Helen keller

Helen keller

Born : june 27,1880    Tuscumbia, northern Alabama, USA

        : casper keller- native of Switzerland settled in Maryland,

                One of her ancestor the first teacher of deaf in zurich  and wrote book about their education.

Her grand father casper keller’s son went from Tuscumbia to philandelphia on horse back.

Grand mother daughter of a lafayette’s aides , Alexander Moore, and granddaughter of Alexander spots wood  and early colonial governor of Virginia, second cousin Rober E.Lee(Robert Edward Lee was an American soldier known for commanding the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War from 1862 until his surrender in 1865.)

Her father, Arthur H.Keller Captainof confederate army

Keller home stead” Ivy Green” –Pg 5 Para 1

One year old and on that feb- illness- acute congestion of stomach and brain.- she could not hear or see.

Chapter 2:

Age of five fold clothes& distinguish hers from others.

Martha Washington  child of their cook. And belle( a dog) her companions (their fun –Pg10-11 –Last para of Pg10)

Helen being naughty

Cutting hair ( Pg 12 Para 2)

Apron incident( pg 13 Para 1)

Locking her mother & miss Sullivan  (pg 13 Para 2)

1896 she lost her father ( she was in north enjoying the summer)(‘my first personal experience with death)

Doll called nancy – had cradle- spent hours rocking her – one day her younger sister, Mildred, was found in the cradle – overturned the cradle – but mother caught the child

Chapter 3

While growing up inability to communicate frustrated her.

Mother reads ‘Dickens’ American Note’  an account of Laura Bridgman –deaf and blind but educated.- gave her a hope

Helen at six ,father took her to Baltimore to an oculist-chisholm –advised to take her to Dr. Alexander Graham Bell of Washington- gave information about the schools for deaf and blind

Journey to Balthimore.

Dr.bell advised her father to write to Mr. Anagnos – director of perkins institution in boston. – he assure to send a teacher. 1886. “ knowledgeis love and light and vision.”

Chapter 4

3^rd march 1887, most important day in her life- her teacher Miss Anne Mansfield Sullivan came to her.- 3 months before she was 7.

Her education (pg24  para 3,4; para 25 )

Like Aaron’s  Rod, With flowres’- learning words like mother father sister teacher.

Chapter 5

Chapter about her education. – with nature

Experience nature is not always kind- (pg 28  para 3 29)Experience of thunder,  wind , climbing a tree  alone.

Chapter 6

Lesson about ‘What is love’ Sullivan compares it clouds before the sun came out” cannot touch clouds but the plants are happy when it receives rain. Cann’t touch rain but feel the sweetness it pours .

She spoke with her by spelling the words on her hand.- continued for several years.

Chapter 7

Learning to read – cardboard with words in raised  letters.

Sentence framed using the objects in the room(eg: pg 38 para 3)

Learned geography during her visits to Tennessee River.( pg 40 -both used to walk)

Read this chapter  ( how she learned different subjects are mentioned here)

Chapter 8

Christmas- first after Sullivan had come to Tuscumbia – all gave gift- waited for santa but slept off- morning teacher gave a canary – taught to take care but little Jim , a cat killed it

Chapter 9

Her visit to boston in may 1888 with her teacher and mother.

Different from the journey to Balthimore-  quite- listening to the descriptions  of teacher what she saw.

Gave bath to nancy at boston – turned into a heap of cotton.

Made friends at perkins  Visit to Bunker hill – first lesson on history

Next day to Polymouth by water.- first trip on the ocean.- in a steamboat.-  polymath rock a gentle man gave her at the pilgrim hall- dear to her.

Mr. William Endicott and his daughter- -beverly farms (pg 52- para 3)

The city of kind hearts.

Chapter 10

Visit o Brewster on cape cod with mrs. Hopkind her dear friend  and her teacher.

- exited about sea and water.

-Sprang into the sea- struck against a stone – tossed in the water- finally Sullivan held her and rescued.

- sat on the rock enjoying the spray of water

- Sullivan oneday gave a horseshoe crab to Helen – strange that it carried its house on its back. – held by tail took it home,

- Sullivan  put it in a drain near the well- next day it disappeared.

- though disappointed but later realised it was not kind and wise to deprive these dumb creatures of their freedom.

Chapter 11

- in the autumn returned to her southern home  named Fern Quarry.- 14 miles from Tuscumbia – lime stone quarry long abandoned , three beautiful streams  ran from the rocks above-ferns covered the limestone—great oaks with garlands of ivy and mistletoe and persimmon.

-  many visitors  came and spent evening  campfire with the family-  played cards, told stories about their feat with fowl fish etc.. page 60  para- 3

 Next morning hunting- Helen and others prepare barbecue (fire place for cooking meat or vegetables in the open fire)- hunters returned with no kill but feasted on the roasted pig.

- Helen’s horse- black beauty - her happiest moments sitting on its back

- went for walk, lost in the wood……..

- Incident of walking over a tresle – narrow escape from train. (Sullivan, mildred, Helen)

- On return found the cottage was empty- all went in search of them.

Chapter 12

- She spent most of the winters in the north- once went to visit a New England village with frozen lakes and vast snow fields.

- favorite pastime- tobogganing

Chapter 13

Learned to speak 1890-keep hand on the singers throat , felt the lips and tried to move her lips,

- visit of Mrs. Lamson 1890 ( teacher of laura Bridgman) after visit to norwa and Sweden- told about Ragnhild kaata – a blind and deaf  girl in Norway  who had learned to speak.

Took her to Miss Sarah Fuller,  principal of Horace Mann School for advice and assistance.

- fuller passed Helen’s hand over her face and let her fee the positionof her tongue and lips when she made sounds.- Total  lessons

- she spoke to toys, trees, birds, trees etc..

Chapter 14      Incident of frost king.