brife sketch of Hellen's father
Answers
Helen remembers Captain Keller as a loving father who takes great pleasure in pleasing his daughter. He is proud of his garden and grows the best grapes, berries, watermelons and strawberries and Helen is always the first to taste the sweet, ripe grapes. He knows that Helen also loves the garden, "the paradise of my childhood" (ch 2) and relsihes leading her through the garden.
He is also an accomplished hunter and a gracious host to regular guests. As a newspaper editor, Helen, as a blind and deaf girl, is often perplexed by his work as, even when she puts his glasses on, she can still not conclude what he might be doing and only years later can she understand his occupation. He also tells Helen, after she has learnt the manual alphabet, thus setting "my spirit free," anecdotes which Helen recalls at "opportune moments," (ch 2) thus bringing her father much delight.
A breakthrough for the family, after being "grieved and perplexed (ch 3) comes when Helen's father takes her to see a Dr Chisolm who then refers them to Dr Alexander Graham Bell and he is the first step towards "the door through which I should pass from darkness into light." (ch 3)
Arthur Keller was a Confederate Army captain during the Civil War, and he works as a newspaper editor. Helen describes him as "loving and indulgent," and she says he is generally at home and is devoted to his family. He only leaves for the hunting season. He excels at hunting, and he is very fond of his dogs and gun. Arthur is very hospitable and enjoys inviting people to his house. Helen says her father is generous almost to a fault.
Arthur takes pride in his garden, where he grows strawberries and watermelons, rumored to be the best in the county. He is kind towards Helen, bringing her grapes and berries and leading her tenderly from one plant to the next. He also enjoys telling stories and spells them into Helen's hands and delights in having her retell them. He died in 1896, when Helen was about 16 and living in the North.