CBSE Revision Notes for class 10 English Language and Literature

CBSE revision notes for class 10 English Language and Literature NCERT chapter wise notes of 10th English Language and Literature CBSE key points and chapter summary for 10 English Language and Literature all chapters in PDF format for free download. CBSE short key notes and chapter notes for revision in exams. CBSE short notes of 10th class English Language and Literature. Summary of the chapter for class 10 English Language and Literature are available in PDF format for free download. These NCERT notes are very helpful for CBSE exam. CBSE recommends NCERT books and most of the questions in CBSE exam are asked from NCERT text books. These notes are based on latest NCERT syllabus and designed as per the new curriculum issued by CBSE for this session. Class 10 English Language and Literature chapter wise NCERT note for English Language and Literature part and English Language and Literature for all the chapters can be downloaded from website and myCBSEguide mobile app for free.

CBSE Class 10 Notes and Key Points

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CBSE Class 10 English Language and Literature Chapter-wise Revision Notes

Book-1

• Book-1 A Letter to God
• Book-1 Nelson Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
• Book-1 Two Stories about Flying
• Book-1 From the Diary of Anne Frank
• Book-1 The Hundred Dresses - I
• Book-1 The Hundred Dresses – II
• Book-1 Glimpses of India
• Book-1 Mijbil the otter
• Book-1 Madam rides the bus
• Book-1 the sermon at benares
• Book1 The proposal
• Book-1Dust of snow (poem)
• Book-1 Fire and ice (poem)
• Book-1 A tiger in the zoo

 Book-2

• Book-2 A Triumph of Surgery
• Book-2 The Thief’s Story
• Book-2 The Midnight Visitor
• Book-2 A Question of Trust
• Book-2 Footprint without Feet
• Book-2 The making of a scientist
• Book-2 The necklace
• Book-2 The hack driver
• Book-2 Bholi
• Book-2 The book that saved the earth

Novel Diary of a Young Girl

• Book-1 The ball (poem)
• Book-1 Amanda (poem)
• Book-1 Animals (poem)
• Book-1 The tree (poem)
• Book-1  Fog (poem)
• Book-1 The tale of custard the dragon (poem)
• Book-1 For anne Gregory (poem)

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CBSE Class-10 Revision Notes and Key Points

Class-10 syllabus is divided into term-1 and term-2 so as the quick revision notes. The key points for both SA1 and SA2 are given under this download section. It includes notes for Mathematics, Science, Social Science and English. Revision notes comprises all important formulas and concepts from each and every chapter. 

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• Revision Notes for class-10 Science
• Revision Notes for class-10 Social Science
• Revision Notes for class-10 English Communicative

CBSE Class 10 English Language and Literature
Revision Notes
Novel The Story of My Life

Chapter - 1

Helen felt some hesitation while writing her story. She thinks writing down autobiography is a hard task. It is not easy to present the exact picture of childhood as she could not clearly distinguish between the facts and fancy as lots of years passed by. She had forgotten many important events of her childhood in the process of learning new things.
Helen Keller was born on 27th June, 1880 in Tuscumbia, a little town of northern Alabama. She was eldest daughter of Arthur H. Keller who was a captain in the Confederate Army and Kate Adams. Her father’s ancestors came from Switzerland and settled in Maryland. 
The beginning of her life was just like any other child. It was decided that she should be named after her grandmother but her father lost her name on the way of church for baptism. When being asked he told her name Helen Adams and she got her name.
She could walk when she was a year old. Happy days were going but when she was nineteen months old she got ill. The doctor identified illness as acute congestion of the stomach and brain. This illness took away her eyesight and her hearing ability. Gradually, she got used to silence and darkness until her teacher came in her life.

Quick Revision Notes:
• According to Helen, writing autobiography is difficult task as many important memories gets adulterated with fancy.
• Helen was born on 27th June, 1880 in Tuscumbia, a little town of northern Alabama.
• Her father, Arthur H. Keller was a captain in the Confederate Army and mother was Kate Adams.
• She was born and raise just like normal child until a mysterious disease take away her eyesight and her hearing ability.

