Summary
In October 1896 Helen began at the Cambridge School for Young Ladies, preparing to eventually attend Radcliffe College, the women's college associated with Harvard University. Helen had dreamed of going to college, specifically to Harvard, since a young age. At the Cambridge School, Miss Sullivan attended Helen's classes to interpret for her, but there were many challenges, since often textbooks that she could read could not be prepared in time. Only two teachers, her German teacher Frau Grote and the principal Mr. Gilman, learned the finger alphabet so that they could instruct her, but their signing was slow and inadequate.
But Helen still did extremely well, finally mastering arithmetic and sincerely enjoying her studies of English and German literature. This was the first time she had the companionship of girls who were her age and able to see and hear; previously, she had only been taught alongside other children who were deaf or blind. She lived with some of them in a house near the school, and some learned to speak with her so Miss Sullivan did not have to interpret. Helen's mother and sister visited her at Christmas, and Mildred stayed for a while longer to study at the Cambridge School alongside her.
Helen passed all her preliminary examinations for Radcliffe the following summer, and began her second year at the Cambridge School, primarily studying mathematics. She faced some difficulties early on, since many of her custom textbooks were not ready for her when she began class. Miss Sullivan had to translate everything, which was too much even for her. Once the textbooks arrived and she got used to her new classes, however, her troubles began to disappear, and the only subjects that still gave her difficulty were algebra and geometry.
Some more problems arose when Helen became ill for a time, and Mr. Gilman insisted he lighten her course load to an extent that would not allow her to finish her studies in time to progress to Radcliffe with her class. Neither Miss Sullivan nor Helen herself approved of this, so Helen's mother withdrew her daughters from the Cambridge School and had Helen continue her studies under a private tutor, Mr. Merton S. Keith, instead. She preferred this way of studying, and kept up with her coursework. She passed her final entrance examinations for Radcliffe in 1899, though the Radcliffe administrative board made it difficult for her because Miss Sullivan was not allowed to read her the exams, so they had to be copied over for her in braille. But she surmounted all of these obstacles and was free to enter Radcliffe whenever she wished.
Helen took one more year to study under Mr. Keith, and matriculated at Radcliffe in the fall of 1900. She had very romantic ideas about what college would be like, but the reality challenged her in some ways. For one, she had little time to think and reflect as she had before: every moment was spent cramming new knowledge into her mind. She would have lectures spelled into her hand as rapidly as possible, and then tried to jot down notes about them once she went home. Though she greatly enjoys her studies at Radcliffe, she also realizes that, in college, she will not come face-to-face with wisdom and brilliance the way she thought she would. Instead, she spends her studies painstakingly sorting through and dissecting countless texts and explanations until she can find wider, more profound meeting. Learning so much at once gives her less time to truly appreciate what her mind is actually taking in. More than anything, she loathes examinations, which have a knack for making her forget everything she's learned in the heat of the moment.
But despite the slightly disappointing nature of the reality of college, Helen, now in her third year at Radcliffe as she writes this memoir, still believes it has taught her many important lessons that she would not have otherwise learned. She has learned patience, to approach education as a leisurely stroll with time to take in any impressions she may encounter. College has deepened her opinion that knowledge is the ultimate form of power, and the mark of humankind is its ability to keep learning and knowing.
Helen has finished recounting her life up until this point, but she takes the last three chapters of her memoir to dig deeper into certain things that are important to her. Chapter 21 focuses on her love of books. She read her first connected story when she was seven years old, and since then has devoured every printed page that has come her way. At first, she would read words without truly understanding their meaning; "Little Lord Fauntleroy" was the first story she read that she was truly able to understand. From then on, she sought out all sorts of books, reading them not to analyze their style and authorship, but rather because their stories thrilled her.
She had a particular love of Ancient Greece, beginning when she read the Iliad. She also treasures the Bible—she began reading it before she could understand it, but has since been awed by its stories—and also challenged and angered by some of the more unpleasant parts of it. Shakespeare is one of her favorite writers, and his plays make her feel as deeply as if she were experiencing their events herself. She also reads many historical works, and has become familiar with both French and German literature. She calls literature her Utopia, and says about books, "here I am not disenfranchised" (pg. 46).
Chapter 22 discusses her other favorite pastimes. She loves outdoor sports, like rowing and canoeing, and her favorite amusement is sailing. She remembers fondly a trip to Nova Scotia with Miss Sullivan in 1901, where they sailed nearly every day in Halifax's harbor. She had many wonderful times outdoors during summers spent living in Wrentham, Massachusetts, at Red Farm, the home of Mr. J.E. Chamberlin and his family. Mr. Chamberlin taught her to open her senses to the small nuances of nature, and in Wrentham she befriended trees as if they were people. Many people find it hard to believe that Helen can tell the difference between a city street and a country road without the use of her eyes and ears, but she can, because her entire body reacts to being in these different places. She far prefers the latter setting, where "one's soul is not saddened by the cruel struggle for mere existence that goes on in the crowded city" (pg. 48).
