Question: 1. Describe the life of Helen before her illness.

Answer

The illness caught Helen when she was nineteen years old which made deaf and blind. Before illness,
Helen wore long dresses and showed many signs of eager and self-asserting nature. Everything she saw
other people do she insisted upon intimating. At six months she could speak “How d’ye” and one day she
attracted everyone’s attention by saying “Tea, tea, tea” quite plainly. She also remembered one of the
words she learned in the early months which was ‘”water”.

She walked the day when she was a year old. She was suddenly attracted by the flickering shadows of
leaves that danced in the sunlight on the smooth floor. She slipped from her mother’s lap and ran toward
them. The impulse gone and she fell down and started crying for her to take her up in her arm that day.

Question: 2. How did Helen Keller lost her abilities of hearing and seeing?

Answer

Helen Keller was not born deaf and blind. When she was nineteen months old she got sicken with a
mysterious disease which took away her eyesight and ability of hearing. The illness was diagnosed as
acute congestion of the stomach and brain. The doctor though that she could not live. However, early
morning, the fever left her suddenly and mysteriously as it had come. No one knew that she should
never see or hear again. Gradually, she got used to the silence and darkness that surrounded her.

Question: 3. Explain the words “There is no king who has not had a slave among his ancestors, and no
slave who has not had a king among his."

Answer

These words mean that in every person’s ancestry, some are rich and some are poor. Even if person is
king today, in her ancestry there must be a slave which defines that life is full of ups and downs. Today’s
slave also had a king in his ancestry. Every coin has two sides, is a fact. One needs to learn from the past
and try to make her present and future good.

Question: 4. How did Helen Keller overcome difficulties caused by her disease?

Answer

Helen Keller lost the ability of hearing and eyesight at a very little age. However, nature given her other
ability. Her hands felt every object and observed every motion which helped her in learning many things.
He can keep clean clothes were brought in from the laundry and distinguished her own clothes from the
rest. She knew whenever her mother and aunt dressed and were going out, also she begged to go with
them. She made crude signs and started communicating with them. A shake of the head meant 'No' and
a nod 'Yes', a pull meant 'come' and a push 'go'. These things help her in overcoming difficulties.

Question: 5. How Helen Keller learn subjects like Geography, History, Botany etc.?
Answer

She started learning subjects with the help of nature. Firstly, Helen father's developed her interest in
nature. Her teacher, Miss Sullivan also taught her mostly outdoor. She got her first lessons at banks of
the Tennessee River were she learnt how nature works such as how the sun and the rain help the plant
in growing, how birds build their nests, how animals get food. She also climbed a tree. Miss Sullivan
taught her Geography in an interesting manner. She built dams with pebbles, made islands and lakes,
and dug river-beds. She also raised maps in clay, so that Helen could feel the mountain ridges and
valleys. She also taught her botany and zoology in same leisurely manner.

She studied about prehistoric creatures with the help of fossils. She also learnt about habitat of the
marine animals and about growth of plants.

She got her history lessons when she was admitted to Perkins Institute by visiting ancient places such as
Bunker Hill and Plymouth.

Question: 6. Describe the relationship between Miss Anne Sullivan and Helen Keller.

Answer

Miss Anne Sullivan arrival in the life of Helen Keller is regarded as most important part of life by Helen
herself. At the day of Anne’s arrival, Helen was feeling something unusual going to happen. The arrival of
Anne changes Helen’s life wholly. Miss Anne Sullivan taught her to her the spellings of words by writing
them on her hand. Later she taught her abstract words like love, think etc. After learning words, she
taught Helen how to use the words in sentences. She also told her stories and taught her many subjects.
She accompanied her everywhere. Later, Helen also practised to speak with Anne and she corrected the
mispronunciation of words made by Helen. She was like mother to her. They shared a wonderful
relationship which lasted till the death of Miss Sullivan.

Question: 7. Describe Miss Sarah Fuller, Principle of the Horace Mann School as result oriented teacher.

Answer

Helen had stopped talking after the loss of the ability of hearing. One day, Mrs. Lamson arrived to see
her and told her about a girl who had actually been taught to speak. This story generated a new hope in
Helen and she resolved that she would also speak. Miss Sullivan took her for advice and assistance to
Miss Sarah Fuller, the principal of Horace Mann School. She was lovely, sweet natured lady. Her method
was unique. She passed Helen’s hand lightly over her face, and let Helen feel the position of her tongue
and lips when she made sound. Helen was eager to imitate every motion and in an hour had learned six
elements of speech: M, P, A, S, T, I. Miss Fuller gave her total eleven lessons. Helen was surprised and
delighted when she uttered her first connected sentence, “It is warm”. They were broken but it was her
own voice.

Gradually, Helen improved a lot with practice and started speaking. Thus, Miss Sarah Fuller was a result
oriented teacher.