Helen Keller: Overcoming Life's Challenges

Title: URL Source: blob://pdf/095d7e3b-91e3-4734-9af2-a646f79c542a Markdown Content: Before Reading KEY IDEA Sometimes the things we most want to do are the hardest to accomplish. It can be discouraging to discover our limits and frustrating to find ourselves facing unexpected challenges. Fortunately, many serious obstacles can be overcome with creativity and determination. In this excerpt from The Story of My Life, Helen Keller describes triumphing over her limitations. QUICKWRITE Helen Keller found a way to succeed despite being both blind and deaf. Think of someone elsefrom your life, a book, or a moviewho also had to deal with some type of limitation. Write a brief paragraph describing this person and his or her efforts to conquer a major difficulty. from The Story of My Life Autobiography by Helen Keller # our limits ? # Do we have to accept 786 86A>;DGC>6 R3.5 Identify the speaker and recognize the difference between first- and third-person narration (e.g., autobiography compared with biography). Also included in this lesson: R1.4 (p. 794), W1.1 (p. 795), W1.2 ab c (p. 795), LC1.4 (p. 795) Helen Keller 18801968 literary analysis: autobiography If someone asked you to write your life story, you would be writing an autobiography. An autobiography is the story of a persons life, written by that person. In biographies, the subject is a person other than the writer. In autobiographies, the writer is the subject. Autobiographies are told from the first-person point of view include descriptions of people and events that have influenced the writer share the writers personal thoughts and feelings about his or her experiences As you read The Story of My Life, notice the information the author decides to include about herself. reading strategy: monitor Monitoring is the process of checking your understanding as you read. One way to do this is to clarify ideas, or to pause and think about what you have just read. As you read Helen Kellers autobiography, note any passages that you find confusing. Record them in a chart like the one shown. Next to each passage, write what you think it means. Kellers Words My Words Anger and bitterness had preyed upon me (line 14) She couldnt stop feeling angry and bitter. vocabulary in context Helen Keller uses the following words to tell how she came to understand the world around her. To see how many you know, match each vocabulary word from the Word List with the numbered word or phrase closest in meaning. word list > consciousness sensation uncomprehending repentance tangible 1. not understanding 3. feeling 5. regret 2. awareness 4. touchable Overcoming All Obstacles Before Helen Keller was two years old, she developed a fever that left her blind and deaf. The young girl was highly intelligent, but her parents did not know how to communicate with her properly. Anne Sullivan, a teacher from the Perkins Institution for the Blind, became Kellers tutor. Lifetime of Learning Sullivan taught Keller sign language and Braille, a system of raised dots that enables blind people to read. When Keller was ten, she learned about a blind and deaf child who had learned to speak by studying the movements of peoples lips. Keller was determined to do the same. She eventually learned to speak aloud in English, French, and German. Keller graduated from Radcliffe College in 1904. Teaching Others As an adult, Keller became a spokesperson for people with disabilities. She helped stop deaf and blind people from being placed in hospitals for the mentally ill. She also spoke about preventing the diseases that caused childhood blindness. In 1964, Keller received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor that can be given to an American civilian. more about the author > For more on Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan, visit the Literature Center > at ClassZone.com. > the story of my life 787 86A>;DGC>6 1. dumb: unable to speak; mute. > 2. deep languor had succeeded: a complete lack of energy had followed. # T he 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 contrasts between the two lives which it connects. It was the third of March, 1887, three months before I was seven years old. On the afternoon of that eventful day, I stood on the porch, dumb, 1expectant. I guessed vaguely from my mothers signs and from the hurrying to and fro in the house that something unusual was about to happen, so I went to the door and waited on the steps. The afternoon sun penetrated the mass of honeysuckle that covered the porch, and fell on my upturned face. My fingers lingered almost unconsciously on the familiar leaves and blossoms which had just come forth