The Story of my Life

Chapter 15 I have many far-off friends whom I have never seen. Indeed they are so many that I have often been unable to reply to their letters; but I wish to say here that I am always grateful for their kind words, however insufficiently I acknowledge them.I count it one of the sweetest privileges […]

Chapter 14 My favourite amusement is sailing. In the summer of 1901 I visited Nova Scotia, and had opportunities such as I had not enjoyed before to make the acquaintance of the ocean. After spending a few days in Evangeline’s country, about which Longfellow’s beautiful poem has woven a spell of enchantment, Miss Sullivan and

Chapter 13 I have thus far sketched the events of my life, but I have not shown how much I have depended on books not only for pleasure and for the wisdom they bring to all who read, but also for that knowledge which comes to others through their eyes and their ears. Indeed, books

Chapter 12 I remember my first day at Radcliffe. It was a day full of interest for me. I had looked forward to it for years. A potent force within me, stronger than the persuasion of my friends, stronger even than the pleadings of my heart, had impelled me to try my strength by the

Chapter 11 I faced unforeseen difficulties in my second year at the Gilman School. Mr Gilman, the head of school, opined that I should study mathematics that year. On the other hand, I had physics, algebra, geometry, astronomy, Greek and Latin. Adding to my woes I lacked the necessary material for mathematics. There were students

Chapter 10 I attended the meeting in the summer of 1894 at Chautauqua of the American Association to Promote the Teaching of Speech to the Deaf. Accompanied by my able teacher Anne Sullivan, I visited the Wright- Humason School for the Deaf in New York City. It was the school with a difference because it

Chapter 9 The chief events of the year 1893 were my trip to Washington during the inauguration of President Cleveland, and visits to Niagara and the World’s Fair. Under such circumstances my studies were constantly interrupted and often put aside for many weeks, so that it is impossible for me to give a connected account

Chapter 8 In the winter of 1892 an incident completely shook me. For a long time I lived in anxiety, fear and doubt. Books had no charm for me. All my interest in reading or speaking had faded away. Whenever dreadful memory of that day haunts me, I am chilled to bone. What happened that

Chapter 7 I preferred a lot to spend my every winter in the North since my first visit to Boston. On one such visit I happened to reach a New England village. It was quite alluring and chanting. It had frozen lakes and vast snow fields. I was on cloud nine. In fact, my joy

Chapter 6 After I had recovered from my first experience in the water, I thought it great fun to sit on a big rock in my bathing-suit and feel wave after wave dash against the rock, sending up a shower of spray which quite covered me. I felt the pebbles rattling as the waves threw

Chapter 5 Under the expert and able guidance of Anne Sullivan I was learning to read. It was a big leep for me. With a lot of practice I could spell a few words. My teacher gave me slips of cardboard on which were printed words in raised letters. I could easily learn them as

Chapter 4 I recall many incidents of the summer of 1887 that followed my soul’s sudden awakening. I did nothing but explore with my hands and learn the name of every object that I touched; and the more I handled things and learnt their names and uses, the more joyous and confident grew my sense

Chapter 3 That was the unforgettable day of my life when I chanced to meet my teacher Anny Mansfield Sullivan. She was going to bring about a tremendous change in my life which was torn apart owing my deformities. I remember the date well. It was 3rd March 1887, three months before I turned seven.

Chapter 2 In the first months of my illness I was puzzled a lot. I didn’t know what to do or how to express myself. Most of the time I sat in my mother’s lap or otherwise clung to her dress as she was busy in doing household chores. In the beginning, I learnt a

Chapter 1 This is my autobiography, a story about my own life written by myself. I saw the light of day on 27th July 1880, in Tuseumbia, a little town of Northern Alabama. Caspar Keller, a native of Switzerland, was the one who settled in Maryland and from whom the family of my father’s side