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.

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.

Chapter - 4

On the third March of 1887, Miss Anne Sullivan arrived at Keller family’s house. Helen was six years and nine months old at that time. On the day of arrival of Miss Anne, busy activities were happening in the house indicated to her that something unusual was going to happen.
Miss Sullivan gave Helen a doll which was a gift from the little blind students of the Perkins Institute and was dressed by Laura Bridgeman. When she was playing with it, the teacher spelled d.o.l.l. on her hand. Helen imitates it and felt extreme proud. Gradually, she was able to spell many words such as pin, hat, cup, sit, stand and walk. It took several weeks for Helen to realize that everything has a name. The teacher explained her that mug and water are different words but she was confused between the two. In rage, she broke her doll on the floor. She felt neither sorrow nor regret for the fragments.
Sullivan took her to the well-house and placed her one hand under the spout of water and spelled into the other hand the word, w.a.t.e.r. Now, everything is clear before her. On returning, she tried to put the fragments of doll together. She wept on what she had done. With the passage of time, she learned many new words that day including father, mother sister.

Quick Revision Notes:
• Miss Sullivan arrived at Keller family’s house on the third March of 1887 when Helen was just six years and nine months old.
• She gave a doll to Helen which was gift from the little blind students of the Perkins Institute.
• Miss Sullivan taught her to spell many words such as doll, pin, hat etc. and explained the difference between mug and water words.

Chapter - 5

This chapter contains the description of Helen’s experiences during the summer of 1887. She continued exploring objects with her hands. She learned name of many objects. Her knowledge about the world was increasing day by day.
The teacher took her to the banks of the Tennessee River. Helen got the first lessons of nature there. She learned how nature works such as how the sun and the rain help the plant in growing, how birds build their nests, how animals get food. She felt the beauty of nature.
One day while travelling, they stopped under a tree which was short distance from her house. Her teacher helped Helen to climb up a tree. They decided to have lunch there so, Miss Sullivan went to house to fetch the food. Suddenly, the weather changed and a thunderstorm started which created fear in Helen. Trees started to swing. She was afraid that she would fall but Miss Sullivan arrived at that moment and helped her down. This time she came to know about another face of nature which was not very beautiful. Nature is also destructive.
After this experience, she climbed another tree after a long time. One day, she was lured to climb a ‘Mimosa tree’ by its beautiful fragrance. She could not resist and climb the branches of the tree. She kept on climbing higher and higher until she reached a little seat somebody had built there. She spent many happy hours there.

Quick Revision Notes:
• Helen continued her exploration with her hands and started increasing knowledge day by day.
• She learnt about the working of nature and experienced its beauty on banks of the Tennessee River with her teacher.
• One day, Helen and her teacher decided to do lunch under tree. Her teacher went to fetch the lunch and helped Helen in climbing the tree.
• But weather changed suddenly and thunderstorm appeared. She feared but soon teacher came and helped her in getting down.
• By this incident, she understood that nature is also destructive.

Chapter - 6

Learning language is a slow and painful process for a deaf and blind person but the result is wonderful. Helen had learned many words and her area of inquiry broadened. She returned to the subject again and again for further information.
One day Helen brought violets to her teacher. Miss Sullivan tried to kiss her but she did not like it so, Sullivan put her arm around Helen to show her affection and spelled into her hand, “I love Helen”. ‘Love’ was a new word for Helen so she asked her the meaning of love. Miss Sullivan pointed towards her heart and told her that love is here. But Miss Sullivan could not show her what love is.
After some days, Helen was arranging the beads in a symmetrical pattern but found it difficult. Miss Sullivan touched her forehead and spelled ‘Think’ on her hand. She understood that the word is the name of the process going on in her mind. This was her first conscious perception of an abstract idea. Later, her teacher explained that love cannot be touched but you can feel the sweetness that love pours into everything. Without love a person would not be happy or want to play.
Miss Sullivan encouraged her to participate in the conversation which was a difficult task for deaf and blind. Miss Sullivan also provided her several words and idioms to express Helen’s thoughts by spelling into her hand. This process continued for several years and gradually she came on the right track.

