Chapter 2, The Story of My Life Summary Class 10 English Chapter 2

Helen didn’t remember what happened to her during first months after her illness. She started identifying objects through hands. After her sickness, she started using crude signs to communicate with others. She learned to fold and put away the clean clothes were brought from the laundry and distinguished her own from the rest. She also knew that she always begged her mother and aunt to go out with them. Gradually, she realized that she was different from other people because she used signs to communicate with other whereas other talked with their mouths. She was a naughty child. 

She became friend with a little-coloured girl Martha Washington, the daughter of her cook. Martha understood Helen’s signs without any difficulty. Helen always pressurizes her and made her do what she wanted to do. Both together, spent a lot of time in the kitchen, kneading dough balls, making ice-cream, grinding coffee, quarreling over the cake bowl and feeding hens and turkeys. They also hunt for the eggs in the long grass. 

Once while drying her wet apron before the fire, she ended up getting too close to the fire. Suddenly, the apron caught fire. She made terrified noise which was heard by her old nurse who came and rescues her by throwing a blanket over her. 

With the passage of time, she learnt to use a key. She played a prank on her mother by locking her in the pantry. She also played this same prank on her teacher Anne Sullivan when she arrived. 

Her family which consists of her father, mother, two older half-brothers and later a little sister. 

Helen’s father was loving and indulgent. He was a good hunter and famous story-teller. He used to spell words into her hand and she had to repeat them. Her father was editor a newspaper which she knew later. Her father expired in the summer of 1896 when she was enjoying in the North. This was her first personal experience with death. 

She was jealous of her little sister, Mildred as she felt that her sister get all attention of her mother and she felt neglected. One day, when her little sister was sleeping in the cradle, Helen overturned the cradle but her mother caught the little baby as she fell. When they grew up a little older, they became friends however, her sister could not understand her finger language.

Quick Revision Notes:

• After illness, Helen started using crude signs to communicate. 
• She became friend with a little coloured girl Martha Washington, the daughter of her cook. 
• She learned to use key played a prank on her mother by locking her in the pantry and later played same prank on her teacher. 
• Her family which consists of her father, mother, two older half-brothers and later a little sister. 
• She was jealous of her little sister, Mildred as she felt that her sister get all attention of her mother.