Chapter 10: Helen Keller

UNIT 5: Story

Helen Keller

 

 

Helen Keller Story Introduction

Helen Keller is the story of a young girl who could not see or hear and how she found out the importance of words with the help of her teacher.

 

Helen Keller Story Summary

The story revolves around a young girl named Helen Keller and her teacher Miss Sullivan. Helen Keller could not see or hear since she was a baby and it made things very difficult for her and her parents. People thought she could never learn anything but her mother believed in her and found Miss Sullivan to help Helen. Miss Sullivan was kind and taught Helen how to spell words with her fingers on Helen’s hand. Her kindness and patience helped Helen to finally understand the importance of words and learning.

 

Helen Keller Story Explanation

Helen Keller was born in a small town in Alabama in 1880. She was a healthy baby girl loved by her parents. But she became ill with high fever for days. Everyone in the family tried to help, but they thought the baby might not live.

 

Although Helen lived, but something was very wrong and she was not the same after her illness. They found out that the child could not see or hear.

 

Helen often cried and held on to her mother. Her parents felt sorry for her because she could not explain what she wanted nor could they understand her.  

 

Helen was a bright little girl though she could not hear or see, but some people thought she could not learn anything. Her mother did not agree and believed that Helen was smart, they just needed a proper way to reach to her.

 

Helen began to grow wild and angry. She used to lay on the floor and kicked her feet, not letting anyone comb her hair and her clothes were always dirty.

 

Her parents thought that they should find a teacher for her and a young teacher named Miss Sullivan, agreed to help. She gave Helen a doll and spelt “D_O_L_L” with her fingers into Helen’s hand. Helen copied her and spelt D_O_L_L too, but she did not understand what she was doing.

 

Helen began liking Miss Sullivan because she was strict but also very kind. She spelt a lot of words for Helen, on her hand, day and night, to make her understand.

 

One day, she made Helen put her hand into running water and spelt W_A_T_E_R. Suddenly Helen understood that W_A_T_E_R meant something wet, running over her hand.

 

Helen finally understood that words were important and she had to learn them to understand everything she wanted to know.