The Story of My Life (pages 174-216)

The Story of My Life- Helen Keller

Summary:

From pages 174-216, Helen Keller continues showing us her letters she has written to family, friends, authors and people that matters in her life. She also continues updating them about how well she is doing and what’s she has been up to. Helen has been improving a little in lip-reading, even though it is difficult to read rapid speech. She has been working on a speech to give to the blind and deaf. Of course, she has Annie Sullivan assisting her. Since Helen had been doing well at lip-reading, she has been asked to go to school in New York, in which she chooses to do so. There, she has great teachers helping her with lip-reading and her writings. She is also learning languages and in order to understand, she has to read her teacher’s lips. On September 3, 1896, Helen and her family go through a heartbreak. Her father died at home in Tuscumbia while she was away. Her heart is full of sadness to dwell upon the happiness. She soon realizes that she was a selfish greedy girl who asks her happiness to be filled. This thought helped her move on after awhile. Around May and June, Helen has to take examinations for her studies, and she had passed all of them. She even advanced in a few, and everyone is extremely proud of her. The last few pages talk about Helen’s education and where she would attend to in the future. She applied for Radcliffe so she can receive a degree. She does not talk about how her speech went in any of the letter.  Her last letter was written in November 25, 1901. She writes to Senator Hoar, telling him she studied politics, but her dream is to become a writer.  

Quotation:

“Each day brings me all that I can possibly accomplish, and each night brings me rest, and the sweet thought I am a little nearer to my goal than ever” (Keller 195).

Reaction:
This quote shows that Helen Keller has a positive attitude. As each day comes, she does the most she can to feel accomplished and good about herself. At night, she would rest and she likes the fact that each day brings her closer to her goal. With that attitude, I think Helen Keller will get far in life. She went through a lot when she found out she had an illness, causing her to be blind and deaf. She still worked hard in school and passed all her examinations. She also helped other blinds and deaf. She went through the same experience she did, feeling isolating and mad at the world. What she did was meet some of the children and donated money to them.

The Story of My Life (pages 130-173)

The Story of My Life- Helen Keller

Summary:

In the pages of 130-173, it contains letters Helen Keller had written to people who she cares about and look up to. In the letters, there is a change in her writing. It shows how much she has improved in her writing skills and grammar. These letters also tells who she’s writing to and why. When she was eight, she studied arithmetic, at age nine; she goes to the gymnasium with friends and have fun. At age ten, she studies about the earth, at age eleven, she starts to talk to the teacher and at age twelve, she studies zoology. Someone who she continues writing letters to is Mr. Anagnos. She is delighted that he was able to write back and she wants to go visit him soon so they can see beautiful cities together. During the summer of 1889, Helen Keller does not have Annie Sullivan to be by her side. She went away for three months and half, and it was the first separation of teacher and pupil. Helen writes a letter to Miss. Sullivan telling her how much she misses her and life is harder without her. In the fall, they reunite and they return to Perkins Institution at South Boston. She is there studying for school and Miss. Sullivan is there to assist her. She does to school every day and learns many new things. Helen Keller writes letters to her mother and sister updating them with how she is doing and how much she misses them. She was also able to get a hold of some authors writing them letters on how much she loves their book and appreciates it. Their books make her happy and inspire her to write better. There is a five-year-old boy Helen met, named Tommy. He is also blind and death and Helen wants to find a way to help him. He and his family are too poor to afford school. He feels the same way as Helen did when she did not meet Annie, isolated from the world. Helen asks authors and friends for many donations so she can give the money to Tommy’s family so he can go to school.

Quotation:

"It is my earnest wish to share my happiness with others, and I ask the kind people of Boston to help me make the lives of little blind children brighter and happier" (Keller 162).

Reaction:

Tommy has the same illness that Helen Keller had when she was just a baby. She was affected with a severe illness called Severe Congestion of the Brain and Stomach. This illness caused her to be unable to speak, see or hear, she felt like the world was entirely shut off around her.Now, Tommy is in the same position and Helen wants to help Tommy out. Since Tommy's family is too poor to hire a teacher or send him to school to learn, Helen is asking people to donate money to help. I think it is a great and warming thing for Helen, or anyone to do because it shows a great side of their heart. It shows how much they care about others and Helen knows exactly how Tommy feels so she wants to him out.

The Story of My Life (pages 89-129)

The Story of My Life- Helen Keller

Summary:

Helen talks about the sports she likes to play. In Wrentham, Massachusetts, she learned to row and swim and enjoyed rowing a boat. She often went canoeing and her favorite amusement was sailing. On rainy days, she would stay indoors to knot and crochet, and played chess. After Helen Keller writes her autobiography, the book shows some of the litters she wrote. The letters is not only a supplementary of her life, but as a demonstration of her growth in thought and expression. She lived at different time in different parts of the country, so she is separated from most of her friends and relatives. Some letters are to her family and friends to update them on how she is doing and what has been going on in her life. Some letters are to Mr. Michael Anagnos. On November 1887, Helen Keller writes to Mr. Angonos, the director of the Penkins Institution telling him about her doll Nancy and that she is sick. She mentions her love for him and that dolls mean a lot to her. When she was young, before having the help of Annie Sullivan, she played with dolls. One of her dolls did not have eyes, which upset her. It related to her because the doll did not have eyes to see and Helen was blind so she cannot see herself. Most of her long and important letters are to Mr. Michael Anagnos. On February 24 1888, Helen writes him a letter telling him she received. The doll is from New York, and is named Adaeline Keller. The doll is in perfect condition; it can shut her eyes, bend her arms, sit down and sit up straight. On May 3, 1888, another letter is written to Mr. Michael Anagnos. She loves him and is happy to receive a book, candy and two other letters from her. Her mother is making her a dress to wear in Boston, so she can see little girls and boys, and Michael was well.