Quick Revision Notes:
• Despite learning language is difficult task for deaf and blind, Helen learnt many words and broadened her are of enquiry.
• Miss Sullivan tried to explain the meaning of love to her but she fail to understand.
• Miss Sullivan made Helen understood the word ‘think’ and later also explained about love.
• Miss Sullivan encouraged her to participate in the conversation and provided various support in doing this.

Chapter - 7

Once Helen could spell a few words, her teacher gave her slips of cardboard with raised letters printed on them. She quickly learned that each printed word stood for an object, an act or a quality. She had a frame in which she arranged letters to form words and then make them into sentences. The printed slips were a step towards the printed books. She was given a book ‘Reader for beginners’ in which she hunted for the words she knew. Miss Sullivan had great power of description which made Helen easily understood.
They read and studied outdoors mostly and used different objects from nature to understand the concepts. Her favourite walk was to the Keller’s Landing, an old wharf on the Tennessee River. Miss Sullivan taught her Geography in an interesting manner. She built dams with pebbles, made islands and lakes, and dug river-beds. Miss Sullivan also taught her arithmetic, botany and zoology in same leisurely manner.
A gentleman gifted Helen a collection of fossils. With the help of those fossils, Miss Sullivan explained her about prehistoric creatures.
Another time a beautiful shell was given to her which helped her to learn about the habitat of the marine animals. Miss Sullivan taught her the growth of a plant by making observations on a growing lily plant kept on the window.
Miss Sullivan was a genius teacher for her. She showed sympathy and love for Helen. She made education easy and interesting for her. Helen developed great intimacy with her teacher.

Quick Revision Notes:
• After Helen spelled few words, her teacher given slips of cardboard with raised letters to her and later, she learnt to read a book named ‘Reader for beginners’.
• Miss Sullivan taught her all the concepts of geography, arithmetic, botany and zoology in playful ways.
• She learned about the various prehistoric creatures through fossils and also about marine animals.
• Miss Sullivan proved to be great teacher for her.

Chapter - 8

This chapter contains the descriptions of first Christmas Eve after the arrival of Miss Sullivan. Everyone in the family was planning surprises for Helen. Helen was also preparing her surprises with her teacher. They kept up a guessing game which taught Helen more about the use of language. They played the guessing game every evening which grew more and more interesting with each day.
On Christmas Eve, the Tuscumbia schoolchildren had their decorated tree to which they invited Helen. She was delighted when she was asked to hand the presents to the children. Helen was giving gifts to others but also wanted to know what she was to receive on that Eve.
Helen could not sleep properly that night. In the morning, when she got up she found a lot of gifts for her. She was most delighted by her teacher’s gift which is a canary.
Helen named the bird as ‘Tim’. Her teacher taught her to take all the care of the bird. One day she left the cage on the window and the bird fell a prey to a cat. She understood that she would never see her sweet singer again.

Quick Revision Notes:
• During the first Christmas after the arrival of Miss Sullivan, she played the guessing game every evening and learned a more use of language.
• She was invited by the Tuscumbia school children on the Christmas Eve. She went and hand the gifts to the children.
• When she woke next morning, she found a lot of gifts near her.
• Miss Sullivan gave her a canary in the gift which ultimately fell a pray to a cat.

