Chapter 3, The Story of My Life Summary Class 10 English Chapter 3

With the passage of time, Helen desires to express herself grew. Few signs she used to communicate became less and less adequate. She felt helpless and miserable. Her parents were in sorrow and confused. There was no school for the blind or the deaf in Tuscumbia where they lived. Her mother came across Dicken’s ‘American Notes’ in which it was written about Laura Bridgman who was deaf and blind and still got educated by Dr. Howe but he had died long ago and his method of teaching probably died with him.
Helen’s father heard about Dr. Chisholm, a famous eye surgeon who lived in Baltimore who had successful in several cases. He took her to Baltimore. Helen enjoyed the journey of the train. She did not experience any fits of temper during her journey as there were so many things to keep her mind and fingers busy.
They met Dr. Chisholm but he did no good to her. The doctor advised them to consult Dr. Alexander Graham Bell who can give her proper education. They went to Washington where they met Dr. Bell. He examined her with sympathy. The doctor advised her father to write to Mr. Anagnos, Director of the Perkins Institute in Boston. Her father wrote to the director and within a few week, he got positive reply from him that a competent teacher had been found. This was summer of 1886 but Anne Sullivan, her teacher did not arrive until the following march who took Helen from darkness to light.

Quick Revision Notes:

• As Helen desire to express herself grew, she felt herself helpless and miserable which also made her parents confused.
• There was no school for the blind or the deaf in Tuscumbia where they lived.
• He Father took her to Baltimore and met Dr. Chisholm, a famous eye surgeon but he did no good to her and advised them to consult Dr. Alexander Graham Bell.
• Dr. Bell advised her father to write a letter to Mr. Anagnos, Director of the Perkins Institute.
• Her father wrote and got positive reply from the institute that they found suitable teacher.