Helen Keller lost her sight and hearing at a young age of 19 months. Even though she became known as “mute” at such a young age, Keller went on to writing books and being an American Lecturer. This is a great example of how Keller used her disability to show you can do anything and not use it as a crutch. Waking up daily not being able to understand what anything is, but then accomplishing all the great things she did, truly shows how she overcame adversity. At times she would scream, but one thing she didn’t do was give up.
June 27, 1880, in Tuscumbia, Alabama, a beautiful, healthy baby girl, was born to Captain Arthur and Kate Keller. Suddenly, in February of 1882 the 19 year old, Helen Keller, was down with, at the time know as, “brain fever.” Coming down with this caused her to lose her sight, speech, and hearing. She spent the next couple years clinging to her moms’ skirt. March 3, 1887, Anne Sullivan came to help teach, Helen, sign language. Anne was a strict teacher. She wouldn’t deal with Helens’ tantrums, and she would even hit back. At times, Helens father would see that Anne wasn’t letting her eat. Repeatedly, he would demand for a reason for why she would do that. She would simply reply with, “She wouldn’t get dressed. She needs to learn to “listen.” ” Later on Helen realized that Anne was there to help. They became close and lifelong friends.
Helen went on in life, with the help of Anne, to school. She graduated Perkins Academy being Valedictorian. With her amazing memory, Helen could put her fingers to someone’s mouth and know what they were saying. She went on in 1904, cum laude, and first blind/deaf person to receive a college degree. In 1924, she was known for raising funds for the American Foundation for the Blind. She also became a supporter for women to vote and use birth control. Even in 1933, when Nazis’ burned a bunch of her political essays, it never stopped her. She later on wrote a book “The Story of My Life.” She used the money from that to buy herself a house. She went on as an American Lecturer and became a very good friend to the Chinese.
Think long and hard. Most teens these days think schools have so adversity to overcome, which is true. Imagine being blind and deaf on top of it all. She was “mute” and still managed to graduate Valedictorian. She wrote her books by signing to her help, Anne. She would find ways to make it and not give up when things got to tough. She came from clinging to her mom to this spotlight idol for everyone! She really overcame the adversity in life, which most would have said was impossible to do.
So in all, life has its obstacle. What you do with them and how you act, will determine the outcome. Overcoming adversity is part of many people’s lives. Learn empathy. Helen Keller is a huge role model. She had disabilities, but didn’t make it the excuse to no do anything. She never once gave up, that’s why you shouldn’t either when life gives you challenges.
WORK SITED:
Berne, Emma Carlson. Helen Keller. Courage in Darkness. New York: Sterling, 2009
“Helen Keller.” NNDB. (2011 Soylent Communications): March 16th, 2011. www.nnbd.com/people/074/000046933/
“Helen Keller.” Garden of Praise. March 16th, 2011. www.gardenofpraise.com/ibdkell.htm
Livergood, Norman D. “Helen Keller as Mystic.” Helen Keller. March 16th, 2011. www.hermes-press.com/keller.htm
5 comments:
This is way cool! I never knew a lot of this things like what she had to go through, who helped her go to school and how she put her hands in people mouth so she knew what they were saying. I'm sure you had a lot of fun writing this! You did a fantastic job!
1. I think that the number one thing that you did great on your paper was describing Helen's teacher Anne and how much time she put into Helen.
2. One thing that I think that you can do to improve is explaining Helen's life more than Anne's teaching. It sounded like your person was more Anne than it was Helen.
3. Other than that I think that you realy taught me something about Helen like I never knew that she was the first blind and deaf woman/person to graduate collage.
I like how you explain how successful she was. you could work on where you put your comma's. i learned that she got ill when she was 19 months.
hellen keller is amazing. i learned alot
Elee, when I was reading your paper I could tell you were curious about her and got all your information. I know this because I did my paper on her too. Something that you could've done different was the font because it was distracting and almost hard to read. You accidently said she came down with the fever when she was 19 years old but she was 19 months old. I learned that the Nazis burned her papers she wrote. I did not know that.
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