DETAILED SUMMARY BY XYZ

1. THE STORY OF MY LIFE BY HELEN KELLER DETAILED
SUMMARY
Chapter 1
Helen’sapprehensionbefore writingherautobiography
Helenfeltakindof hesitationbeforeshe setonthe taskof penningdownherautobiographyand,thus,
reveal the storyof her life. Inaddition,the taskitself wasadifficultone forHelen:lookingback,she
couldhardlydistinguishbetweenthe factsandthe fanciesacrossthe years.Furthermore,inthe process
of learningnewthings,she hadforgottenmanyimportantincidentsandexperiencesof herchildhood.
Birth of Helen
HelenAdamsKellerwasbornona plantationcalledIvyGreeninTuscumbia,Alabama,onJune 27, 1880.
She was the eldestdaughterof CaptainArthurH.Keller,aformerofficerof the Confederate Army,and
Kate Adams.Helenwasnamedafterhergrandmother,HelenEverett.Evenasan infant,she showed
signsof eagernessandindependence.Bythe age of six months,Helenattractedeveryone’sattention
pipingoutwordslike “Howd’ye”and“tea”.
Helensuffersan illnessthat leavesherdeaf and blind
In February,1882, at the age of nineteenmonths,Helenfell ill with“anacute congestionof the stomach
and brain”,whichcouldpossiblyhave beenscarletfeverormeningitis.Thisillnessleftherdeaf and
blind.Lateron,her spiritwasliberatedfromthe “worldof silence anddarkness”byherteacher,Anne
Sullivan.
Chapter 2
Helen’sinitial attemptsto communicate
Afterhersickness,Helenstartedusing“crude signs”tocommunicate withothers.A shake of the head
meant“No” and a nod“Yes”, a pull meant“Come”and a push,“Go”. If she wantedanything,she would
imitate the relevantaction.Hermotherencouragedherbyinvolvingherinthe householdactivities.This
made Helenmore observantof the actionsperformedbythe peoplearoundher.
Observingherselfas differentfromothers
Helenstartedtoobserve thatunlike her,otherpeople didnotuse signsforcommunicationbuttalked
withtheirmouths.She realizedthatshe wasdifferentfromothers.She attemptedtocopythembut in
vain.Attimes,she releasedherfrustrationonhernurse,Elisa,bykickingandscreamingather until she

2. feltexhausted.She regrettedhermisbehaviorbutdidnottry to change it.
CompanionshipwithMartha Washingtonand Belle
Martha Washingtonwasa little colouredgirl whounderstoodHelen’ssigns.She wasthe cook’s
daughter.Martha submissivelyobeyedHelen,whointurnenjoyeddomineeringoverher.Boththe girls
spenta lotof time inthe kitchen,kneadingdoughballs,grindingcoffee,quarrellingoverthe cake bowl.
Helenenjoyedfeedingthe hensandturkeys,andfeelingthemastheyate fromherhands.She also
lovedtohuntfor guinea-fowl eggsinthe longgrass.EventhoughHelencouldnotunderstandChristmas
perse,she enjoyedthe preparationsleadingtothatoccasion.
One Julyafternoon,whenHelenandMartha were boredof cuttingpaperdolls,theycame upwiththe
ideaof cuttingeach other’shair.HelencutMartha’s hairand Martha cut off a curl of Helen’s.Martha
wouldhave cutthemall if itweren’tforHelen’smother’stimelyintervention.
Belle wasa lazyolddog anda companionof Helen.Despite of herattempts,itwasinattentive toher
signsand gestures.Asaresult,HelenwouldgetfrustratedandgolookingforMartha.
Helenis savedby the nurse from gettingburnt
Once,while dryingherwetaproninfrontof the hearth,Helenendedupgoingtooclose tothe fire.Her
clothescaughtfire.Fortunately,she wassavedbythe nurse,Viny,whothrew ablanketaroundherto
extinguishthe fire.Exceptforherhandsandhair,she was notbadlyburnt.
Discoveringthe use of a key:used as a tool for mischief
Aboutthat time,Helenfoundoutthe use of a key.The mischievousHelenplayedaprankonher mother
by lockingherinthe pantry.AfterMiss Sullivanarrivedtoteachher,she playedthe same prankon her.
Helenlockedherteacherinherroomand refusedtoreveal the hiddenkey.Eventually,herfatherhadto
intervene andtake MissSullivanoutof the roomthroughthe window.
WhenHelenwasaroundfive yearsold,the Kellerfamilymovedfromthe ‘little vine-coveredhouse’toa
large newone.
The lovingrelationshipbetweenHelenandher father
Helen’sfatherwaslovingandindulgent.Helenwasfond of the storiesherfathernarratedtoherby
formingspellingsonherhand.Herfatherinturn enjoyedHelen’sreiterationof these stories.Her
father’sdeathinthe summerof 1896 was Helen’s“firstgreatsorrow-- [her] firstpersonal experience
withdeath.”
Helen’srelationshipwithher baby sister
Initially,Helenviewedheryoungersister,Mildred,asanintruder.She feltthathersistergotall the
attentionfromhermother.Helenventedherfrustrationandshowedheraffectiononherdoll,Nancy.
Once HelenoverturnedNancy’scradle inwhichhersisterwassleeping.Fortunately,theirmother’s
timelyarrival savedMildred.Later,however,the love betweenthe heartsof the twosistersprospered