to greet the sweet southern spring. I did not know what the future held of marvel or surprise for me. Anger and bitterness had preyed upon me continually for weeks and a deep languor had succeeded 2 this passionate struggle. a Have you ever been at sea in a dense fog, when it seemed as if a tangible white darkness shut you in, and the great ship, tense and 10 Helen Keller ANALYZE VISUALS What can you infer about the relationship between Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan by looking at this photograph of them? a AUTOBIOGRAPHY Reread lines 615. In what way does the first-person point of view help show Kellers thoughts and feelings? tangible (tBnPjE-bEl) adj. possible to touch; real # The Story of My Life 788 unit 7: biogr aphy and autobiogr aphy anxious, groped her way toward the shore with plummet and sounding-line, 3 and you waited with beating heart for something to happen? I was like that ship before my education began, only I was without compass or sounding-line, and had no way of knowing how near the harbor was. Light! Give me light! was the wordless cry of my soul, and the light of love shone on me in that very hour. b I felt approaching footsteps. I stretched out my hand as I supposed to my mother. Someone took it, and I was caught up and held close in the arms of her who had come to reveal all things to me, and, more than all things else, to love me. # T he morning after my teacher came she led me into her room and gave me a doll. The little blind children at the Perkins Institution had sent it and Laura Bridgman 4 had dressed it; but I did not know this until afterward. When I had played with it a little while, Miss Sullivan slowly spelled into my hand the word d-o-l-l. I was at once interested in this finger play and tried to imitate it. When I finally succeeded in making the letters correctly I was flushed with childish pleasure and pride. Running downstairs to my mother I held up my hand and made the letters for doll. I did not know that I was spelling a word or even that words existed; I was simply making my fingers go in monkey-like imitation. In the days that followed I learned to spell in this uncomprehending way a great many words, among them pin, hat, cup and a few verbs like sit, stand and walk. But my teacher had been with me several weeks before I understood that everything has a name. c One day, while I was playing with my new doll, Miss Sullivan put my big rag doll into my lap also, spelled d-o-l-l and tried to make me understand that d-o-l-l applied to both. Earlier in the day we had had a tussle over the words m-u-g and w-a-t-e-r. Miss Sullivan had tried to impress it upon me that m-u-g is mug and that w-a-t-e-r is water, but I persisted in confounding the two. In despair she had dropped the subject for the time, only to renew it at the first opportunity. I became impatient at her repeated attempts and, seizing the new doll, I dashed 5 it upon the floor. I was keenly delighted when I felt the fragments of the broken doll at my feet. Neither sorrow nor regret followed my passionate outburst. I had not loved the doll. In the still, dark world in which I lived there was no strong sentiment or tenderness. I felt my teacher sweep the fragments to one side of the hearth, and I had a sense of satisfaction that the cause of 20 30 40 50 > 3. plummet and sounding-line: a weighted rope used to measure the depth of water. > 4. Perkins Institution . . . Laura Bridgman: The Perkins Institution was a school for the blind, located in Massachusetts. Laura Bridgman (18291889), a student at the Perkins Institution, was the first deaf and blind child to be successfully educated. Like Keller, Bridgman became quite famous for her accomplishments. > 5. dashed: threw or knocked with sudden violence. > b MONITOR > Reread lines 1623. To clarify, rephrase what Keller is saying about how she felt before her education began. Record this information in your chart. > c MONITOR > What does Keller not understand about the words she is spelling? > uncomprehending > (OnQkJm-prG-hDnPdGng) > adj. not understanding 790 unit 7: biogr aphy and autobiogr aphy my discomfort was removed. She brought me my hat, and I knew I was going out into the warm sunshine. This thought, if a wordless sensation may be called a thought, made me hop and skip with pleasure. We walked down the path to the well-house, attracted by the fragrance of the honeysuckle with which it was covered. Someone was drawing water and my teacher placed my hand under the spout. As the cool stream gushed over one hand she spelled into the other the word water, first slowly, then rapidly. I stood still, my whole attention fixed upon the motions of her