Chapter - 9

In May 1888, Helen visited Boston with Miss Sullivan and her mother. Two years before she made a journey to Baltimore but she found a lot of difference between two journeys. She became mature so she was no longer required the attention of everybody on the train to keep her amused. Miss Sullivan told her all about what she saw out of the window. Her doll was Nancy was with her.
In Boston, Helen was admitted to Perkins institute which was for blind children. She Helen had a sad experience when her doll, Nancy became dirty. The laundress at the institute secretly took it away and gave it a bath which made the doll formless heap of cotton. The other children talked like her and read the same book however other children could hear the sound while Helen could not.
She visited the Bunker Hill where she had her first history lesson. She climbed the highest point which was once used by the soldiers to shoot their enemies.
The next day, they went to Plymouth by water. It was her first voyage on a steamboat. The noise of the machine frightened her and she thought it was thundering. A gentleman gave her a model of Plymouth Rock at Pilgrim Hall. She felt the model in her hand which reminded her wonderful stories of the bravery of the Pilgrims but she was disappointed to know about their shameful acts of persecuting minority groups.
She made friends with Mr. William Endicott and his daughter. She found them very kind and generous. She even visited their homes and played with their dogs and horse. She called the Boston as ‘The City of Kind Hearts’.

Quick Revision Notes:
• Helen visited Boston in May, 1988 with her teacher and mother however she found differences in this journey with her Baltimore journey.
• She was admitted to Perkins Institute which was for blind children. She met other children like her however, other children could listen while Helen couldn’t.
• She visited the Bunker Hill and learned her first History lesson.
• She also visited Plymouth by water which was her first voyage on a steamboat and she was frightened all over the journey.
• She made friends with Mr. William Endicott and his daughter and called the city, Boston as ‘The City of Kind Hearts’.

Chapter - 10

Just before the Perkins Institute closed for the summer, it was planned that Helen’s teacher and she would spend vacation at Brewster on Cape Cod with their friend, Mrs Hopkins. Helen was delighted as she had heard many wonderful stories about the sea. She lived in the far inland and read in a big book called ‘Our World’ a description of the ocean and eager to touch the sea and feel it roar.
Once at the sea shore, she plunged into the sea water without any fear. She was enjoying it until her foot struck against a rock and the water rushed over her head. She found no proper thing to hold as there was nothing except water and sea weeds. She was fortunate that the waves threw her back on the shore where her teacher picked her up in the arms.
After she had recovered from the incident, she enjoyed watching the waves dashing against the rocks.
Miss Sullivan drew her attention to a big horseshoe crab. Helen thought that it would be a delightful pet so she carried the heavy crab all the way to their house. She carefully placed the crab in a trough. But the next morning when she went there to see her per, the crab was not there. Helen later realized her mistake of separating the crab from his habitat. She thought that the crab had returned to sea and she felt happy.

Quick Revision Notes:
• Helen and teacher planned that they would spend vacation at Brewster on Cape God with their friend, Mrs Hopkins.
• Helen was delighted as she read many wonderful stories about sea.
• At the sea shore, she plunged into water and she was swept away by the sea but luckily the waves thrown back her on the sea shore and she was picked up by her teacher.
• Miss Sullivan attracted her attention towards a big horseshoe crab. She made the crab her pet and put him in a trough but next morning the crab disappeared.
• Helen realized her mistake of separating crab from his habitat and felt happy by thinking she had returned to sea.

Chapter - 11

Helen returned to her Southern home. She felt happy whenever she recall the memories of North. There she got a lot of information, experiences variety of things.
She spent her autumn months with her family at their summer cottage, on a mountain about 14 miles from Tuscumbia, called Fern Quarry, because there was limestone quarry, long since deserted. Three streams ran over it and tumbled down in waterfalls wherever rocks tried to block their way. The place was surrounded by tall trees. The mountain was thickly wooded.
Their cottage was like a “rough camp” situated on top of a mountain among oaks and pines. The small rooms were arranged on each side of a long open hall.
Many visitors came to Fern Quarry. In the evening, by the campfire, men played cards and shared their hunting experiences.
She woke up in the morning with the sound of rattling guns and the smell of coffee. All men went off to hunt. Later in the morning, a barbecue was planned. The savoury odour of the meat made her hungry. The hunting party also returned without a single hunt and joined the feast.
Helen had a pony and she named him Black Beauty as she had just read the book. Occasionally, she rode the pony accompanied by her teacher. Sometimes, she also gathered persimmons and nuts with her sister Mildred and cousins. At the foot of mountains, there was a railroad and about a mile distant was a trestle spanning a deep gorge. One day when she, along with her sister and Miss Sullivan, got lost in the woods. Mildred pointed out towards the trestle. The walked over it. Suddenly, a train came by and they climbed down upon the crossbraces. They regained the track and reached home safely. They found the cottage empty as everyone gone to look for them.