Helen has other pleasures that do not involve the outdoors: knitting and crocheting, playing chess and checkers, playing with children, visiting museums, and attending the theatre. The first time she went was when she was very young in Boston, to see "The Prince and the Pauper," and she was delighted when she was able to meet the lead child actress after the show, who understood some words she said and greeted her warmly. She truly believes her life has been beautiful, despite its limitations.
The final chapter of Helen's memoir finishes with an exclamation of love and gratitude to those who have contributed to her happiness. She is thrilled and emboldened by the people in her life, and is so grateful to have many friends around the world that she has not even met. She also feels privileged to have spoken with so many brilliant minds, and remembers specifically Bishop Brooks, who spoke to her about God and the spiritual world without teaching her one specific creed. She befriended Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes and the poet John Greenleaf Whittier; Dr. Edward Everett Hale and Dr. Alexander Graham Bell are two of her oldest friends. She has met and conversed with poets, scientists, politicians, and artists, and all have profoundly influenced her. She finishes her memoir by saying, "Thus, it is that my friends have made the story of my life. In a thousand ways they have turned my limitations into beautiful privileges, and enabled me to walk serene and happy in the shadow cast by my deprivation" (pg. 54).
Analysis
Beginning at the Cambridge School is another pivot point in Helen's life. Before this, she had been educated either on her own or at institutes for the blind and deaf, surrounded by other children who shared one or both of her handicaps. Her goal, though, has always been to raise herself to the same standard as everyone else, and to not have her success be judged in terms of her handicap. At the Cambridge School, she learns alongside vision- and hearing-abled young women for the first time, showing that she can flourish among all groups of peers. Her refusal to accept an easier course load at the Cambridge School further proves that she wants no allowances or exceptions to be made for her, and her stellar marks on all her exams show that she does not need those special permissions, anyway.
As Helen grows up, maturity slowly sets in and erases some of her romantic childhood fantasies. This is true of her experience at Radcliffe College as well. When learning in the company of other people—in large lecture halls or discussion sections that are typical of a college atmosphere—her education cannot be tailored specially to her, as it was when she was taught by Miss Sullivan. Instead, she must strain herself to adapt to the quick pace of college and figure out how to interpret the wall of new information that is coming at her all the time, often in ways she cannot understand. College is not the haven of knowledge and deep thought that Helen hoped it would be, but she proves her maturity when she acknowledges that it is worth it to be there, anyway, because it has shaped her way of thinking and prepared her for the world she will be a part of when she leaves it.
Literacy is an important theme of this memoir. As soon as Helen becomes truly literate—meaning she can not only read books, but also understand their content—an entirely new field of learning opens up to her. But, to Helen, books are about more than just learning. They are her source of greatest enjoyment, where she can escape her limitations and place herself in the shoes of characters whose life experiences are wholly different from hers. The literary preferences that Helen shares in Chapter 22 all make sense in the context of her life; the epics of Ancient Greece and Shakespeare's plays all feature heroes who overcome struggles, with their attention constantly fixed on a certain goal. As a goal-oriented young woman, Helen can sympathize with these characters and interpret these powerful stories without sight or hearing.
Helen provides an interesting analysis of cities in Chapter 23. She talks about how she has visited cities and seen the poverty and distress in which so many people live, and remarks that there seems to be a huge mismatch between opportunity and effort. Helen has always been acutely aware of others' experiences, and has struggled enough herself to recognize pain in the lives of other people. This awareness foreshadows her political opinions later in life, as well as the work she eventually does within the Socialist Party campaigning for the working class. While she may not like cities, she recognizes the chance for social improvement within them, and the opinions she provides in this memoir sow the seeds for a career spent advocating for others.
As discussed in previous sections, the final overarching theme in this book is friendship. The story of Helen's life is not just about her, but also about the many lives that have shaped hers. It is not Helen's circumstances that have attracted the attention and affection of so many prominent personalities around the world: rather, it is her determination in spite of these circumstances. Influential figures want to speak with her because she has as much to teach them as they do her. Even at the young age of twenty-one, Helen deeply appreciates the love these people have shown her and knows that she is a product not just of her own perseverance, but also of the kindness, care, and wisdom of the people with whom she has surrounded herself.