fingers. Suddenly I felt a misty consciousness as of something forgottena thrill of returning thought; and somehow the mystery of language was revealed to me. I knew then that w-a-t-e-r meant the wonderful cool something that was flowing over my hand. That living word awakened my soul, gave it light, hope, joy, set it free! There were barriers still, it is true, but barriers that could in time be swept away. d I left the well-house eager to learn. Everything had a name, and each name gave birth to a new thought. As we returned to the house every object which I touched seemed to quiver with life. That was because I saw everything with the strange, new sight that had come to me. On entering the door I remembered the doll I had broken. I felt my way to the hearth and picked up the pieces. I tried vainly 6 to put them together. Then my eyes filled with tears; for I realized what I had done, and for the first time I felt repentance and sorrow. e I learned a great many new words that day. I do not remember what they all were; but I do know that mother, father, sister, teacher were among them words that were to make the world blossom for me, like Aarons rod, with flowers. 7 It would have been difficult to find a happier child than I was as I lay in my crib at the close of that eventful day and lived over the joys it had brought me, and for the first time longed for a new day to come. ! > 60 70 80 90 > 6. vainly: without success. > 7. like Aarons rod, with flowers: a reference to a story in the Bible in which a wooden staff suddenly sprouts flowers. This house on the Keller property was where Sullivan often took Helen for lessons. > ANALYZE VISUALS > Compare Helens description of the well-house (lines 6469) to this photograph of it. What do you learn from each source? > consciousness > (kJnPshEs-nGs) n. > awareness of ones own thoughts > dAUTOBIOGRAPHY > Reread lines 6478. Which details in this passage might not have been included in a biography? > repentance (rG-pDnPtEns) > n. sorrow or regret > eMONITOR > Reread lines 7986. > Clarify why Keller suddenly feels sorry for breaking the doll. > sensation (sDn-sAPshEn) > n. a feeling > the story of my life 791 792 unit 7: biography and autobiography Reading for Information LETTER Throughout her life, Helen Keller came into contact with many famous Americans. In this letter, the president of the United States sends Keller his good wishes and congratulates her on her accomplishments. February 24, 1938 My dear Miss Keller: I send you my very best wishes as you prepare to observe the fiftieth anniversary of your first meeting with your devoted teacher-liberator, Anne Sullivan Macy. This anniversary will bring precious memories to you of an association which was to be such a blessing to you. Your faith and optimism and high courage and helpful work in behalf of others have made you a greatly beloved figure. Your determination to carry on the work of your friend and teacher is a fortunate thing for all those who sit in darkness. In this noble undertaking I wish you all success. Very sincerely yours, Franklin D. Roosevelt Miss Helen Keller American Foundation for the Blind, Inc., 15 West 16th Street, New York, N.Y. > Courtesy of the Helen Keller archives, American Foundation for the Blind. After Reading Touch the wonderful cool something (line 76) Smell ## Comprehension 1. Recall How does Helen Keller know that something unusual is happening on the day Anne Sullivan arrives? 2. Recall What is the first word Sullivan tries to teach Keller? 3. Summarize How does Kellers world change once she begins to understand the connection between language and meaning? ## Literary Analysis 4. Monitor Look back at the chart you used to help you clarify ideas as you read. Choose one passage that you found difficult to understand, and explain what clues helped you to rephrase it as you did. 5. Identify Sensory Details Although Keller lacked the senses of sight and hearing, she was able to observe many things using her remaining senses. In a graphic organizer like the one shown, record words and phrases that Keller used to help her readers understand what she was describing. 6. Analyze Autobiography Consider what Keller shares about her experiences. How would the story of Kellers life be different if Anne Sullivan had written it? 7. Evaluate Analogy Keller was aware that many of her readers would never experience the challenge of missing one or more senses. Reread lines 1623, focusing on the analogy, or point-by-point comparison, in which Keller describes herself as a ship lost in the fog. Is this an effective way for her to share her feelings? Explain. 