3. despite the factthatneitherof themunderstoodthe language of the other.
Chapter 3
The needfor a better meansof communication
Gradually,the fewsignsthatwere usedbyHelentocommunicate became inadequate.Failure toget
across herthoughtsledto fitsof angerand frustrationinHelen.She felt miserable.Asaresult,it
became imperativeforherparentstofinda teacheror a school forHelensothat she couldlearna
bettermeansof communication.
Helen’smother’shope wasarousedbyanaccountshe read inDickens’s“AmericanNotes”aboutthe
educationof Laura Bridgeman,adeaf and blindstudent,byDr.Howe.Unfortunately,hismethodshad
possiblydiedwithhim.Besides,itwouldnotbe easytofinda teacherwhowouldcome to theirdistant
townin Alabamatoteach Helen.
The train journeyto Baltimore
Helenwassix whenherfatherdecidedtoconsultanoculistinBaltimore forthe treatmentof Helen’s
sight.Helenenjoyedthe newexperiencesduringhertrip.She washappyto receive abox of shellsfrom
a ladyand a doll made outof towels fromheraunt duringthe journey.She alsoplayedwiththe
“punchingmachine”of the conductor.In fact,she didnot experience anyfitsof temperduringher
journeyasthere were somany thingstokeephermindandhands busy.
Exploringthe possibilitiesofHelen’seducationatBaltimore
At Baltimore,Dr.Chisholmsaidthatthere wasnothinghe coulddoaboutHelen’ssight.However,he
advisedHelen’sfathertoconsultDr.AlexanderGrahamBell of Washington,whowouldbe able toguide
theminregards to the educationof Helen.
MeetingDr. Bell wasa greatexperienceforHelen.He understoodHelen’ssigns,whichmade herhappy.
Thismeetingwasthe beginningof a longfriendshipbetweenDr.Bell andHelen.Helenlaterrecalledthis
interview asthe foundationof herjourneyfromdarknesstolight,“fromisolationtofriendship,
companionship,knowledge andlove.”
Dr. Bell advisedMr.Kellertowrite toDr. Anagnos,the directorof the PerkinsInstituteinBoston.Her
fatherwrote to himwithoutanydelayandgot a replyinpositive.Finally,inthe Marchof 1887, Miss
Sullivanarrivedatthe Kellerhouse.
Chapter 4
The most important day of Helen’slife
Miss Anne MansfieldSullivanarrivedatthe house of the Kellerfamilyonthe thirdof March, 1887. This
was the day fromwhichHelen’slife startedtotransform;the ailingspiritof Helencouldonlyfindsolace