Quick Revision Notes:
• Helen returned her Southern home with memories of North and lot of learnings.
• Her family went to their summer cottage to spent autumns about 14 miles from Tuscumbia, called Fern Quarry.
• Many visitors came there. In the evening, they shared their hunting experiences. In the morning, they together ate feast.
• Helen had pony and named him ‘Black Beauty’ and sometimes rode the pont with her teacher.
• One day, Helen, Mildred and her teacher got lost in the woods. With great difficulties, they finally reached their cottage but found no one there as everyone went out searching for them.

Chapter - 12

After her first visit to Boston, she started to visit North in every winter. Once she went to visit a New England. The lakes are frozen and hills and fields are covered with snow. There she experienced snowfall. She found trees were almost stripped leaving only a few wrinkled leaves on them.
One day, a snowstorm came. All rushed to outside to feel the tiny flakes falling down. Gradually, all the road was covered by snow. In the evening, a wind from the northeast came and flakes flew in various directions. Helen with others spent their time sitting around the fire telling stories. At night, the wind became furious and thrilled them with unsure terror. The trees around the house pulled and rattled and beat against the windows and they can heard them creaking and breaking. On third day, the snow storm ended and the sun appeared. When the rays of the sun fell upon the trees, their twigs sparkled like diamonds. Helen’s favourite amusement during this occasion was tobogganing. She enjoyed very much.

Quick Revision Notes:
• She went to visit New England and enjoyed snowfall there.
• After the snowstorm, whole area was covered by snow.
• At night, they spent their time sitting around the fire telling stories.
• On third day, the snow storm ended and the sun appeared and Helen enjoyed her favourite amusement, tobogganing.

Chapter - 13

In the spring of 1890, Helen learnt to speak. After the loss of the ability of hearing, she also stopped talking. When she was in mother’s lap, she would move her hand on her face to fell how her lips moved. She made many sounds not to speak but for the exercise of her vocal chords. She also remembered the first word that she uttered was water. With the help of her teacher she practised to communicate by feeling letters with her fingers but she was not satisfied and desperately wanted to learn to speak.
In 1890, Mrs Lamson, one of the teachers at the Perkins Institutions came to see Helen and told her about a deaf and blind girl, Ragnhild Kaata who had been taught to speak. The story generated a new hope in Helen and she resolved that she would also speak. Miss Sullivan took her for advice and assistance to Miss Sarah Fuller, the principal of Horace Mann School.
Miss Fuller was a sweet natured lady. She started tutoring Helen in March, 1980. She passed Helen’s hand lightly over her face and let her feel the position of her tongue and lips when she made sound. After a long practice, Helen uttered a sentence which is ‘It is warm’. The syllables were broken but they were human speech. Miss Fuller giver her total eleven lessons.
She continued her practise with Miss Sullivan. Her teacher called her attention to the mispronounced words. Sometimes she became very disappointed but soon came out from disappointment.
Lastly, her happiest day arrived. She had made speech her own. Helen reached Tuscumbia railway station and thought about the joy of her family members would be seeing her talk like a normal person.

Quick Revision Notes:
• After loss of the ability of hearing, Helen also stopped talking.
• In 1890, Mrs Lamson came to see Helen and told her about a deaf and blind girl who had been taught to speak which generated a new hope in her.
• Miss Sullivan took her to Miss Sarah Fuller who tutored Helen.
• After a long practice she spoken first sentence and she continued her practice with her teacher, Miss Sullivan.
• Helen finally made speech her own.