8. Compare Literary Works Reread the letter to Helen Keller from Franklin D. Roosevelt on page 792. Roosevelt calls Anne Sullivan a liberatora person who frees a prisoner or captive. Would Keller agree with this description? Support your response. ## Extension and Challenge 9. Inquiry and Research In the 1800 s, blind and deaf people had few resources. Many were confined to hospitals. Fortunately, this is no longer the case. Research two or three of the technological advances that now help people overcome their physical limits. Share your discoveries with the class. research links > For more on living with disabilities, visit the Research Center at ClassZone.com. the story of my life 793 > 86A>;DGC>6 > R3.5 Identify the speaker and > recognize the difference between first- and third-person narration (e.g., autobiography compared with biography). vocabulary practice > For more practice, go to the Vocabulary Center > at ClassZone.com. ## Vocabulary in Context vocabulary practice Complete each sentence using the appropriate vocabulary word. 1. After the ride ended, he still had the ______ of being upside-down. 2. Her happiness was ______, like a warm blanket wrapped around her. 3. The teacher looked at him in a(n) _______ way, so he repeated himself. 4. A feeling of ______ is natural after you do something hurtful or wrong. 5. When I hit my head, I lost ______ and my mind went blank. vocabulary in writing Write a paragraph from the point of view of Anne Sullivan, describing her thoughts and feelings just after Helen begins to understand language. Use at least two vocabulary words. You might start like this. example sentence Helen is starting to understand that each sensation means something. vocabulary strategy: analogies as context clues An analogy is a comparison that helps readers understand more than they might from a simple explanation. Writers use analogies to make their ideas clearer by relating them to something familiar. Analogies can also provide context clues to the meanings of difficult words. When you come across an unfamiliar term in an analogy, look at the rest of the comparison for words and phrases that might describe the unknown term. PRACTICE Define the boldfaced word in each of the following analogies. Then identify the context clues that helped you figure out the meaning. 1. Petrified by the frightening scene, I stopped in my tracks like a deer in headlights. 2. Good friends sustain a person the way strong pillars support a bridge. 3. She was jostled by the crowd like a boat caught in a current. 4. Like a candle that lights up the room, knowledge illuminates the mind. consciousness repentance sensation tangible uncomprehending 794 unit 7: biography and autobiography > 86A>;DGC>6 > R1.4 Monitor expository text for unknown words or words with novel meanings by using word, sentence, and paragraph clues to determine meaning. ## Reading-Writing Connection Extend your understanding of The Story of My Life by responding to these prompts. Then complete the Grammar and Writing exercise. writing prompts self-check A. Short Response: Write a Letter or Poem Write a brief letter or poem from Helen Keller to Anne Sullivan. Show how Keller is grateful to Sullivan for helping her to move past her limits. An effective response will . . . show an understanding of how Keller felt about Sullivan include details from the selection B. Extended Response: Evaluate Autobiography Do you believe that Helen Keller really remembered all of the details she included in The Story of My Life? Why or why not? In two or three paragraphs, discuss which details in the autobiography you think are an accurate record of the events, and which ones might not be. A strong evaluation will . . . express a clear opinion include examples from the selection as support grammar and writing CAPITALIZE CORRECTLY A common noun is a general name for a person, place, or thing. Common nouns, such as street or girl, are not capitalized. Specific names, such as Main Street or Helen, are proper nouns. These are always capitalized. Words that indicate family relationships ( my father, her uncle ) are only capitalized when they are used as names ( Hi, Dad! ) or before names ( Uncle Bob ).Example: Keller wouldnt forget the name of her teacher. (common noun ) Example: Anne Sullivan changed my life. ( proper noun ) PRACTICE Rewrite the following sentences, correcting the errors in capitalization. 1. I could tell from my Mothers actions that something was happening. 2. Children at the perkins institution sent me a doll. 3. You taught me to spell words such as Pin and hat. 4. I could not wait to show father what I had learned. For more help with capitalization, see page R51 in the Grammar Handbook. the story of my life 795

