The Biography of Helen Keller
Helen Keller lived an amazing life. She was born on June 27, 1880 in Alabama. Her father was a successful editor for the town's newspaper. Her mother was a homemaker and did not work outside of the house. While Helen was a young child, she caught a terrible fever.
In most cases this fever would have killed the child, but Helen fought through it. When the fever broke however, they discovered that Helen was not only blinded from the fever, her hearing was also taken. Helen's parents were devastated, but with her strong ability to fight off things, they knew from that point on that Helen would make it through. Since she didn't have her major senses, Helen used her sense of smell and her sense of touch to take their place. She followed her mother around everything, holding on to the back of her skirt. Soon learning how to adapt to her loss of sight and hearing, she learned to recognize people by either touching their faces or their clothing. Some of her father's friends could be recognized by the sweet smells of tobacco. By the age of seven, Helen learned how to sign many different things. It was her way of communicating with her family, but it was not known sign language. If she wanted certain food items or a drink, she signed to her mother or father and they would get it for her. About this time Helen realized that she was different. She would throw horrible temper tantrums and threw things about when she could not get her way.
Sometimes just out of the blue she would go into violent rages just because it was so hard for her to get anything that she wanted. Around the time that Helen started having bad outbursts, her parents had decided to hire a tutor that could help her. Although her parents were skeptical because Helen had lost both sight and hearing, they we willing to try to do anything to help their daughter. Anne Sullivan was the tutor's name. She was blind as well and came from a poor upbringing. Anne soon understood though that the reason Helen was so unruly and throwing such fits was due to lack of communication, not because Helen was a bad child. Slowly they began the process of learning the alphabet and certain things that Helen would need right away. First she was taught how to sign water. This was a very tedious thing. Anne would sign water into Helen's hand, and then show her the water pump and let her feel the cool water on her hand. Over and over Anne did this until finally Helen understood what she was signing was water! After about two years of work and very slow progress, Helen could talk in full sentences. Helen's parents were amazed at the progress she had made. Anne had suggested to them that in order for Helen to get into a college, perhaps she should go to the Perkin Institute for the Blind. At first Helen's father would not let her go. He did not think it was necessary and the money did not need to be spent on such a thing. After some coaxing from Anne, Helen, and Helen's mother, Helen and Anne left for the school. After spending about 6 years at this school, Helen learned how to read braille. It was a very big step. Helen was a very intelligent young lady and her aspirations were limitless. In 1894 she left for Wright-Humason School for Deaf in New York. Helen was learning how to read with braille and now she would be able to learn how to sign to the world after her schooling in New York. After completing the program successfully, she went on to college. She graduated from Radcliffe College in 1904. Helen was at the top of her class and she graduated with honors. Her parents were very proud of her, but also at the same time so very grateful to Anne Sullivan. Shortly after her graduating, she wrote a book entitled "The Story Of My Life". With the proceeds from the book, Helen was able to buy her own house. During Helen's adulthood, she was a very religious woman. She soon discovered the fight for women's rights and became an advocate of it. Attending lectures and fighting for women to be equal was a passion for Helen. Also during her adulthood she traveled the country telling her life story to others in hopes that they would not loose faith and never give up when faced with a challenge. Helen Keller died in 1968. Still today she is an inspiration to so many people. There have been many play productions and movie productions made about her life long after her death.
In most cases this fever would have killed the child, but Helen fought through it. When the fever broke however, they discovered that Helen was not only blinded from the fever, her hearing was also taken. Helen's parents were devastated, but with her strong ability to fight off things, they knew from that point on that Helen would make it through. Since she didn't have her major senses, Helen used her sense of smell and her sense of touch to take their place. She followed her mother around everything, holding on to the back of her skirt. Soon learning how to adapt to her loss of sight and hearing, she learned to recognize people by either touching their faces or their clothing. Some of her father's friends could be recognized by the sweet smells of tobacco. By the age of seven, Helen learned how to sign many different things. It was her way of communicating with her family, but it was not known sign language. If she wanted certain food items or a drink, she signed to her mother or father and they would get it for her. About this time Helen realized that she was different. She would throw horrible temper tantrums and threw things about when she could not get her way.
Sometimes just out of the blue she would go into violent rages just because it was so hard for her to get anything that she wanted. Around the time that Helen started having bad outbursts, her parents had decided to hire a tutor that could help her. Although her parents were skeptical because Helen had lost both sight and hearing, they we willing to try to do anything to help their daughter. Anne Sullivan was the tutor's name. She was blind as well and came from a poor upbringing. Anne soon understood though that the reason Helen was so unruly and throwing such fits was due to lack of communication, not because Helen was a bad child. Slowly they began the process of learning the alphabet and certain things that Helen would need right away. First she was taught how to sign water. This was a very tedious thing. Anne would sign water into Helen's hand, and then show her the water pump and let her feel the cool water on her hand. Over and over Anne did this until finally Helen understood what she was signing was water! After about two years of work and very slow progress, Helen could talk in full sentences. Helen's parents were amazed at the progress she had made. Anne had suggested to them that in order for Helen to get into a college, perhaps she should go to the Perkin Institute for the Blind. At first Helen's father would not let her go. He did not think it was necessary and the money did not need to be spent on such a thing. After some coaxing from Anne, Helen, and Helen's mother, Helen and Anne left for the school. After spending about 6 years at this school, Helen learned how to read braille. It was a very big step. Helen was a very intelligent young lady and her aspirations were limitless. In 1894 she left for Wright-Humason School for Deaf in New York. Helen was learning how to read with braille and now she would be able to learn how to sign to the world after her schooling in New York. After completing the program successfully, she went on to college. She graduated from Radcliffe College in 1904. Helen was at the top of her class and she graduated with honors. Her parents were very proud of her, but also at the same time so very grateful to Anne Sullivan. Shortly after her graduating, she wrote a book entitled "The Story Of My Life". With the proceeds from the book, Helen was able to buy her own house. During Helen's adulthood, she was a very religious woman. She soon discovered the fight for women's rights and became an advocate of it. Attending lectures and fighting for women to be equal was a passion for Helen. Also during her adulthood she traveled the country telling her life story to others in hopes that they would not loose faith and never give up when faced with a challenge. Helen Keller died in 1968. Still today she is an inspiration to so many people. There have been many play productions and movie productions made about her life long after her death.