CBSE Class 10 Answered

Helen Keller was born normal but a childhood illness left her blind, deaf and as a result, mute. However, in spite of so many handicaps and obstacles, the story of her life is that of triumph instead of misery. She found a soulmate and a companion for life in her teacher Anne Sullivan who dedicated her entire life to helping Helen emerge from a world of darkness and silence to become one of the greatest women of her time. She graduated with honors from Radcliffe College despite struggles every step of the way. She was the first blind and deaf person to earn a college degree. She published a dozen books and visited 40 countries and gained international fame. She campaigned for peace, women's rights, workers' rights, and rights for the disabled. She helped to found the American Civil Liberties Union in 1920. Alexander Graham Bell, Mark Twain, and Charlie Chaplin were her friends. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom and received honors from around the world. Therefore, it would be an understatement to say that she indeed considered herself a 'chosen soul'.