Title:

URL Source: blob://pdf/095d7e3b-91e3-4734-9af2-a646f79c542a

Markdown Content:
Before Reading KEY IDEA Sometimes the things we most want to do are the hardest to accomplish. It can be discouraging to discover our

limits and frustrating to find ourselves facing unexpected challenges. Fortunately, many serious obstacles can be overcome with creativity and determination. In this excerpt from The Story of My Life, Helen Keller describes triumphing over her limitations.

QUICKWRITE Helen Keller found a way to succeed despite being both blind and deaf. Think of someone elsefrom your life, a book, or a moviewho also had to deal with some type of limitation. Write a brief paragraph describing this person and his or her efforts to conquer a major difficulty.

from The Story of My Life

Autobiography by Helen Keller

# our limits ?

# Do we have to accept

786

86A>;DGC>6

R3.5 Identify the speaker and

recognize the difference between first- and third-person narration (e.g., autobiography compared with biography). Also included in this lesson: R1.4

(p. 794), W1.1 (p. 795), W1.2 ab c (p. 795),

LC1.4 (p. 795) Helen Keller 18801968

literary analysis: autobiography

If someone asked you to write your life story, you would be writing an autobiography. An autobiography is the story of a persons life, written by that person. In biographies, the subject is a person other than the writer. In autobiographies, the writer is the subject. Autobiographies  are told from the first-person point of view

include descriptions of people and events that have influenced the writer  share the writers personal thoughts and feelings about his or her experiences As you read The Story of My Life, notice the information the author decides to include about herself.

reading strategy: monitor

Monitoring is the process of checking your understanding as you read. One way to do this is to clarify ideas, or to pause and think about what you have just read. As you read Helen Kellers autobiography, note any passages that you find confusing. Record them in a chart like the one shown. Next to each passage, write what you think it means.

Kellers Words My Words

Anger and bitterness had preyed upon me (line 14) She couldnt stop feeling angry and bitter.

vocabulary in context

Helen Keller uses the following words to tell how she came to understand the world around her. To see how many you know, match each vocabulary word from the Word List with the numbered word or phrase closest in meaning.

word list

> consciousness sensation uncomprehending repentance tangible

1. not understanding 3. feeling 5. regret

2. awareness 4. touchable

Overcoming All Obstacles Before Helen Keller was two years old, she developed a fever that left her blind and deaf. The young girl was highly intelligent, but her parents did not know how to communicate with her properly. Anne Sullivan, a teacher from the Perkins Institution for the Blind, became Kellers tutor.

Lifetime of Learning Sullivan taught Keller sign language and Braille, a system of raised dots that enables blind people to read. When Keller was ten, she learned about a blind and deaf child who had learned to speak by studying the movements of peoples lips. Keller was determined to do the same. She eventually learned to speak aloud in English, French, and German. Keller graduated from Radcliffe College in 1904.

Teaching Others As an adult, Keller became a spokesperson for people with disabilities. She helped stop deaf and blind people from being placed in hospitals for the mentally ill. She also spoke about preventing the diseases that caused childhood blindness. In 1964, Keller received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor that can be given to an American civilian.

more about the author

> For more on Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan, visit the Literature Center
> at ClassZone.com.
> the story of my life

787

86A>;DGC>6 1. dumb: unable to speak; mute.

> 2. deep languor had succeeded: a complete lack of energy had followed.

# T he 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 contrasts between the two lives which it connects. It was the third of March, 1887, three months before I was seven years old. On the afternoon of that eventful day, I stood on the porch, dumb, 1expectant. I guessed vaguely from my mothers signs and from the hurrying to and fro in the house that something unusual was about to happen, so I went to the door and waited on the steps. The afternoon sun penetrated the mass of honeysuckle that covered the porch, and fell on my upturned face. My fingers lingered almost unconsciously on the familiar leaves and blossoms which had just come forth to greet the sweet southern spring. I did not know what the future held of marvel or surprise for me. Anger and bitterness had preyed upon me continually for weeks and a deep languor had succeeded 2 this passionate struggle. a

Have you ever been at sea in a dense fog, when it seemed as if a

tangible white darkness shut you in, and the great ship, tense and 10 Helen Keller

