"The Story Of My Life"
From “The Story Of My Life” by Hellen Keller
I chose to write about 2 quotes from the excerpt which describes Helen Keller's journey through life.
“Have you ever been at sea in a dense fog, but it seemed as if a tangible white darkness shut you in, and the great ship, tense and anxious, groped her way towards the shore with plummet and sounding line, and you waited with beating heart for something to happen? I was like that ship before my education began, only I was without a compass or sounding line, and I had no way of knowing how near the harbor was.” (Keller, 445)
“I had to use the sense of touch in catching the vibrations of the throat, the movements of the mouth and the expression of the face, and often the sense was at fault. In such cases I was forced to repeat the words or sentences, sometimes for hours, until I felt the proper ring in my own voice.” (Keller, 450)
The first quote describes Hellen Keller's relationship with learning before she met her teacher, Anne Sullivan. She compared learning before to being at sea and not knowing where you were until you were on land, except she had no “compass” or “sounding line” or something to help her reach the shore. I thought this was an interesting analogy because she had never been able to see the “white darkness” but was able to describe it in vivid detail. Hellen Keller implies that Anne Sullivan was her “compass” or “sounding line” guiding her through her life.
The second quote describes what Hellen Keller had to do in order to learn something that comes easy to most people, speaking. She describes how she would have to practice speaking for hours, until she felt in her throat and hands that what she said sounded correct.
Word Count: 310
Hi Liv! I really like the first quote that you chose because I feel like it perfectly represents how Helen Keller felt without being able to see and hear. When we watched the documentary this weekend, I tried to imagine what that would be like and could not even begin to understand. Miss Sullivan truly guided her through life and made it easier for her to find her way. The method that she learned how to speak was amazing to me and something that I do not think I will ever fully understand. It seems impossible that a deaf and blind woman would be able to learn how to speak, but somehow Helen Keller still overcame it. I was inspired by her work ethic and drive and ability to look past difficulties in order to achieve her goals.
ReplyDeleteI also liked the analogy she used when writing about her feelings. I found it to be an interesting view. She was struggling as a child with frustration and confusion. When Anne came into her life she changed that for Helen. She was able to stand by Helen and help her through her challenges. She caught on quickly and learned so much. I cannot imagine how much practice went into learning not only how to read or write, but doing and learning everything through touch.
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