan arrived at the house of the Kellers. From that day on, Helen’s life took a completely different turn: from darkness to light, from isolation to friendship. Miss Sullivan was an extremely patient and considerate teacher who never failed to understand Helen’s frustration and discontentment. She methodically taught Helen how to communicate using her fingers and then assisted her in her education through all the institutions that Helen attended.
Miss Sullivan’s method of teaching was very effective. She illustrated everything she taught using a poem or a story. Besides, she used to take Helen out-of-doors and teach her in the lap of nature. This way, not only did she help Helen learn lessons, but also developed the bond between Helen and the world she was deprived of. Helen dedicates her success in articulating speech sounds to Miss Sullivan’s “genius, untiring perseverance and devotion”.
Dr. Alexander Graham Bell
Dr. Alexander Graham Bell was an inventor and a teacher of the deaf. Helen met him for the first time in Washington in the year 1886. This meeting was not only the beginning of a long friendship between Dr. Bell and Helen but it also proved to be the foundation of Helen’s education and life. In fact, Helen has dedicated her autobiography The Story of My Life to him. Helen mentions his sympathetic and tender nature that made her love him from her first visit itself. It was on his suggestion that Helen’s father wrote to Mr. Anagnos and subsequently found Miss Sullivan as a teacher.
Helen and Miss Sullivan were accompanied by Dr. Bell on their visit to the World’s Fair in 1893. Helen also visited him at his home and laboratory. He appears to be a wonderful and patient teacher who could instill enthusiasm and interest in his students through his delightful explanations. Helen notes that Dr. Bell was a humorous person and a poet as well. Another endearing quality of Dr. Bell was his love for children, particularly the deaf.
Mr. Michael Anagnos
Mr. Michael Anagnos was the director of the Perkins Institution for the Blind in Boston during Helen’s formative years. He was the one who had found Miss Sullivan as a teacher and companion for Helen.
After Helen had joined the Perkins Institution, he became a good friend of hers. Helen dedicated things she wrote to him during those years. However, a breach in their friendship came with “The Frost King” episode. After Helen was accused of plagiarism for her story, he terminated their friendship. Even though he had known her for years, he failed to understand that Helen had not intentionally copied the story in order to please him. Later, however, after the publication of The Story of My Life, Mr. Anagnos wrote to the editor claiming that he had been a supporter of Helen during her investigation and trial. The friendship, however, was never restored.
Nonetheless, during the times when they were close friends, he had helped Helen in all possible ways, encouraging her and providing her with books in raised prints.
Arthur H. Keller
Helen’s father was Arthur H. Keller. He was a former captain in the Confederate Army and later an editor of a newspaper. Helen's recollects how she used to make her way through 'great drifts of newspapers' to her father's side. Helen found her father's work amusing and puzzling, and would often imitate him to find out exactly what he would be so occupied in. It was only several years later that she learnt that he was an editor.
He was a loving father and was devoted to the family. He was also a good hunter. Helen notes that his “hospitality was great, almost to a fault”. He also seemed to have keen interest in gardening and maintaining orchard. He was very fond of his dogs. Helen calls him an excellent story-teller, who used to entertain Helen by spelling stories on her hand. Helen recalls how her father would be delighted to give to her anything that pleased her. Mr. Keller tried every means possible to first get her cured of her disabilities, and later, to give her proper education.
Mr. Keller died in the summer of 1896 after a short span of suffering and illness. Helen recalls her father’s death as a great blow to her, her 'first personal experience with death'.
Kate Adams
Helen mother was Kate Adams. She was the second wife of Helen’s father and many years younger. During Helen's illness, her mother would try to soothe her in her 'wailing hours of fret and pain'. After Helen lost her sense of sight and hearing, it was her mother with whom she first managed to communicate. Helen would sit in her mother's lap or cling to her dress as she went about her household duties.
Her mother supported Helen throughout, including those times when Helen was frustrated by the inability to communicate properly her ideas and feelings to others. Helen writes, “I owe to her loving wisdom all that was bright and good in my long night”.
Mildred Keller
Mildred was the younger and only sister of Helen Keller. Their relationship did not start on a good note owing to jealousy on the part of Helen. Helen was jealous that her mother paid more attention to Mildred. However, with time, the two sisters developed a loving bond. Even without a proper language for communication, the two sisters’ hearts felt for each other. They had long walks together and often Mildred would explain the sceneries to Helen. Later, Mildred joined the Cambridge School with Helen and the two sisters spent some memorable years there in New York.
Miss Sarah Fuller
Miss Sarah Fuller was principal of the Horace Mann School for the Deaf in Boston. She gave Helen eleven lessons in articulation. Helen's enthusiasm and earnest desire delighted Miss Fuller. Miss Fuller held Helen’s hand and pressed it lightly over her face and let her feel the position of her tongue and lips when she made a sound. By helping teaching Helen how to speak, she contributed in a huge way in latter’s education and in helping Helen reach a new level of confidence.
Mr. John P. Spaulding
Mr. John P. Spaulding, who was a renowned philanthropist, was one of Helen's most kindest and closest friends. He was kind and supportive to both Helen and Miss Sullivan. His very presence and interest in their work gave them much encouragement. His death in February, 1896, is recalled by Helen as the greatest sorrow she had ever borne, except her father's death. His friendship was very close to Helen's hear. Helen writes how he made everyone happy 'in a beautiful, unobtrusive way'.
Bishop Brooks
Bishop Brooks was a friend of Helen who taught her about God and religion. Helen recounts her first meeting with Bishop Brooks who taught her no dogma or creed but impressed two main ideas on her mind—“fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man”. He had preached to her only one universal religion—“the religion of love”. After Bishop’s death, Helen read the Bible and many other philosophical texts like Swedenborg’s Heaven and Hell. But she valued Brook’s teachings above all others.
Mr. Merton S. Keith
Mr. Keith was a private tutor under whose guidance Helen prepared for Radcliffe after having withdrawn from Cambridge School. He taught Helen algebra, geometry, Greek and Latin. He patiently explained lessons to her and gave her home assignments. He was able to relieve Helen of the fear from mathematics, a subject she had always faced difficulty in understanding.
Dr. Edward Everett Hale
Dr. Edward Everett Hale, whom Helen had known since she was eight, was one of her oldest friends. He always extended his support and wise sympathy to Helen and Miss Sullivan during their difficult times. Helen acknowledges his contribution in teaching her the love of country. He also taught her the importance of showing kindness and “a sincere desire to live upward and onward.” He had “shown men what it is to believe, live and be free”. Helen appreciated his love for work. He was helpful and encouraging to everybody.
Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes
Helen met Dr. Holmes for the first time in the spring in his library after she had learnt how to speak. Helen had recited the lines from Tennyson’s poem which made Dr. Holmes quite emotional. Helen admired him both as a person as well as a poet.
Mr. Lawrence Hutton and Mrs. Hutton
During her stay at New York, Helen met Mr. Lawrence Hutton and Mrs. Hutton at their home. Helen admired Mr. Hutton for his power of bringing the best thoughts in everyone. Mrs. Hutton gradually became one of Helen’s truest friends who encouraged her during her moments of depression. It was at their house that Helen met many literary figures, such as Mr. William D. Howells, Mark Twain, Mr. Richard W. Gilder, Mr. Edmund C. Stedman, Mr. Charles Dudley Warner and Mr. John Burroughs.