ANALYZE VISUALS

What can you infer

about the relationship between Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan by looking at this photograph of them?

a AUTOBIOGRAPHY

Reread lines 615. In what way does the

first-person point of view help show Kellers thoughts and feelings?

tangible (tBnPjE-bEl) adj.

possible to touch; real

# The Story of My Life

788 unit 7: biogr aphy and autobiogr aphy anxious, groped her way toward the shore with plummet and sounding-line, 3 and you waited with beating heart for something to happen? I was like that ship before my education began, only I was without compass or sounding-line, and had no way of knowing how near the harbor was. Light! Give me light! was the wordless cry of my soul, and the light of love shone on me in that very hour. b

I felt approaching footsteps. I stretched out my hand as I supposed to my mother. Someone took it, and I was caught up and held close in the arms of her who had come to reveal all things to me, and, more than all things else, to love me.

# T he morning after my teacher came she led me into her room and gave me a doll. The little blind children at the Perkins Institution had sent it and Laura Bridgman 4 had dressed it; but I did not know this until afterward. When I had played with it a little while, Miss Sullivan slowly spelled into my hand the word d-o-l-l. I was at once interested in this finger play and tried to imitate it. When I finally succeeded in making the letters correctly I was flushed with childish pleasure and pride. Running downstairs to my mother I held up my hand and made the letters for doll. I did not know that I was spelling a word or even that words existed; I was simply making my fingers go in monkey-like imitation. In the days that followed I learned to spell in this uncomprehending way a great many words, among them pin, hat, cup

and a few verbs like sit, stand and walk. But my teacher had been with me several weeks before I understood that everything has a name. c

One day, while I was playing with my new doll, Miss Sullivan put my big rag doll into my lap also, spelled d-o-l-l and tried to make me understand that d-o-l-l applied to both. Earlier in the day we had had a tussle over the words m-u-g and w-a-t-e-r. Miss Sullivan had tried to impress it upon me that m-u-g is mug and that w-a-t-e-r is water, but I persisted in confounding the two. In despair she had dropped the subject for the time, only to renew it at the first opportunity. I became impatient at her repeated attempts and, seizing the new doll, I dashed 5 it upon the floor. I was keenly delighted when I felt the fragments of the broken doll at my feet. Neither sorrow nor regret followed my passionate outburst. I had not loved the doll. In the still, dark world in which I lived there was no strong sentiment or tenderness. I felt my teacher sweep the fragments to one side of the hearth, and I had a sense of satisfaction that the cause of 20 30 40 50

> 3. plummet and sounding-line: a weighted rope used to measure the depth of water.
> 4. Perkins Institution . . . Laura Bridgman: The Perkins Institution was a school for the blind, located in Massachusetts. Laura Bridgman (18291889), a student at the Perkins Institution, was the first deaf and blind child to be successfully educated. Like Keller, Bridgman became quite famous for her accomplishments.
> 5. dashed: threw or knocked with sudden violence.
> b

MONITOR

> Reread lines 1623. To clarify, rephrase what Keller is saying about how she felt before her education began. Record this information in your chart.
> c

MONITOR

> What does Keller not understand about the words she is spelling?
> uncomprehending
> (OnQkJm-prG-hDnPdGng)
> adj. not understanding

790 unit 7: biogr aphy and autobiogr aphy my discomfort was removed. She brought me my hat, and I knew I was going out into the warm sunshine. This thought, if a wordless

sensation may be called a thought, made me hop and skip with pleasure. We walked down the path to the well-house, attracted by the fragrance of the honeysuckle with which it was covered. Someone was drawing water and my teacher placed my hand under the spout. As the cool stream gushed over one hand she spelled into the other the word water, first slowly, then rapidly. I stood still, my whole attention fixed upon the motions of her fingers. Suddenly I felt a misty consciousness

as of something forgottena thrill of returning thought; and somehow the mystery of language was revealed to me. I knew then that w-a-t-e-r meant the wonderful cool something that was flowing over my hand. That living word awakened my soul, gave it light, hope, joy, set it free! There were barriers still, it is true, but barriers that could in time be swept away. d

