Question

helen's teacher miss anne sullivan was indeed amiracle worker in the life of helen keller. justify this statement

Answer 1

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HOMEWORK HELP > THE STORY OF MY LIFE

Role Of Anne Sullivan In Helen Keller Life

In The Story of My Life, how did Anne Sullivan provide Helen with hope for a succesful future and faith that the world would recognise her and love her?

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EXPERT ANSWERS

MWESTWOOD | CERTIFIED EDUCATOR

Without Anne Sullivan, Helen Keller would have been walled into a dark, hopeless world. Miss Sullivan was Helen's lifeline. 

It was the stalwart and persistent Miss Sullivan who managed to figuratively and literally lead Helen to water. Water was the object which allowed Helen to make the connection between the spelling of the word water into the palm of her hand and the object named. The expression "water is life" also applies to Helen's mental connection with the signing and the object. It was then that her fruitful life began. Because she understood that Anne was spelling the word for the substance spilling from the pump, Helen then was able to leave her self-contained life and go out into the world, where she could interact with others and learn.

When Helen began her learning, Miss Sullivan was very patient with her. She made raised letters for Helen to learn the alphabet. She also used real objects, such as fossils to teach about dinosaurs, so that Helen would have something to touch, allowing her to make connections with the time period and concepts. The appreciative Helen once said, "All the best of me belongs to her"
. Through Miss Sullivan, Helen formed friendships with other people. Helen further described her close relationship with Miss Sullivan in these words: "Her being is inseparable from my own, and the footsteps of my life are in hers" .

Miss Sullivan was always Helen's defender. For instance, when Helen was at the Gilmer School, she became slightly ill and the director, Mr. Gilmer, felt that Helen was "breaking down." He made such changes in her coursework that would have prohibited Helen from taking her final examination with her class. Miss Sullivan consulted with Mrs. Keller. Consequently, her mother withdrew both Helen and her sister, Mildred, from this school. Helen's preparations for college continued smoothly after this incident.

Miss Sullivan was indispensable to Helen when she attended Radcliffe College because at the time that Helen attended (She graduated in 1900), there were few devices available for the blind. For instance, Miss Sullivan spelled into her hands what the professor said during lectures. Later, after Helen graduated, Anne Sullivan married, but she never stopped serving Helen, even though she was married. After Anne's divorce, she traveled with Helen, and they stood on stages telling audiences of Helen's successes. Together they fascinated audiences.


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Answer 2

Miss Sullivan, Helen's teacher arrived on March 3, 1887 and at that time Helen was six years and nine months old. Anne's arrival brought life and enlightenment to Helen. She came to teach Helen and to take her from ignorance to light. Her constant support and undying encouragement made Helen Keller a success. Due to illness Helen lost her hearing and seeing facilities. It was really difficult to teach a blind and deaf person because neither he/she can hear nor can watch the speaker's face. But Miss Sullivan worked hard and succeeded in teaching Helen. She took Helen from darkness to light, from isolation to friendship, companionship, knowledge and love.
Sullivan was Helen's guide, teacher, preacher, friend and everything. She taught Helen fundamental things like love, nature and life. Helen was just lifeless till her teacher had not arrived. Miss Sullivan was the embodiment of love and passion. She taught Helen how to communicate. Miss Sullivan is a true and ideal teacher. She taught each and every subjects to Helen. She made Helen independent. Like a mother, Miss Sullivan loved and cared Helen. She did an almost impossible work to teach a deaf and blind child. Helen got her identity only because of her teacher. Miss Sullivan proved that a teacher has paramount role in a student's life.