Question

story of my life summary for chapter 19

Answer 1

                                          STORY OF MY LIFE
                                                Chapter 19

The beginning of the second year at Gilman school was full of hope and determination for the narrator. But during the first few weeks, she was frustrated and confronted with unforeseen difficulties. She was without the embossed books she needed. Many of her books were not ready at the beginning of the school. The classes were large and none of the Cambridge teachers would give her special instructions. Miss Sullivan was obliged to read all the books to her. The narrator had to wait to buy a braille typewriter to do her algebra, geometry and physics. She was not able to see geometrical drawings drawn on the background.Rather, she had to represent them with a cushion with straight and curved wires.She said that she was ashamed to remember how she showed her feelings sometimes and that her behavior was later used against Miss Sullivan.But slowly her difficulties began to disappear.The embossed books and other apparatus arrived and she threw herself into her work with renewed confidence. But algebra and geometry could not hold her interest until Mr. Keith started teaching her .As the narrator started overcoming those difficulties, an event occurred which brought a change in her life
Seeing her working hard Mr. Gilman felt that she was being strained.So, he decided that she should remain in he school for three more years.This decision of Gilman was not liked by the narrator. On 17th of November, she was not well and did not go to school. Mr.Gilman on learning this fact guessed it was due to overwork and stress that her health had broken down. So he made changes and made it impossible for her to sit for the exams. This decision created a difference of opinion between Mr. Gilman, Miss Sullivan and the narrator's mother. It was decided that to withdraw Mildred and the narrator from the Cambridge school.
The narrator however continued her education under the guidance of Mr. Keith. Mr. Keith taught her Algebra, Latin, Geometry and Greek and
Miss Sullivan interpreted his instructions. Keith took great interest in her studies and then she found all the subjects very interesting including mathematics.
On 29th and 30th June, the narrator took her final examination for Radcliffe College. The college authorities did not allow Miss Sullivan to read out the papers to the narrator. Mr. Vining, one of the instructors at the Perkins Institution for the Blind was employed to copy the papers in American braille. The braille worked well n all languages for her but a difficulty arose in geometry and algebra. As she was used to English braille, the notations and symbols in American braille confused her and her work became painfully slow.
However at the end, the narrator became happy that in spite of all the obstacles she was able to overcome them successfully.