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Helen breaks her doll in frustration when Anne Sullivan is trying to teach her language. At this point in her education, Helen understands words that are finger-spelled into her palm, but she cannot grasp that a single word can refer to more than one object. In particular, she can’t understand that the word “doll” might refer to all dolls, not just one. Her teacher repeatedly tries to make Helen
understand this; eventually, in a fit of temper, Helen throws her doll onto the floor and breaks it. She writes that she "was keenly delighted when I felt the fragments of the broken doll at my feet.” Later, when Anne is successful in making Helen understand that “everything has a name,” by holding her hand under a stream of water and spelling the word “water” into her palm, Helen realizes what she has done in breaking the doll: “for the first time I felt repentance and sorrow.”
Approved by eNotes Editorial Team Helen's Aunt Ev makes her a towel doll before Helen embarks upon her trip, a journey that will culminate in a famous, life-changing meeting with Alexander Graham Bell. The doll is hastily made and improvised. Naturally, it doesn't have the features one would expect to find in a toy store doll. But it is one particular feature of the doll that's important: its lack of eyes. Even though she is blind,
Helen already understands how important a pair of eyes can be to someone's identity, and she wants this to be reflected in her toy doll. So Aunt Ev sews on a couple of buttons for the doll's eyes. After she does this, however, Helen completely loses interest in the doll. She has made her point. It wasn't so much that she wanted a doll with eyes; it's that she wanted to communicate a relatively sophisticated concept, something she seldom gets the chance to do before Annie Sullivan enters her
life. Approved by eNotes Editorial Team
Helen Keller
Latest answer posted January 27, 2015 at 5:22:10 AM
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Helen Keller
Latest answer posted January 06, 2019 at 3:56:21 PM
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Helen Keller
Latest answer posted July 10, 2017 at 9:26:17 AM
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Helen Keller
Latest answer posted June 09, 2013 at 12:09:08 PM
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Helen Keller
Latest answer posted October 31, 2019 at 2:16:53 AM
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Helen was sensitive as a child. When she was unable to understand the difference between mug and water. She got frustrated and dashed her doll against the floor. ... She ha sno love for the doll and felt happy, because after throwing doll her discomfort was broken.4 août 2018
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Anyhoo, how do Helens feelings about breaking the doll change?
How do Helen's feelings about breaking the doll change after she realizes that objects have specific names? ... She feels sorrow and regret.23 janv. 2020
Into the bargain, how does Miss Sullivan get Helen to understand water? a.By repeatedly pouring water over Helen's hands and spelling out the word.14 août 2017
Still and all, what did Helen wish for her doll?
It wasn't so much that she wanted a doll with eyes; it's that she wanted to communicate a relatively sophisticated concept, something she seldom gets the chance to do before Annie Sullivan enters her life.14 févr. 2018
What was the first word Helen Keller learned?
water
17 Related Questions Answered
Which situation is an example of rising action from the story of my life?
Rising action includes the entry of Annie Sullivan into Helen's life. Sullivan gradually helps Helen's world open up by teaching her to communicate. The climax comes when she is finally able to not only communicate, but do so beautifully.6 juil. 2015
How did Miss Sullivan help Helen?
Mrs. sullivan helped Helen by teaching her many useful things like patience , communication through hands and giving respect to food and elders , she enlighten her and helped her to overcome every hurdless.11 mars 2018
Is the miracle worker a true story?
“'The Miracle Worker' is the true story of two inspirational figures,” said Taryn Sacramone, executive director of Queens Theatre. ... In its 1959 Broadway debut, “The Miracle Worker” starred Elmhurst native Patty Duke as Keller and Anne Bancroft as Anne Sullivan, Keller's instructor and lifelong companion.
How did Miss Sullivan?
Miss Sullivan was an expert teacher who was trained to teach the blind children. However, she had to be very patient and innovative while teaching Helen as she had hearing disability too. Miss Sullivan would often write the spelling of the object on Helen's hand after allowing her to touch it.31 juil. 2016
Can Helen Keller talk?
As Helen became a young woman, she communicated by the use of finger spelling with anyone who wanted to communicate with her, and who understood finger spelling. Helen Keller eventually learned to speak as well. ... Helen Keller became deaf and blind from an illness, perhaps scarlet fever or meningitis.
What present did Miss Anne Sullivan bring for Helen Keller?
Anne Sullivan was a teacher who taught Helen Keller, a blind and deaf child, how to communicate and read Braille.
What would Helen like to see in the eyes of her teacher?
Helen would like to see in the eyes of her teacher that strength of character which has enabled her to stand firm in the face of difficulties, the compassion for all humanity which she has showed to her often.
What was the name of Helen Keller's doll?
Nancy
Can Helen Keller read lips?
With the help of her teacher, Anne Sullivan, Keller learned the manual alphabet and could communicate by finger spelling. ... By age 9, Keller began to learn to speak and read lips, skills she continued to develop throughout her lifetime.
Did Helen Keller invent something?
Helen was a fast and great learner In only three years Helen learned the manual alphabet (Sign language), The Braille alphabet (Which was created by Louis Braille [1809-1852]), and she could now read and write.
Did Helen Keller have Usher syndrome?
She didn't know then that she was going blind and deaf, that she suffered from an extremely rare disease called Usher syndrome, for which there is little research and no cure. ... Keller, too, was born with hearing and sight; in 1882, at 19 months old, she was ravaged by an unknown illness that robbed her of both senses.14 sept. 2014
Which sentence is an example of rising action?
Rising-action definitions Rising action is what happens in a story leading up to the most exciting part of a story. An example of rising action is all the events that took place in the movie Grease before the scene where Danny and Sandy ride off into the sky.
What is the climax of the story of my life?
Climax. Though it is difficult to find a climax in a memoir, it can be argued that the climax occurs when Helen passes her Radcliffe entrance exams and enters college for the first time. This was something she was working towards her whole life, and Radcliffe marks the pinnacle of her education.28 oct. 2020
What is the plot of the story of my life?
The Story of My Life is an autobiography by activist Helen Keller in which she recounts her early experiences and education. An illness left Keller deaf and blind at nineteen months, and she was unable to communicate until her first teacher, Anne Sullivan, showed her how to use the manual alphabet.
What kind of girl Helen was?
Answer. Helen was a deaf,dump and blind girl who lost his vision at the age of 2 year after all she did not loose her hope towards getting a education. Her Parents found a teacher named Miss sullivan who was a great teacher she inspired her towards studies as well as taught many things to Helen.22 mai 2017
What kind of girl was Helen Keller?
From a young age, Helen Keller showed signs of intelligence and spunk. She says that as the firstborn, Even as a very young baby, she was intelligent and dominating.1 sept. 2016
What is the most important thing that Helen finally understood?
Ans- The most important thing that Helen finally understood was that words would tell her everything she wanted to know.21 sept. 2018