Quotation:

"Nothing gives me greater pleasure than to take my friends out rowing when they come to visit me. Of course, I cannot guide the boat very well" (Keller 89).

Reaction:

When Helen Keller was young, blind and dead, and had no help from Annie Sullivan, she was mad at the world because she wasn't able to experience anything. Ever since Annie Sullivan came to teach Helen, she was able to learn more and travel around the country. She loved going up to the North during the summer and for holidays. Her favorite place was Massachusetts. In the summer, she was able to row and swim in the lake. This refers to the quote- Helen is saying she can't guide the boat because she is blind, but she can still enjoy the nature and participate in other activities. I'm happy that Annie Sullivan came around, because it's hard to find a great teacher and she changed Helen's life and showed care for her.

The Story of My Life (pages 41-88)

The Story of My Life- Helen Keller

Summary:

 After the holidays Annie and Helen celebrated together with other deaf and blind children, Annie took Helen to Boston for a trip. Helen liked going to trips away from home, so Annie took her to the north every winter. In spring 1890, Helen learns to speak.  The impulse to utter audible sounds had always been strong within her. She used to make noises, keeping one hand on her throat, while the other hand felt the movement of her lips. When Helen was young, she was a quick learner when it came to talking, but after her illness was found, she had ceased to speak because she could not hear. She remembers one word, water; she pronounced it like "wa-wa.' in the winter of 1892, Helen started to write her own short stories after she lost her charm in books. Annie took Helen to many places around the world. That way, she can see many wonders from different parts of the earth. She was able to learn about inventions, treasures of industry and skill, and many more activities in the human life. In the summer of 1894, Helen attended the meeting at Chautauqua of the American Association to promote the teaching of speech to the Deaf. It was arranged that she would go to the Wright-Humans on School, an accompanied by Annie Sullivan. The school was chosen for the highest advantages in vocal culture and training in lip-reading. There, Helen studied arithmetic, physical, geography, French and German. Two years later, Helen attended the Cambridge School for Young Ladies to prepare for Radcliffe. In Radcliffe, she studied many classes and Annie was there to help her by writing words on her hands. Helen felt upset because there were too many students in the class, so she did not receive any special attention. She would get frustrated sometimes because she was not able to take notes; she was too busy reading with her hands. 

Quotation:

“It was my ambition to speak like other people, and my teachers believed that this could be accomplished; but, although we worked hard and faithfully, yet we did not quite reach our goal” (Keller 60).

Reaction: 

I think choosing Annie Sullivan was a great teacher to Helen Keller. Before Annie came, Helen was a mess, she never took care of herself and she always got what she wanted. Annie came to teacher her all the things she should know, like manners, how to dress herself, etc. Annie helped Helen with school for many years and helped her prepare for college. In college, she took many classes and successfully passed them all. The author, Helen Keller, wanted to speak as if all other human beings did, but failed because she was not able to hear any words. I also think Helen Keller was a very smart girl, because for someone who was blind and deaf, she knew French, German, Latin and English, along with arithmetic.

The Story of My Life (pages 1-40)

The Story of My Life- Helen Keller

Summary:

Helen Keller was born on June 27, 1880, in Tuscumbia, Alabama. At the age of two, Helen was affected with a severe illness called Severe Congestion of the Brain and Stomach. This illness caused her to be unable to speak, see or hear, she felt like the world was entirely shut off around her. For five years, Helen was uncontrollable; she grew into a wild child and was constantly throwing tantrums. Since Helen's parents didn't know how to teach her, her mom would give her anything she wanted. She used to cling on to her mother's dress as she did household duties. Her hands would feel every object and observe the motion; this was the way Helen Keller used to learn. Communication began to rise up with others, a shake of the head meant "No," a nod meant "Yes," and a pull meant "Come."As time passed by, Helen became a spoiled child and she couldn't take the answer "No." It was hard finding help for a child who cannot speak, see or hear. Finally, a teacher Annie Sullivan was found and agreed to help Helen. Helen was seven years old when she first met Annie, and from the start, Annie started to teach Helen. Annie would give an object to Helen to study and then, she would take her hand and spell the object out. First, Helen thought it was a game, but she learned that it was a way to teach her. Because of Annie, Helen learned what objects were, manners and a little bit of reading. Annie brought a completely new world to Helen, because she was able to understand her surroundings more and experience the adventure to new places in the country.

Quotation:

"The most important day I remember in all my life is the one on which my teacher, Anne Mansfield Sullivan, came to me. I am filled with wonder when I consider the immeasurable contrast between the two lives which it connects" (Keller 14).

Reaction:

The author described herself, Helen Keller as a young child who was mad at the world because she had an illness that caused her to be unable to speak see or hear forever. She became aggravated and began throwing tantrums to get what she wants. She was hopeless and her parents didn't know what to do but seek help. The author provided many descriptive examples on how she would act as a child. The words she used also gave imagery in my head to see what was going on. They found an amazing teacher, Annie Sullivan, who herself went through an illness that caused her to be blind. She overcame that illness and started to help children who had a similar illness. This relates to the quote, because Annie became one of Helen's most important people in her life. She was able to teach Helen how to live, and what to know.