4. by the knowledgedeliveredbyMissSullivan.
Beginningof the journeyof knowledge withMiss Ann Sullivan
Miss Sullivangave Helenadoll,whichwasapresentfromthe little blindstudentsof the PerkinsInstitute
and wasdressedbyLaura Bridgeman.MissSullivanspelledthe word‘D-O-L-L’onHelen’shands.Helen
managedto imitate the movementsof herfingerseventhoughshe wasnotaware of the factthat Miss
Sullivanwastryingtoteachher the name of the thing.Ittook several weeksforHelentorealize that
everythinghasaname.Miss Sullivantriedtoteachthe namesof several otherobjectstoHelen,suchas
“M-U-G” and “W-A-T-E-R”,butHelenwasannoyedatthe repeatedattemptsof herteacherandshe
broke herdoll on the floor.
One day,whentheywere walkinginthe garden,MissSullivanputHelen’shandunderaspoutof water.
As the cool streamgushedoverHelen’shand,MissSullivanspelledthe word“water”onthe other.Then
Helenrealizedthat‘water’meantthat“cool somethingthatwasflowingover[her] hand”.She
experiencedthe joyof gainingknowledge.Whenshe returnedtothe house,she waseagertolearn
since “everyname gave birthtoa newthought”.
That day Helenlearntseveral newwords,including“father”,“mother”and“teacher”.Thiseventful day
leftherveryhappyand excited.She waitedeagerlyforthe upcomingnew day.
Chapter 5
Helencouldexperience newjoy asshe learnedthe namesof the objectsandtheiruses.Thismade her
more confidentandfamiliarwiththe outside world.
Learning lessonsinthe lap of nature
Helenhadmanynewexperiencesduringhersummertriptothe banks of the Tennessee Riverwith Miss
Sullivan.There,sittingonthe warmgrass,Helenlearnedlessonsfromherteacher.She gottoknowhow
birdsmake theirnests;howtreesgrowwiththe helpof the sun andthe rain;how animalsfindfoodfor
themselves,etc.She became more sensitivetonature andrejoicedthe companyof the worldabout
whichshe wasnow more informed.
Helenlearnsthat nature is not always kind
One day MissSullivanhelpedHelentoclimbupa tree.It wasa pleasantsunnyafternoonandthey
decidedtohave theirluncheonthere.MissSullivanlefttofetchthe food,withHelensittingona tree
alone.Suddenlythe weatherbecame darkandstormy.Helenwasterrifiedandfeltalienatedfromthe
world.Helenlongedforthe returnof herteacherandabove all to get down fromthe tree.Too scaredto
jump,she “croucheddowninthe fork of the tree”.Justas she thoughtshe wouldfall alongwiththe
tree,herteacherrescuedher.Helenfeltrelievedtoreachthe ground safely.Thisexperiencetaughther
that nature isnot alwayskind,thatnature “wagesopenwar againstherchildren…”
Rejoicingindependence anda newbond with nature

5. Helencontinuedtobe terrifiedof climbingatree fora longtime.One day,however,she wasluredto
climba ‘Mimosatree’byits beautiful fragrance.She didexperience some difficultyinholdingontothe
large branchesbut the pleasure of attemptingsomethingnew andwonderful kepthergoing.Finally,she
sat downon a “little seat”andfeltlike a“fairysittingona rose cloud”.
Chapter 6
Withthe acquisitionof words, Helenturns more inquisitive
Gradually,Helen’sknowledgegrewintermsof vocabularyandsubsequently,herareaof inquiry
broadened.She returnedtothe same subjectrepeatedly,eagerformore andmore information.
Challengesinunderstandingabstract ideas
One day Helenbroughtabunch of violetsforherteacher.MissSullivanputherarm aroundHelento
showheraffectionandspelledintoherhand,“Ilove Helen”.ButHelenfailedtounderstandthe
meaningasshe triedassociatingitwitha thingandnot withan emotionoran abstract idea.She was
disappointedbythe factthat her teachercouldnot“show”her whatlove meant.
The first conceptionofan abstract idea
A couple of dayslater,whenHelenwasstringingbeadsof differentsizes,herteacherkeptonpointing
out mistakestoher.Helenwastryingtothinkaboutthe correct arrangementwhenMissSullivan
touchedherforeheadandspelledthe word“think”onherhand.Helensuddenlyrealizedthatthe word
isthe name of the processgoingoninher mind.ThiswasHelen’sfirstconsciousawarenessof an
abstract idea.Finally,herteacherexplainedtoherthat,“you cannottouch love either;butyoufeel the
sweetnessthatlove poursintoeverything.”
The tediousprocessof learningfor a deafand blindchildlike Helen
Miss SullivanencouragedHelentotalktoher. She suppliedherwithseveral wordsandidiomsby
spellingthemonherhand.Itwas a longand tediousprocessthatcontinuedforseveralyears. Thiswas
because Helencouldneitherdistinguishbetweenthe differenttonalitiesof the speakernorlookathis
expressions.
Chapter 7
Learning to read
The nextimportantlessonforHelenwaslearninghow toread.Once Helenhadmanagedto spell afew
words,herteachergave her slipsof cardboardwithraisedlettersprintedonthem.Helenpromptly
learnedthateachprintedwordstoodfor an object,anact, or a quality.She wasgiventhe slipsof paper,
whichrepresented,forexample,“doll”,“is”,“on”,“bed”,andeachname was placedonthe relevant
object.Herdoll wasput on the bedwithwords is, on,bed arranged beside the doll,thusmakinga
sentence outof it.