I left the well-house eager to learn. Everything had a name, and each name gave birth to a new thought. As we returned to the house every object which I touched seemed to quiver with life. That was because I saw everything with the strange, new sight that had come to me. On entering the door I remembered the doll I had broken. I felt my way to the hearth and picked up the pieces. I tried vainly 6 to put them together. Then my eyes filled with tears; for I realized what I had done, and for the first time I felt repentance and sorrow. e

I learned a great many new words that day. I do not remember what they all were; but I do know that mother, father, sister, teacher were among them words that were to make the world blossom for me, like Aarons rod, with flowers. 7 It would have been difficult to find a happier child than I was as I lay in my crib at the close of that eventful day and lived over the joys it had brought me, and for the first time longed for a new day to come. !

> 60 70 80 90
> 6. vainly: without success.
> 7. like Aarons rod, with flowers: a reference to a story in the Bible in which a wooden staff suddenly sprouts flowers. This house on the Keller property was where Sullivan often took Helen for lessons.
> ANALYZE VISUALS
> Compare Helens description of the well-house (lines 6469) to this photograph of it. What do you learn from each source?
> consciousness
> (kJnPshEs-nGs) n.
> awareness of ones own thoughts
> dAUTOBIOGRAPHY
> Reread lines 6478. Which details in this passage might not have been included in a biography?
> repentance (rG-pDnPtEns)
> n. sorrow or regret
> eMONITOR
> Reread lines 7986.
> Clarify why Keller suddenly feels sorry for breaking the doll.
> sensation (sDn-sAPshEn)
> n. a feeling
> the story of my life

791 792 unit 7: biography and autobiography

Reading for Information

LETTER Throughout her life, Helen Keller came into contact with many famous Americans. In this letter, the president of the United States sends Keller his good wishes and congratulates her on her accomplishments.

February 24, 1938 My dear Miss Keller: I send you my very best wishes as you prepare to observe the fiftieth anniversary of your first meeting with your devoted teacher-liberator, Anne Sullivan Macy. This anniversary will bring precious memories to you of an association which was to be such a blessing to you. Your faith and optimism and high courage and helpful work in behalf of others have made you a greatly beloved figure. Your determination to carry on the work of your friend and teacher is a fortunate thing for all those who sit in darkness. In this noble undertaking I wish you all success. Very sincerely yours, Franklin D. Roosevelt Miss Helen Keller American Foundation for the Blind, Inc., 15 West 16th Street, New York, N.Y.

> Courtesy of the Helen Keller archives, American Foundation for the Blind.

After Reading

Touch

the wonderful cool something (line 76)

Smell

## Comprehension

1. Recall How does Helen Keller know that something unusual is happening on the day Anne Sullivan arrives?

2. Recall What is the first word Sullivan tries to teach Keller?

3. Summarize How does Kellers world change once she begins to understand the connection between language and meaning?

## Literary Analysis

4. Monitor Look back at the chart you used to help you clarify ideas as you read. Choose one passage that you found difficult to understand, and explain what clues helped you to rephrase it as you did.

5. Identify Sensory Details Although Keller lacked the senses of sight and hearing, she was able to observe many things using her remaining senses. In a graphic organizer like the one shown, record words and phrases that Keller used to help her readers understand what she was describing.

6. Analyze Autobiography Consider what Keller shares about her experiences. How would the story of Kellers life be different if Anne Sullivan had written it?

7. Evaluate Analogy Keller was aware that many of her readers would never experience the challenge of missing one or more senses. Reread lines 1623, focusing on the analogy, or point-by-point comparison, in which Keller describes herself as a ship lost in the fog. Is this an effective way for her to share her feelings? Explain.

8. Compare Literary Works Reread the letter to Helen Keller from Franklin D. Roosevelt on page 792. Roosevelt calls Anne Sullivan a liberatora person who frees a prisoner or captive. Would Keller agree with this description? Support your response.

