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The Story of My Life

by Helen Keller

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Student Question

What is the turning point in The Story of My Life?

Quick answer:

The turning point in Helen Keller's life, as described in her autobiography, occurs when Anne Sullivan arrives to teach her. This pivotal moment, detailed in Chapter IV, marks a transformation from frustration and isolation to communication and learning. Sullivan's innovative teaching methods, using sign language and Keller's interests, enable Keller to overcome her disabilities and eventually become a renowned author and activist. This day signifies a profound change, bridging Keller's isolated past with her empowered future.

Expert Answers

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The turning point of The Story of My Life by Helen Keller occurs in Chapter IV, when Anne Sullivan, Keller's teacher, arrives at her house in Alabama. Keller writes:

"The most important day I remember in all my life is the one on which my teacher, Anne Mansfield Sullivan, came to me. I am filled with wonder when I consider the immeasurable contrasts between the two lives which it connects."

Before Sullivan arrives, Keller, who is struck with an illness as an infant that leaves her blind and deaf, struggles to express herself. She becomes frustrated and often has outbursts of temper, but there are no teachers near her house in Alabama who can help her.

After her parents are connected with the Perkins Institute, a school for the blind in Boston, they arrange for Sullivan to come to work with Keller. Sullivan is a wonderful teacher who uses Keller's interests to teach her to communicate using sign language and to read. Sullivan is the key to Keller's education, which later enables Keller to become a well-known author and activist. 

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