6. From the printedslipsHelenmovedontoreadprintedbooks.Helenenjoyedhuntingforthe wordsshe
knewinherbook“Readingfor Beginners”.
Learning lessonsoutof doors and through illustrations
Miss SullivantaughtHelenwiththe helpof illustrationsthroughbeautiful storyora poem.Inthisway,
she made each difficultlessoneasytolearn.
The earlylessonswere carriedoutinthe sunlitwoods.AmongotherplacesthatHelenoftenvisitedwere
the gardenand the orchard. Helen’sfavouritewalkwastothe Keller’sLanding,anoldwharf onthe
Tennessee River.There she wasalsogivengeographylessonsinaplayful mannerwithoutany
exhaustionorfeelingof beingtaughtlessons.Helenbuiltdamswithpebbles,made islandsandlakes,
and dugriver-beds.MissSullivanbuilt“raisedmapsinclay”ona sheetsothat Helencouldfeel the
mountains,ridgesandvalleysbyfollowingherfingers.She illustratedthe divisionof earthintodifferent
zoneswiththe helpof illustrative stringsand“orange stick”representations.
Miss SullivantaughtHelenarithmetic,botanyandzoologywiththe same leisurelyapproach.
Learning inthe form of storiesthat were based on the gifts receivedbyHelen
A collectionof fossilswasonce giftedtoHelenbyagentleman.These servedasakeyto the
“antediluvianworld”onwhichMissSullivannarrated dreadful talesaboutvariousbeastsanddevilswith
unpronounceable names.
Anothertime,abeautiful shell wasgiftedtoHelen,andithelpedhertolearnaboutthe habitatof the
marine animals.She associatedthe shell buildingprocesswiththe working of the mind.Justasthe
Nautiluschangesthe material itabsorbsfromwaterandmakesita part of itself,similarly,the mind
convertsthe “bitsof knowledge”thatone gathersinto“pearlsof thought”.
Lessonsof science from life itself
Miss Sullivan pickedupillustrationsforherlessonsfromlifeitself.She taughtthe growthof a plantby
makingobservationsonagrowinglilyplantkeptonthe window.Helenlearntaboutthe behaviourof
animalsbyfeelingthe tadpolesina“glassglobe”andmonitoringtheirgrowth.
Teaching skillsofMiss Sullivan
Miss Sullivanwasateacherwithgreatteachingskills:she wassympatheticandloving.She couldseize
the right momentfordeliveringknowledgetoHelen,whichmade learningexperience pleasant.Helen
developedsuchclosenesswithherteacherthatshe hardlythoughtherself distantfromher.She
acknowledgesherteacherforall the goodin herand as a source of aspirationtogainknowledge
Chapter 8
Preparingfor Christmascelebration
Heleneagerly waitedforthe firstChristmasafterthe arrival of MissSullivan.Everyone inthe house was

