Question

Can anyone please give me a brief character sketch of all other characters that are important in STORY OF MY LIFE, except helen keller and ann sullivan !! Please its urgent.

Answer 1

Arthur H. Keller Arthur H. Keller was father of Helen Keller who was a captain in the Confederate Army. He was editor of a newspaper. He was brave, loving and indulgent person. She was good hunter and storyteller. He was quite close to his family. He only left his family when he went to hunt. He was hospitable to a fault and seldom came home without bringing a guest. He loved gardening and used to lead Helen from tree to tree and from vine to vine. He used to spell words into her daughter, Helen’s hand and made her to repeat them. He was in sorrow seeing her daughter helpless. He consulted many doctor to get her proper treatment. She felt relief when he found a proper teacher for her daughter. He died in the summer of 1896. Mildred Keller Mildred Keller was Helen’s younger sister. Before her birth Helen used to get all the attention from her parents but after Mildred’s birth things changed which made Helen jealous of her. When they grew up, they became friends. However, she could not understand Helen’s finger language. Once at the Fern Quarry, they get lost in woods. Mildred pointed towards the trestle and they walked over it. They climbed a moving train and returned to their cottage. This shows her alert behaviour. Martha Washington Martha Washington was daughter of the cook of Keller’s family. She was a coloured who became Helen’s companion in her early days. She understood Helen’s signs. She was a mischievous girl. Helen always dominated her and made her do what she wanted to do. She submitted her to Helen because she didn’t want to fight with Helen. She used to spend a lot of time in the kitchen with Helen kneading dough balls, making ice-cream, grinding coffee, quarrelling over the cake bowl and feeding hens and turkeys. She also used to go to egg-hunting in the long grass with Helen. Kate Keller Kate Keller was the mother of Helen Keller. She was second wife of Arthur H. Keller who was much elder to her. She was tall, fair complexioned and had blonde hair and blue eyes. She was very supportive and cooperative. She was intelligent, well read and had a good memory. She understood crude signs made by Helen in her early illness days. She loved her daughter very much and took a great of her. She was a hardworking woman and did everything for her family. When she read the account of Laura Bridgman, a deaf and blind girl who still got educated by Dr. Howe in Charles Dickens’ ‘American Notes’, she gained a new hope for Helen that she might be educated. However, Dr. Howe died long ago and his methods probably died with him. She had positive attitude towards the life. Michael Anagnos Michael Anagnos was director of Perkins institute of Blind in Boston. When Helen’s father sent her a letter, she found Anne Sullivan and sent her to taught Helen. After Helen joined the Perkins Institute, he became a friend of her. Later, his friendship with Helen broke due to reason of a story named ‘The Frost King’. Helen wrote this story and sent to Mr. Anagnos on his birthday which he published in one of the reports of the institute. The story later found the copy of another story. Mr. Anagnos felt Helen had cheated on her. She accused Helen for plagiarism despite knowing her for years. However, after the publication of “The Story of Life” in the Ladies’ Home Journal, Mr Anagnos made statement that he supported Helen. His friendship with Helen not restored. Hope this helps!! All the best.