CBSE Class 10 Answered

What did Helen mean by saying that her meeting with Dr.Graham Bell could be "the door from darkness to light " ?

Asked by pdcavita | 24 Nov, 2017, 09:42: PM

Expert Answer

Helen has dedicated her autobiography 'The Story of My Life' to Dr.Graham Bell. Dr. Chisholm, referred Hellen Keller to Dr. Bell who is a wonderful and patient teacher. He could instill enthusiasm in his students with his delightful explanations. Helen, in her book, says that Dr. Bell was a humourous person and a poet with unlimited love for children, especially for the deaf. Alexander Graham Bell, who despite having achieved worldwide fame, worked with deaf children in Washington, D.C. Dr. Bell's tenderness and sympathy touched Helen and she instantly liked him. This meeting was not only the beginning of a long friendship between Dr. Bell and Helen but it also proved to be the foundation of Helen's education and life. He understood Helen's likes and dislikes and stayed by her side in all tough situations. Bell advised Helen's parents to send her to attend speech classes at the Horace Mann School for the Deaf in Boston which eventually gave the fruit of a strong base to her career. Again, it was on Dr.Bell's advice that Helen's father wrote Mr.Anagnos of the Perkins Institutio, a Boston school for the blind. There she met Annie Sullivann who was a dedicated, understanding and caring teacher who taught her to communicate. In 1893, Helen and Miss Sullivan were accompanied by Dr. Bell on their visit to the Worlds Fair where he patiently taught the working of every single exhibit and helped in developing Helen's interest towards machines and technology. Inspite of being an important and famous person, he made time tuime for Helen and was quite sympathetic towards her. He frequently sent her money to pay for living expenses or vacations, and he even learned to use a braille typewriter so they could correspond more directly. He remained a loyal friend till his death in August 2, 1922. The dedication in Helen's book reads, "To Alexander Graham Bell; Who has taught the deaf to speak and enabled the listening ear to hear speech from the Atlantic to the Rockies, I dedicate This Story of My Life."

Answered by | 28 Nov, 2017, 12:53: PM