7. planningsurprisesforHelenandshe,inturn,waspreparingsurprisesforthemwiththe helpof her
teacher.Herfriendsincitedherexcitementbythrowinghints atherwith“half spelledwords”and
“incomplete sentences”whichwerebothamusementsandlanguage lessonsforher.Meanwhile,Miss
SullivanandHelenplayedthe guessinggame everyeveningtohelpherlearnthe use of language.
Christmas Eve
On ChristmasEve,Helenwasinvitedtoa school inTuscumbia.She feltexcitedinthe presenceof a
beautiful Christmastree standinginthe centre of the room.She wasdelightedwhenaskedtodistribute
presentsamongthe school children.She receivedhergiftsas well.However,she wasnotsatisfiedwith
these andwantedthose giftsthatwere beingplannedbyherfamilyandfriends.Later,she waited
eagerlyforthe morningtodiscoverherChristmaspresentsfromSantaClausandothers.
Helen’snewpet: Tim:
Helenwoke uptoa large numberof gifts.She wasmostpleasedbyherteacher’sgift:a canary bird.
Helennamedthe little birdas‘Tim’andMissSullivantaughtherto take propercare of it. Timwas a
friendlybirdwhoclenchedtoHelen’sfingertipandlovedtoeatcandiedcherriesoutof herhand.Helen
grewquite fondof Tim,until one fateful daywhenacat ate the bird.That day,she hadforgottentoshut
the door of the cage and as she was returningwithwaterforthe bird’sbath,she felta pussycat pass by
her.Soonshe realizedwhathappened:she wouldnotbe able tosee itagain.
Chapter 9
The journeyto Boston inMay, 1888
In May, 1888, HelentravelledtoBostonwithMissSullivanandhermother.Thisjourneywasdifferent
fromthe previousjourneytoBaltimore asshe wasno longerayoung“restless”child.Instead,she was
nowa calmchildsittingbeside herteacherwhowasinformingheraboutthe viewsoutside the car
window:the Tennessee River,cottonfields,hills,woodsandsoon.
Helenrecallsthe tragic end of Nancy, herdoll
Aftertheirarrival at Boston,Helen’sdollNancyunderwentasadexperience.Duringthe journey,the
doll became dirtyandhence,the laundressatthe PerkinsInstitutiongave herabath. Consequently,the
doll turnedintoa “formlessheapof cotton”andcouldonlybe recognizedbyHelenbyher“twobead
eyes”.
Helen’sfriendlyarrival at the PerkinsInstitutionfor the Blind
Helencouldbefriendthe blindchildrenatthe PerkinsInstitutequite easily.She wasdelightedtobe able
to communicate withthe blindchildreninherownlanguage.Besides,she washappytobe at the same
institute whereLauraBridgemanhadbeentaught.She enviedthe blindchildrenonlyinone aspect:
theirabilitytohear.Eventually,Helenfeltcontendedandhappyintheircompanyandforgotall her
pain.

8. Helen’sfirsthistory lessonat Bunker Hill
While HelenwasatBoston,she visitedthe BunkerHill.There she hadherfirsthistorylesson.She was
thrilledtoimagine thatshe wasstandingatthe highstairwaywhichwasonce usedbythe soldiersto
shoottheirenemies.
Helen’smaidenocean voyage:trip to ‘Plymouth’:
The nextday,theywentto Plymouthbywater.Itwas Helen’sfirsttriponthe oceanand firstvoyage on
a steamboat.Onreachingtheirdestination,she feltthe curvesandcutsof the PlymouthRockand the
“1620” engravedonit.A gentlemanatthe PilgrimHall museumgave herasmall model of the rock.She
was familiarwiththe wonderfulstoriesaboutthe Pilgrimsthat visitedthatrock.She couldidealizethem
for theirbraveryandzeal to acquire home inan unknownterritory.Lateron,she wasdisappointedto
knowabouttheirshameful actsof persecutingminoritygroupslike the ‘Quakers’.
Close companionshipwithMr. WilliamEndicottand his daughter
Amongherclose friendsatBostonwere Mr. WilliamEndicottandhisdaughter.She wasdelightedby
theirstroll throughtheirrose-gardenof theirhouse atBeverlyFarms.Theirdogs,LeoandFritz,were
quite friendlywithHelenandthe horse,Nimrod,pokedhisnose inherhandto geta pat.
She alsoenjoyedplayinginthe sandnearthe sea.Mr. Endicotttoldher aboutgreat Europe-boundships
that sailedbyfromBoston.Helenrecountsherwhole experience atBostonas full of pleasure and
denotesthe cityinone phrase as “The Cityof KindHearts”.
Chapter 10
The vacation at Brewsterwith Mrs. Hopkins
Whenthe Perkinsinstituteclosedforthe summer,HelenandherteacherwenttoBrewster,onCape
Cod,to spendthe vacationwitha dear friend,Mrs.Hopkins.Helenhadreadaboutthe seain her
book Our Worldandwas excitedtovisitit.
Helen’sfirstencounterwith the sea
Once at the seashore,she hurriedlyplungedintothe water.She wasenjoyingthe water,whensuddenly
herfoot strucka rock.Her “ecstasy”changedintofear as she starteddrowning.She struggledforawhile
and finally,the wavesthrewherbackonthe shore andshe was supportedbythe embrace of her
teacher.Aftershe recoveredfromthe panic,she innocentlyaskedherteacher,“Whoputsaltin water?”
Aftershe hadrecoveredfromthe incident,Helenenjoyedsittingona bigrock and feelingthe dashingof
wavesagainstthe rock,sendingupa showerof spray. She noticedthe movementof the waves and
theiraffectonthe pebblesandthe beach.
The horseshoe crab
Miss SullivandrewHelen’sattentiontoa seaorganism---the horseshoecrab.Helenwassofascinatedby

