The Story of My Life (Rama Sagar Special Editions) - Softcover

Keller, Professor Of Public Law European Law And International Law Helen

Softcover

ISBN 10: 9350363003 ISBN 13: 9789350363003

Publisher: Ratna Sagar, 2013

Synopsis

Paperback with 75 Pages of Additional Content (Summaries, Critical Notes, Glossary, Exercises, and more)    The Story of My Life of the Ratna Sagar Classics Series is an enriched edition that any keen reader of literature will be pleased to have. The book includes:   a. Brief, well-written Introduction to the autobiography b. Annotations that are comprehensive, covering not only the meanings of words and phrases peculiar to the period in which the book was written, but explaining any concept or historical event that may not be easily understood or recalled c. Summary at the end of each chapter that is concise yet sufficiently detailed to provide a faithful reproduction of that part of the story d. Critical notes at the end of each chapter that present an analysis of the chapter so that the reader can identify the nuances, allusions, and underlying meanings, and therefore appreciate the story better e. General notes at the end of the book that discuss the character of Helen Keller and the role played by several important people in her life f. Photographs of the author and some memorable people and moments in her life Suggestions for further reading and website links that the reader will find informative and helpful   The Story of My Life was the first book by Helen Keller. Published when she was twenty-three, as a series in Ladies' Home Journal (1903), the articles were reproduced as a book only a year later. A reflection of Helen's life from an early age till her graduation from Radcliffe College, the early part of the narrative is based on incidents told to the author by her parents and teacher Anne Sullivan. It was Miss Sullivan who had encouraged Helen to pen the story of her life, relating the journey of a girl who overcame her visual and hearing disabilities, became proficient in several languages, went on to read the literature of various languages, as well as gained knowledge of mathematics and science. The arrival of Miss Sullivan in Helen's life is an important point in the narrative, indicating the young teacher's tremendous impact on the author's life. The latter part of the narrative depicts a more confident and sensitive Helen. It shows her increasing control over her life, her response to books, places and people, and a mind that was sensitive to the beauties of nature and literature.   Written at the beginning of the 20th century, Helen dedicated her book to Alexander Graham Bell, who had been working on technology to help people with disabilities. The story of Helen Keller's life is a celebration of the victory of human spirit and courage in the face of adversities. An amazing and awe-inspiring autobiography, The Story of My Life fills the readers with a deep sense of respect for the person who lived a remarkable life, and touched the hearts of millions by writing about it.

About this title

Review:

Helen Keller would not be bound by conditions. Rendered deaf and blind at 19 months by scarlet fever, she learned to read (in several languages) and even speak, eventually graduating with honors from Radcliffe College in 1904, where as a student she wrote The Story of My Life. That she accomplished all of this in an age when few women attended college and the disabled were often relegated to the background, spoken of only in hushed tones, is remarkable. But Keller's many other achievements are impressive by any standard: she authored 13 books, wrote countless articles, and devoted her life to social reform. An active and effective suffragist, pacifist, and socialist (the latter association earned her an FBI file), she lectured on behalf of disabled people everywhere. She also helped start several foundations that continue to improve the lives of the deaf and blind around the world.

As a young girl Keller was obstinate, prone to fits of violence, and seething with rage at her inability to express herself. But at the age of 7 this wild child was transformed when, at the urging of Alexander Graham Bell, Anne Sullivan became her teacher, an event she declares "the most important day I remember in all my life." (Sullivan herself had once been blind, but partially recovered her sight after a series of operations.) In a memorable passage, Keller writes of the day "Teacher" led her to a stream and repeatedly spelled out the letters w-a-t-e-r on one of her hands while pouring water over the other. This method proved a revelation: "That living world awakened my soul, gave it light, hope, joy, set it free! There were barriers still, it is true, but barriers that could in time be swept away." And, indeed, most of them were.

In her lovingly crafted and deeply perceptive autobiography, Keller's joyous spirit is most vividly expressed in her connection to nature:

Indeed, everything that could hum, or buzz, or sing, or bloom, had a part in my education.... Few know what joy it is to feel the roses pressing softly into the hand, or the beautiful motion of the lilies as they sway in the morning breeze. Sometimes I caught an insect in the flower I was plucking, and I felt the faint noise of a pair of wings rubbed together in a sudden terror....

The idea of feeling rather than hearing a sound, or of admiring a flower's motion rather than its color, evokes a strong visceral sensation in the reader, giving The Story of My Life a subtle power and beauty. Keller's celebration of discovery becomes our own. In the end, this blind and deaf woman succeeds in sharpening our eyes and ears to the beauty of the world. --Shawn Carkonen

From the Back Cover:

When she was 19 months old, Helen Keller (1880–1968) suffered a severe illness that left her blind and deaf. Not long after, she also became mute. Her tenacious struggle to overcome these handicaps-with the help of her inspired teacher, Anne Sullivan-is one of the great stories of human courage and dedication. In this classic autobiography, first published in 1903, Miss Keller recounts the first 22 years of her life, including the magical moment at the water pump when, recognizing the connection between the word "water" and the cold liquid flowing over her hand, she realized that objects had names. Subsequent experiences were equally noteworthy: her joy at eventually learning to speak, her friendships with Oliver Wendell Holmes, Edward Everett Hale and other notables, her education at Radcliffe (from which she graduated cum laude), and-underlying all-her extraordinary relationship with Miss Sullivan, who showed a remarkable genius for communicating with her eager and quick-to-learn pupil. These and many other aspects of Helen Keller's life are presented here in clear, straightforward prose full of wonderful descriptions and imagery that would do credit to a sighted writer. Completely devoid of self-pity, yet full of love and compassion for others, this deeply moving memoir offers an unforgettable portrait of one of the outstanding women of the twentieth century.

About this edition

• Publisher: Ratna Sagar
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 9350363003
• ISBN 13: 9789350363003
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 216