CHARACTERISATION/THEME/PLOT:
1. Attempt a character sketch of Mr. Gilman as a teacher. (SA2, BOARD EXAM MARCH 2014)
Ans. Mr. Gilman was the principal of the Cambridge School joined by Helen to prepare for the entry into
Radcliffe College. He was very loving and sympathetic towards Helen. He knew Helen’s limitations. In
order to be of help of her in her pursuit of knowledge, he himself learnt the finger alphabet to give her
instruction. He was a good scholar and a broad-minded person. He instructed Helen in English literature.
He taught her “As You Like It”, Burke’s Speech on Conciliation with America” and Macaulay’s “Life of
Samuel Johnson”. According to Helen:
“Mr Gilman’s broad views of history and literature and his cleverr explanations made by work
easier and pleasanter…….”
He was quite accommodating but rigid also. He let Helen’s sister Mildred study in his school. He
knew that Mildred’s presence would be inspiring to Helen. When he found Helen overworked and
stressed, he decided to reduce her workload. He wanted Helen to spend three years more instead of
two to completed her studies. Helen did not like his plans. Miss Sullivan and Helen’s parents were on his
side. Mr Gilman refused to budge. He thought what he planned was in Helen’s own interest. However,
his sympathies were misunderstood.
2. Attempt a character sketch of Dr. Alexander Graham Bell?
Ans: A famous American innovator, Dr Alexander Graham Bell was a remarkable person. Despite his high
status he was extremely kind and modest. He encouraged Miss Sullivan and Helen at every step. He
showed and explained many of his experiments to Helen at the World’s Fair.
He had a humorous and poetic side, too. He was a very fond of children. He was never quite so
happy as when he had a little deaf child in his harms. He worked a lot for the deaf, according to Helen
would live on and bless generations of children yet to come.
In short, he was a really a great man who was devoted to his field. But at the same time he was
a great human being who was very modest, polite and sympathetic. Helen pays a glowing tribute to him.
3. Who was Bishop Brooks? How did he influence Helen?
Ans: A spiritual person with a cosmopolitan outlook.
 A source of solace and inspiration to Helen.
 Helen had attachment with him since her childhood
 Miss Sullivan used to spell his words about God and spiritual world into her hands
 He gave her a real sense of joy in life.
 When Helen was puzzled of many religions in the world, he told her:
“There is one Universal religion, Helen the religion of love. Love your Heavenly Father with your
heart and soul which results in Universal love”.
 He thus impressed her mind in two great ideas – Fatherhood of god and the brotherhood of
man.
 He made her feel that these truths underlie all creeds and forms of worship.
4. Who was Miss Sarah Fuller? Why was Helen taken to her?
Ans: Miss Sarah Fuller was an expert in vocal culture and lip-reading system, and principal of the Horace
Mann School. Helen who wanted to learn to speak using her lips and voice was taken to her. Miss Fuller
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agreed to teach Helen herself. She passed Helen’s hand lightly over her face and let her feel the position
of her tongue and lips when she made a sound. Helen was enthused to imitate every motion, and in an
hour learn six elements of speech – M, P, A, S, T, I. She received from Miss Fuller eleven lessons in all.
Helen was simply delighted and surprised to utter her first connected sentence, ‘ It is warm.” However,
the task to learn was not over. Helen’s words were not clear and intelligible. Only Miss Fuller and Miss
Sullivan could understand her speech. Helen has to work hard on every syllable to improve her speech,
and this she did with complete dedication and sincerity. Often she felt discouraged. However, the
thought that her little sister would understand her spurred her on. When she reached home, her
parents were delighted and felt proud of her.
5. Bring out the main theme of Helen’s “The story of My Life” (based on your reading of the
second part).
Ans: The main theme of the whole book. The Story of My Life’ is that one can overcome all obstacles in
life if one is determined. The second part of the book also underlines the fact. It reveals that if one is
determined one can achieve even those goals which seem to be first unattainable.
Helen’s first goal was to speak like other normal persons. She got training in lip-reading. She
worked day and night to learn and improve her speech. She was discouraged even by her closest friends,
but she persisted in her efforts. Her second goal was to study and compete with seeing and hearing girls.
She achieved this goal, too, with strong will-power, hard work and determination. Of course, Miss
Sullivan’s help at every stage played a significant role in all her achievements.
It must be remembered that speech did not play a great role in her basic education, though
without the ability to speak she would not have got into higher schools and college.