9. it thatshe carriedthe heavycrab all the way to theirhouse.Onreachingtheirhome,she carefully
placeditin a troughof water.But to hersurprise,itdisappearedthe nextmorning.Helenslowlybut
surelyrealizedhermistake of separatingthe crabfrom hishabitatand felthappythinkingthatithad
possiblysafelytravelledtoitshome.
Chapter 11
Spendinga leisurelyautumnat the FernQuarry
HelenreturnedtoherSouthernhome inautumn.She felthappyandcontentwithherexperiencesin
the north.She spentherautumnmonthswithherfamilyattheirsummercottage,Fern Quarry.The
cottage was like a“rough camp” situatedontopof a mountain,neara limestone quarry. Helenspent
hertime ina leisurelymanneratthe cottage.
Many visitorscame to FernQuarry.In the evening,menplayedcardsandtalkedabouttheirhunting
experiences.She woke upinthe morningwiththe soundof rattlinggunsandthe smell of coffee.All the
menwentoff to huntafterbiddingeachothergoodluckfor the season.
Later inthe morning,barbecue wasprepared.The “savouryodour”of meat made herhungryeven
before the tableswere set.Afterward,the huntingpartyalsojoinedthe feastof veal androastpig,
followingtheirdiscussionontheirhuntingeventsduringthe day.
Helenhada ponyand she namedit BlackBeauty,havingjustcompletedthe book.Sometimes,
accompaniedbyherteacher,she rode the pony.At times,MissSullivanwouldrelease the reinandthe
ponywouldstopat hiswill toeat leavesfromtrees.Onotherdays,theywouldgoforwalksinthe
woodsandreturn home witharmful of laurels,fernsandotherbeautiful flowers.Sometimes,she would
go on similartripswithhersisterandcousins.
Adventure with the train at the rail road
At the footof the mountainthere wasa railroadandabout a mile distantwasa trestle spanningadeep
gorge.Helenhadneveractuallybeenthere untilone daywhenshe,alongwithhersisterandMiss
Sullivan,gotlostinthe woods.Theycame across the trestle,whichwasashort cut to theirhome.Since
theywere lost,theydecidedtotake thiswayinspite of the dangers:the tieswere wide apartandquite
narrow.Feelingthe railswiththe toes,Helenmovedonthe trestle cautiouslybutwithoutfear.
Suddenly,trainwasheardcominginfromthe otherside.Theyhadto climbquicklydownuponthe
crossbraceswhile the trainpassedby.Withsome difficulty,theyregainedthe track.When,ultimately,
theyreachedback home,ithadgrown quite darkand all the familymemberswere outlookingforthem.
Chapter 12
Chillywinterat a New England Village
AfterherfirstvisittoBoston,Helencontinuedtovisitthe northeverywinter.Once Helenwentonavisit
to a NewEnglandvillage.Thisvillagehadfrozenlakesandvastsnow fields.Itwashere that Helengotto
experience the snow.She exploredthe snow-coveredhillsandfieldsthatwere devoidof anylife,the

