Helen Keller (June 1880 – June 1968)
Author and Political Activist
Keller was born in Alabama to a former officer of the Confederate Army and his wife. Their family originated in Germany. Following what is thought to be a bout of scarlet fever; Keller lost both her hearing and speech before she had reached her second birthday.
Helen Keller and The Miracle Worker
Keller became an unruly child, frustrated by her inability to communicate or understand the world around her. Keller’s mother sought help and advice, which eventually led to the employment of Anne Mansfield Sullivan as a teacher. Sullivan herself had suffered loss of sight, which had been corrected through a series of operations. Sullivan became critical to the development of Helen Keller and her ability to communicate and utilise her gifted and sensitive mind. Keller referred to her companion as ‘Teacher’ and their strong friendship continued until the death of Sullivan some forty-nine years later. This friendship was depicted through a play and film called The Miracle Worker
Keller’s education began with Sullivan spelling out the names of objects onto her hand. When this was combined with experiencing the object, initially water from a pump, Keller quickly connected the spelling with the object. Keller wasted no time in developing the skills of reading and writing. Keller was determined to go to college, achieved a B.A. degree, and continued to study throughout her life.
Helen Keller the Writer
Keller began writing whilst studying at Radcliffe. Her autobiography The Story of My Life was published in serial form in the Ladies Home Journal before being produced as a book. She also wrote regularly for magazines and papers on social issues and women’s rights, in addition to pieces about blindness and deafness. She had learnt to communication in Braille, which she could do not only in English, but also in French, Latin and Greek. Keller would continue to write for the next fifty years and other published works include:
- Optimism
- The World I live In
- The Song of This Stone Wall
- Out of the Dark
- My Religion
- Midstream – My Later Life
- Teacher, Anne Sullivan Macy
- The Open Door
Helen Keller the Political Activist
Keller became an advocate for those who suffered disabilities like hers as well as other causes. She became a member of the American Foundation for the Blind and was responsible for national and international relations. She also began her own campaign ‘The Helen Keller Endowment Fund’ to support the Foundation.
Keller always sought to help those who were, as she saw, less fortunate than she was. She supported the suffragist movement, was a radical Socialist and spoke out for the working class. Later in her life, Keller travelled extensively supporting the work of the Foundation and raising the issues about blindness across the globe. Her involvement directly contributed to the improvement to the lives of blind people outside of the U.S.
Helen Keller continued to work hard for her causes until her death a few days before her 88th birthday. Her legacy has been portrayed in the many films and documentaries made about her extraordinary courage and determination and are an admirable role model of the 20th Century.
Sources:
The American Foundation for the Blind
Helen Keller
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