6. Describe the progress made by Helen Keller during the two years she spent at WrightHumason School for the Deaf in New York City. (SA2, BOARD EXAM MARCH 2014)
Ans: The Wright-Humanson School for the Deaf in New York City was known for its specialized training in
vocal culture and lip-reading. Helen joined the school to improve her speech further. Besides learning
speech, she studied there arithmetic, physical geography, French and German.
She made much progress in German because Miss Reamy, her Geramn teacher, could use the
manual alphabet. In a few months she could understand almost everything her teacher said. She found
French much more difficult as Madame Olivier, a French lady, did not know the manual alphabet. So she
could not read her lips easily.
Helen’s progress in lip-reading and speech was unexpectedly slow. It was so because she
wanted to speak like other people, which was too high an ambition. She worked hard but found goal not
within reach. She was not good at arithmetic. Physical geography enabled her to learn the secr.ets of
nature. All the teachers at the Wright-Humason School tried hard to provide every advantage to the
pupils that those who hear enjoy.
7. It was her determination that helped Helen Keller got admission to Radcliff college. Comment.
Ans: As Helen’s teachers at Cambridge school did not know how to teach a blind and deaf girl, Miss
Sullivan had to attend classes with her. Miss Sullivan could not spell out in her hand all the books
required. The embossed text books were not readily available. Helen had to copy her Latin in Braille. She
was unable to make notes on the class room itself. She wrote all her work on her typewriter at home.
The preliminary examination for Radcliff was not easy . The papers were really difficult. After
she had written her anwers, Mr.Gilman, who had learnt the finger alphabet for her, spelled to her what
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she had written. She , then, would make necessary changes.In the finals, however, no one read her
work over to her , and she could make no corrections.
Inspite of these difficulties, Helen pursued her studies doggedly and was able to clear both the
preliminary and the final examinations for entry in to the college.
8. How did Helen’s story ‘The Frost King’ came as a dark cloud in her bright sky ?
Ans: It was discovered that Helen’s ‘The Frost King’ was similar to the story ‘The Frost Fairies’ written
earlier by Miss Margaret T. Canby. It was clear that Miss Canby’s story had been read to Helen, but she
had forgotten about it. As her mind was very assimilative, she had unknowingly used the thought and
language of the other in her story. Mr Anagnos, though deeply troubled, seemed to believe her at first.
Then he suspected that both Miss Sullivan and she had cheaten him. Helen was brought before a court
of investigation. She was questioned and counter-questioned. She was totally confused, and gave no
answer properly. She was asked to go. That night she wept bitterly. The investigation committee had
eight members, including Mr Anagnos. The committee were equally divided. Mr Anagnos cast his vote
in Helen’s favour. But then he retracted his favourable judgement. Thus, she lost a dear friend of his for
no fault of hers.
9. Why were the examinations the “chief bugbears” of Helen’s college life? (Bugbear = a thing
that worries the people very much)
Ans: Like everybody else. Helen has deep dislike of all examinations. She had taken many examinations
successfully, but her dislike of them persisted. The day before the examination are spent in cramming
your mind with mystic formula and indigestible data. When the examination hour comes, one is lucky if
one feels prepared. The most confusing thing is that when one needs one’s memory the most it just
disappears. The remembered facts take wings.
Helen gives the example of a question on “Huss.” The name would seem familiar to you. You
would feel it was somewhere in your mind, but you would never Huss. Just then the proctor would
inform that the time was up. In sheer disgust you would leave. You would think of abolishing “the divine
right of professors to ask questions without the consent of the questioned.”
10. Give an account of the difficulties faced by Helen at the Cambridge school.
Ans: As Helen’s teachers at the Cambridge school did not know how to teach a blind and deaf girl, Miss
Sullivan had to attend classes with her. Miss Sullivan could not spell out in her hand all that the books
required. The embossed books were not readily available. Helen had to copy her Latin in Braille. She was
unable to make notes in the classroom itself. She wrote all her work on her typewriter at home.
The preliminary examination for Radcliffe college was not easy. The papers were really
difficult.After she had written her answers, Mr. Gilman, who had learnt the finger alphabet for her,
spelled to her what she had written. She, then, would make necessary changes. In the finals, however,
no one read her work over to her, and she could make no corrections.
In spite of these difficulties, Helen pursued her studies doggedly and was able to clear both the
preliminary and the final examinations for entry into the Radcliffe college.
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