10. emptynestsandthe bare trees.
One day,the adventof a snowstormmade Helenrushout-of-doorstoenjoythe firstfew descending
snowflakes.Gradually,the whole areawascoveredby snow andthe morningbecame dark.Inthe
evening,there wasasnowstorm.Helenandherteacherspenttheirtime sittingaroundthe fire and
narratingstories.Atnight,theycouldhearthe terrifyingnoise of the windonthe treesaroundthe
house andthe creakingandbreakingsoundsof the rafters.Onthe thirdday, the stormwas overand
sunlightpeepedoutfromthe clouds.Itscatteredtothe differentplacesmakingeverythingshine and
glow.The treeswere standingstill asif statuesof “white marble”. The roadsand pathswere all covered
withsnow.Helencouldscarcelyfeelthe earthbelow herfeet.
The favorite amusementduring winters:tobogganing
Helen’sfavoritepastime duringthe winterswastobogganing.Helenenjoyedplungingthroughthe drifts,
leapinghollows,driftingandswoopingdownuponthe lake while ridingonatoboggan.
Chapter 13
Helen’surge to speak
Withthe lossof the abilitytohear,Helen’sspeechhaddieddown.However,fromayoungage,she had
an impulse tospeak.She triedtofeel the noise thatshe made bykeepingone handonherthroat and
the otheron her lips,feelingtheirmovements.She producedsoundsnottospeakbutfor the exercise of
hervocal chords.There wasa feelingof lackinHelenwhichneededtobe fulfilled.She wasnotsatisfied
withthe meansof communicationshe usedanddesperatelywantedtolearntospeak.
In 1890, Mrs. Lamson,one of the teachersat the PerkinsInstitutions,toldHelenaboutadeaf and blind
girl,RagnhildKaatawhohad beentaughtto speak.Helenresolvedthatshe will alsolearntospeakand
Mrs. Lamson tookher foradvice and assistance toMissSarah Fuller,the principal of Horace Mann
School.
Speakinglessonsfrom MissSarah Fuller
Miss Sarah Fullerwasa“sweet-naturedlady”whostartedtutoringHelenonthe 26th of March, 1890.
Miss FullerpassedHelen’shandlightlyoverherface to make herfeel hertongue andlipswhenshe
made a sound.Withinthe firsthouritself,Helenlearntsix elementsof speech:M,P, A,S, T, I. “It is
warm” isthe firstcomplete sentencethatHelenmanagedtoutter.Intotal,elevenlessonswere givento
herby Miss Fuller.The syllableswere brokenbut,nevertheless,human.She waseagertoshare her
happinesswithherfamilyandtosee the joy on theirfaces.MissFullertaughtherthe elementsof the
speechbutshe was to continue practicingherself withMissSullivan’shelp.
Helenlearnsto speakwith Miss Sullivan’sassistance
Miss SullivandraggedHelen’sattentiontothe “mispronouncedwords”.Helenhadtodependonthe
vibrationsfeltbyherfingers,the movementof the mouthandexpressionsof the face.Discouragement
weariedhereffortsinitiallybutassoonas she thoughtof the joy of her family,she feltoptimistic.Helen
gave up the manual alphabetmethodtodevelopherspeecheventhoughMissSullivanandherfriends

11. continuedtouse itto communicate withher.
The final moment ofjoy: Helen’sspeech
Finally,the happiestmomentarrived.Helenhaddevelopedspeechandwaseagerto returnhome.As
she reachedthe stationandher familyheardherspeak,theywere overjoyed.Hermotherwas
speechlesswithdelightandhuggedhertightly;Mildreddancedinjoyclaspedherhandandkissedher;
and herfatherexpressedhisprideandaffectionbya“bigsilence”.
Chapter 14
Helen’sfirstattempt to write a compositionon herown
Duringher stayat the FernQuarry,Miss Sullivandescribedtoherthe beautyof the “late foliage”plants.
ThisapparentlyrevivedinHelenthe memoryof astorythat had beenreadto herinthe past.The story
had beenunconsciouslyretainedinhermindbutshe thoughtthatshe was makingupthe story
herself. She eagerlyjotteddownherideasbeforetheywouldslipawayfromhermind.The wordsand
imagessmoothlyflowedfromhermindandshe feltthe joyof composingastory.The storywas called
“The Frostking”.She didnot realize thatthe wordsandimagescomingto hermindwithouteffortwere
not herown.For her,the boundaryline betweenherownideasandthose she gatheredfromthe books
were blurredbecause mostof the impressionscame tohermindthroughthe “mediumof others’eyes
or ears”.
“The Frost King” appreciated by familyand friends
Aftercompletingthe story,she readittoeveryone atdinner.Despitesome pronunciationerrors,she
managedto impresseveryone withherstory.However,someonedidaskherif she had readthe story in
a book.Helendidnothave the faintestrecollectionof the storybeenreadtoherand so she deniedit
sayingthat itwas herstory andshe hadwrittenitfor Mr. Anagnos.Mr. Anagnoswas delightedwithher
storyand publisheditinone of the PerkinsInstitutionreports.
Helen’shappinessgetscrushedin Boston
Duringher shortstay inBoston,Helenwasastonishedtodiscoverthatherstory“The Frost King”was
similarto“The FrostFairies”writtenbyMissMargaret T. Canby.Thisstory had appearedinthe book,
“Birdie andHis Friends”,whichwaspublishedevenbefore Helen'sbirth.The factthat the language of
the two storieswasalike confirmedthatMissCanby’sstoryhad beenreadtoher and that herswas“a
plagiarism”.Herjoychangedintogrief.
Mr. Anagnosfeltdeceived.He believedthatHelenandMissSullivanhaddeliberatelystolenthe
thoughtsof a greatwriterto winhisappreciation.
Helenat the court of investigation
Helenwasbroughtbefore acourt of investigationwhere she wasexaminedandcross-examinedbythe
teachersandofficersof the PerkinsInstitution.The investigatorsseemedtoforce Helentoacknowledge
that she remembered“The FrostFairies”beingreadtoher.Helenfeltheavyatherheartbecause of the

