30 pages • 1 hour read
Margaret DavidsonHelen Keller
Nonfiction | Biography | Middle Grade | Published in 1969A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
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The Power of Education
The power of education is one of the key themes in Helen Keller and is primarily explored through Helen’s relationship with Anne. After losing her sense of sight and hearing at just 18 months old, Helen struggles to communicate with and understand those around her. As a child, she throws tantrums and steals food from other people’s plates, having minimal sense of people’s boundaries and good and bad behavior. In a dark and silent world, young Helen functions in the only way she knows how. Anne’s introduction into Helen’s life gives Helen the opportunity to learn, an opportunity that allows her to reframe her understanding of the world while learning to respect others. It also encourages her to continue growing and learning outside of necessity. Not only does Anne’s guidance make it possible for Helen to functionally communicate, but it also helps her to thrive and live fully in a limitless world.
Helen first learns to communicate via sign language and to read using braille, and she comes to love learning even more. She reads voraciously and listens eagerly to the books that Anne reads to her by signing the words into Anne’s hands. When Helen decides to go to college, it appears to partially be a means to further challenge herself and to partially be out of a sheer love of learning. Though this challenge is unlike any Helen has faced before, she indeed receives a bachelor’s degree within four years. Importantly, too, Helen attends and graduates from college during an era when education for women in general is deemed far less valuable or necessary than education of their male counterparts. In this way, Helen becomes a pioneer for the rights of both individuals with disabilities and those who are disadvantaged by their sex and gender.
Her education, and her ability to communicate, provide Helen with opportunities to write. The numerous essays she composes allow her to engage in intellectual discourse, which not only provides her with a rich, inner life but also adds to a body of knowledge. Perhaps the greatest boon of her education are the lectures that Helen gives across the nation—and, later, worldwide. In these lectures, Helen educates others about the disabilities she possesses. In a time when less is known about these conditions—and in a time when those without sight or hearing are stereotyped as being unintelligent—Helen takes vital steps to improve the conditions for those who may face disabilities in the future. Arguably, had Helen been hospitalized, she would likely never have been taught to communicate, and thus her impact on and contributions to the world would have been lost.
Dedication and Perseverance
This theme is established when Anne arrives at the Keller home in hopes of teaching Helen to communicate. This proves to be an immense challenge for multiple reasons. First, because Helen does not have the two key senses used in communication, the traditional methods of teaching her how to use language will not work. Second, Helen has developed habits that interfere with her learning; namely, she has grown strong-willed and throws tantrums when she is not given what she wishes. Likewise, Helen has a distrust of strangers. Anne wisely recognizes that in order to help Helen, all of these obstacles must be overcome separately, and a great deal of time and effort will be required. It would have been easy, and perhaps understandable, for Anne to give in and decide that Helen could not be taught or that the effort required to help Helen learn language was not worth the struggle. However, Anne remains steadfast, patiently and stalwartly enduring Helen’s physical attacks and never giving in to her tantrums. Similarly, Anne relentlessly works with Helen on not only mastering and then memorizing the American Sign Language alphabet but also continuing to present Helen with this tool until she finally grasps its significance.
Such perseverance is a trait that Helen herself develops as she grows from a young child to a young adult and then an adult. As she acquires language and learns to read, her love of learning and knowledge is instilled. She is curious about the world around her and also driven to obtain knowledge. She brings meaning to her life by setting goals for herself, such as attending college. Despite the obstacles she is presented with, Helen does not give in. When she is not admitted, she reasons with the president of Radcliffe to give her an opportunity to attempt college courses. Despite the great difficulty she faces, she accomplishes this goal. Helen’s determination stems from an understanding of her abilities; she is confident in her intelligence and recognizes that the disabilities she possesses have taught her how to surmount challenges that others do not face. In this way, she has honed a set of skills that serve her in multiple aspects of life. In part, Helen has Anne to thank for instilling in her an ability to persevere, no matter how difficult a challenge may be.
The Value of Mentorship
Before acquiring her disabilities, Helen has bonded with her parents and understands that they are a source of protection and comfort. Though she does not have the means to process this, she inherently understands that they act in her best interest and are a source of the things Helen wants, such as food and toys. She is skeptical, then, when Anne first arrives. She immediately recognizes that Anne is a stranger, and she feels threatened by her. Gaining Helen’s trust becomes the first step in Anne’s teaching Helen to master language. This takes great effort and commitment on Anne’s part, as she must refuse to give in to Helen’s temper tantrums. It is only when Helen is forced to trust Anne because of the removal of her parents that Anne has success in teaching her to communicate via language.
When Helen learns that the finger shapes of words correspond to objects in the world around her, she is eager to know Anne’s name. A friendship quickly develops from there as Helen turns to Anne daily as a source of knowledge about all aspects of the world. Anne is able to teach Helen not only language and communication but also about the weather, plants, animals, and even how to play games. Anne’s support and guidance of Helen extends beyond the small cottage when she takes Helen on outings and then travels with her to the Perkins Institute so that Helen can receive a more complete education. There, Helen develops an even fuller life as she learns to engage with other students her age, which is made possible because Helen trusts in her mentor, Anne, and thus trusts the experiences and situation Anne places before her.
Anne remains devoted to Helen throughout the rest of Anne’s life. She accompanies and assists Helen on the lecture circuit she ventures upon and also is essential in Helen completing her college degree, reading textbooks for her and tirelessly translating class lectures into sign language so that she may comprehend them. Just as importantly, they become true friends who enjoy spending time together, playing cards or visiting with others. Upon Anne’s death, Helen’s life is undoubtedly changed forever: Anne has been a consistent presence in Helen’s life and a constant source of support, guidance, love, and care.
