Asher Sisneros

Deaf, a word that is perfectly described as a curse. It is a dark void, isolating its victims from the rest of the world. One of these unfortunate victims was Helen Keller. Except, Miss Keller had a double curse: She was deaf and blind. It is unfathomable to most people how she could endure 87 years without hearing a single word or seeing any face. After all, many people have committed suicide for less, but Miss Keller learned to enjoy life deaf and blind. She also wrote an autobiography; An exceptionally well-written autobiography. That is the subject of this essay. I will take you through the events of her life, and conclude with a lesson that applies to all of us.

When Helen Keller was nineteen months old she got a fever, forever changing the course of her life. Upon recovery, she lost her hearing and sight. For multiple years, she lived in darkness. Her lifestyle was like that of a dog. All she could do was moan and rage. To occupy herself, she’d torment her mother and servant with pranks and constant mischief, but that didn’t help console her. The lack of communication stagnated her mental development and education.

When Helen was seven years old, her family hired Anne Sullivan to tutor Helen. Anne immediately started using her fingers to draw letters in Helen’s palm. The letters combined to make words. They combined to make names. Though it was tedious, Anne showed Helen that every object had a name. One of the major breaking points in Helen’s education came when Anne taught Helen the distinction between water and the mug the water was in. Anne took Helen to a well and poured water over her hands while spelling the word water. In an instant, it all made sense to Helen. She stopped being incorrigible and instead devoted her time to learning.

After Helen started remembering words, Anne implemented raised letters. It was an alphabet of letters that Helen could feel. Over time, Anne taught Helen how to spell sentences and communicate with the world. Anne Sullivan made that possible. Without Anne, Helen would’ve undoubtedly gone on devoid of understanding.

Following her education, Helen enjoyed the sweetness of life and became an author. If Helen, who lived with a wretched curse, looked at the bright side and lived with joy, why can’t all of us? The current epidemic of depression and suicides in this country is insulting to people like Helen Keller. I beseech all of you to be cheerful in everything, always.