12. doubtsand suspicionsfromherlovedones.She couldrespondtothemonlyinmonosyllables.Her
consciousnesscouldnotbe unburdenedbythe realizationthatshe hadonlycommitteda‘dreadful’
mistake.Atlastshe wasallowedtoleave the room.Herfriendsandfamilyassuredherthatshe wasa
brave girl and that theywere proudof her.That night,Helenweptpitiably,suffering forhermistake.
The problemin the compositionof “The Frost King” acknowledged
Miss Sullivanhadneverheard“The FrostFairies”,letalone readittoHelen.So,withthe assistance of
Dr. AlexanderGrahamBell,she investigatedthe matter.Atlast,it was foundoutthat MissCanby’sstory
had beennarratedtoHelenbyMrs. SophiaHopkinswhenshe hadspentasummerwithherat Brewster.
EventhoughHelendidnotrecall hearingthe story,itsustainedinhermemory.
Duringthisdistressingtime,Helen receivedalotof messagesof love andsympathyfromherlovedones.
She alsoreceivedakindnote fromMiss Canbyherself,encouraginghertowrite somethingof herown
infuture that mighthelpothers. ThiswascomfortingtoHelenbutshe was afraidof “playingwith
words”again fora longtime fearingthatshe wouldrepeathermistake again.MissSullivan’s
encouragement,however,helpedhertocontinue writinginfuture.
Helen’searlycompositions
Helenrecognizedherself asapart of the processof learningby“assimilation”and“imitation”toput
ideasintowords.Herearlycompositionsare mainlyassimilationof the descriptionsfromvarious
forgottensources.Helengivesanexampleof the compositionshe wrote forMr. Anagnosaboutthe
beautyof the Greekand Italianoldcities.Mr.Anagnosappreciatedthe ‘poeticalessence’inherideas.
Helenwashappythat eventhoughthe worksresembleda“crazypatchwork” comprisingof herown
thoughtsandothers’,theyprovedherabilitytoexpressof heradmirationforbeautifulobjectsinclear
and “animated”language.
Effectsof “The Frost King” incidentinthe later life ofHelen
The good part of the tragic experience of “The FrostKing”wasthat Helenstartedthinkingaboutthe
problemsof composition.
Afterthe publicationof “The Storyof My Life”inthe “Ladies’Home Journal”,Mr. Anagnos,ina letterto
Macy, statedhisviewssupportingHeleninthe matterof the “Frost King”.He also statedthathe had
cast hisvote in favourof Heleninthe court of investigation.
Helenremarksthe “FrostKing”incidentasan importantone forher educationand,therefore,has
includeditinthe chapterwithoutanattemptto defendherself orlayingthe blame onanyone else.
Chapter 15
Helen outgrows the ‘Frost King’ episode as she attempts to write a sketch of her life

13. 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.

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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.

19. 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

20. 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

21. 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’s Tales 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 from King Lear where Gloucester’s eyes are pulled out scared Helen to a
great extent.

22. 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

23. 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 - Last Chapter
In the final chapter, Helen acknowledges the contribution of both renowned as well as unknown
people in her life.

24. 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.

25. 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”.