Writing assignment: 500 words on this theme: “Which were the key incidents that led her out of her ‘prison.'”
Helen Keller’s life was very tough. There were many tough obstacles for someone like her. She couldn’t talk, hear, or see. That is a very tough life to live. She found herself in a mental prison because of it. But this all changed with her teacher, Anne Sullivan. Sullivan was the biggest reason Keller was able to escape her prison.
The first big incident that led her out of the prison was learning the word water. Keller was born like every other baby, she was not deaf or blind until 19 months of age, she then lost both abilities due to scarlet fever. Before Keller lost her ability to speak and hear, she learned a few words. One of those words was “water.” Keller pronounced it wah-wah. Eventually, when Anne Sullivan came, she utilized this baseline of language at the water pump. The story goes that Sullivan took her outside and placed her hand right underneath the water pump and began pouring out water. As the water touched Keller’s hand, Sullivan began to finger spell “water” into her hand. This moment showed the switch between knowing the words and learning what they meant. From this moment it created a life long path of learning.
Another big incident that led her to escape the prison was her education. She already went farther than most people thought by learning basic communication. But she wasn’t done yet; she learned Braille and was able to read books because of it. And she even attended Radcliffe College to expand her knowledge more. Education was a huge reason why she escaped her prison. By learning to go from a child who relied on others to someone who could think for herself, she was able to escape her prison.
One more way she escaped her prison was by climbing a tree. Keller wanted to climb a tree for a long time. She was aware of its dangers, but she still wished to climb the tree. And after time, she was able to. This event shows that Keller is free; she can do what she wants when she wants. This truly shows that she no longer views herself in a prison. She showed that she conquered her mind with this obstacle. The tree showed that she can move and make the decision that she wants.
By overcoming the obstacles of learning to talk, spell, and communicate, she now did not have to rely on anyone. She was able to become a fully independent thinker and to do things for herself. With the accomplishment of college, she became a part of society instead of just a burden to it. With her teacher, she broke free and was able to escape. Keller was able to move herself from isolation to independence through these challenges.
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