## Extension and Challenge

9. Inquiry and Research In the 1800 s, blind and deaf people had few resources. Many were confined to hospitals. Fortunately, this is no longer the case. Research two or three of the technological advances that now help people overcome their physical limits. Share your discoveries with the class.

research links

> For more on living with disabilities, visit the Research Center at ClassZone.com.

the story of my life 793

> 86A>;DGC>6
> R3.5 Identify the speaker and
> recognize the difference between first- and third-person narration (e.g., autobiography compared with biography).

vocabulary practice

> For more practice, go to the Vocabulary Center
> at ClassZone.com.

## Vocabulary in Context

vocabulary practice

Complete each sentence using the appropriate vocabulary word.

1. After the ride ended, he still had the ______ of being upside-down.

2. Her happiness was ______, like a warm blanket wrapped around her.

3. The teacher looked at him in a(n) _______ way, so he repeated himself.

4. A feeling of ______ is natural after you do something hurtful or wrong.

5. When I hit my head, I lost ______ and my mind went blank.

vocabulary in writing

Write a paragraph from the point of view of Anne Sullivan, describing her thoughts and feelings just after Helen begins to understand language. Use at least two vocabulary words. You might start like this.

example sentence

Helen is starting to understand that each sensation means something.

vocabulary strategy: analogies as context clues

An analogy is a comparison that helps readers understand more than they might from a simple explanation. Writers use analogies to make their ideas clearer by relating them to something familiar. Analogies can also provide context clues to the meanings of difficult words. When you come across an unfamiliar term in an analogy, look at the rest of the comparison for words and phrases that might describe the unknown term.

PRACTICE Define the boldfaced word in each of the following analogies. Then identify the context clues that helped you figure out the meaning.

1. Petrified by the frightening scene, I stopped in my tracks like a deer in headlights.

2. Good friends sustain a person the way strong pillars support a bridge.

3. She was jostled by the crowd like a boat caught in a current.

4. Like a candle that lights up the room, knowledge illuminates the mind.

consciousness repentance sensation tangible uncomprehending

794 unit 7: biography and autobiography

> 86A>;DGC>6
> R1.4 Monitor expository text for unknown words or words with novel meanings by using word, sentence, and paragraph clues to determine meaning.

## Reading-Writing Connection

Extend your understanding of The Story of My Life by responding to these prompts. Then complete the Grammar and Writing exercise.

writing prompts self-check

A. Short Response: Write a Letter or Poem

Write a brief letter or poem from Helen Keller to Anne Sullivan. Show how Keller is grateful to Sullivan for helping her to move past her limits.

An effective response will . . .

show an understanding of how Keller felt about Sullivan  include details from the selection

B. Extended Response: Evaluate Autobiography

Do you believe that Helen Keller really remembered all of the details she included in

The Story of My Life? Why or why not? In two or three paragraphs, discuss which details in the autobiography you think are an accurate record of the events, and which ones might not be.

A strong evaluation will . . .

express a clear opinion  include examples from the selection as support

grammar and writing

CAPITALIZE CORRECTLY A common noun is a general name for a person, place, or thing. Common nouns, such as street or girl, are not capitalized. Specific names, such as Main Street or Helen, are proper nouns. These are always capitalized. Words that indicate family relationships ( my father, her uncle ) are only capitalized when they are used as names ( Hi, Dad! ) or before names ( Uncle Bob ).Example: Keller wouldnt forget the name of her teacher. (common noun )

Example: Anne Sullivan changed my life. ( proper noun )

PRACTICE Rewrite the following sentences, correcting the errors in capitalization.

1. I could tell from my Mothers actions that something was happening.

2. Children at the perkins institution sent me a doll.

3. You taught me to spell words such as Pin and hat.

4. I could not wait to show father what I had learned.

For more help with capitalization, see page R51 in the Grammar Handbook.

the story of my life 795

Transcript for:Helen Keller: Overcoming Life's Challenges

Transcript for:
Helen Keller: Overcoming Life's Challenges