Chapter - 14

In this chapter, Helen described her darkest phase of her life. An incident occurred which turned her childhood’s joy into doubt, fear and anxiety. The main cause was a story called ‘The Frost King’, which she wrote and sent to Mr. Anagnos, director of the Perkins Institute on her Birthday.
She wrote the story when she was at home, the autumn after she learnt to speak. When she was writing book, she did not realize that the words and images coming to her mind without effort were not her own.
After completion of story, Helen read it to her friends and family. They were impressed with writing of Helen. Someone asked her if she had read the story in a book in answer she denied and told that it was her own story. Mr. Anagnos was delighted to receive the story and published it in a report of Perkins Institution. She felt like she had touched peak of success.
After the publication, it was discovered that her story was almost the similar to a story named ‘The Frost Fairies’ written by Miss Margaret T. Canby appeared in a book named ‘Birdie and His Friends’. The content of both story are so similar that it was clear that Helen’s story was plagiarism. This was a great shock for Helen.
A few day after the incident, she went to attend Washington’s Birthday celebration. The night before the celebration, one of the teachers asked her about the incident but she denied that she have ever heard Canby’s story but the teacher came to conclusions that Helen still remember that story and told to Mr. Anagnos. He believed that Helen and Miss Sullivan had deliberately stolen the thoughts of a great writer to win his appreciation.
Helen was brought before a court of investigation composed of the teachers and officers of the institution. She was questioned and cross-questioned to force her to acknowledge that she remembered ‘The Frost Fairies’ story. She felt heavy at heart and responded to those questions only in monosyllables. Finally, she was allowed to leave the room. She did not noticed her teacher or friends. She wept that night in her bed and imagined that she should die before morning and the thought comforted her.
Miss Sullivan had never heard ‘The Frost Fairies’. With the assistance of Dr. Alexander Graham Bell, Miss Sullivan investigated the matter carefully. Lastly came out that story had been narrated to Helen by Mrs. Sophia Hopkins when she had spent a summer with her at Brewster.
After the incident, she received many letters of love and sympathy from loved ones. She also received a kind note from Miss Canby herself inspiring her to write something of her own in future. All the things were making Helen easy but still she was afraid of writing again.
Later, she came to know that she had absorbed that story very much and used its ideas and language in her writing. This thing was explained by R.L. Stevenson who said that young writers spontaneously tries to copy whatever seems most admirable to them.
Miss Sullivan encouraged her to continue writing. This incident taught Helen about the problems in the writing but she also lost her dearest friend Mr. Anagnos. She included this chapter because it was important in her life and education.

Quick Revision Notes:
• After learning to speak, Helen wrote a story named ‘The Frost King’ and sent to Mr. Anagnos, director of the Perkins Institute.
• Her family and friends were impressed with her writing.
• Later, it was discovered that her story almost the similar to a story named ‘The Frost Fairies’ written by Miss Margaret T. Canby.
• She faced a court of investigation and loss all hope.
• She found that story ‘The Frost Fairies’ had been narrated to Helen by Mrs. Sophia Hopkins when she had spent a summer with her at Brewster.
• She later came to know that she had absorbed that story very much and used its ideas and language.
• She remembered a lot from this incident but she also lost her dearest friend Mr. Anagnos.

Chapter - 15

Helen spent the next summer and winter with her family in Alabama. Staying at home made her forget about the controversy over ‘The Frost King’. Helen was scared that people would discover that the ideas were not her own. To help her, Helen’s teacher Anne Sullivan encouraged her to write the story of her own life in the form of an assignment. Helen was 12 years old at that time and used to write for a magazine called Youth's Companion. Her visit to President Cleveland’s inauguration, to Niagara Falls, and to the World’s fair were the big events of 1893. Although she couldn’t see the Falls, Helen said that their power had a big impact on her. Helen claimed that beauty and music were like goodness and love to her.

Chapter - 16

By the time Helen was 13, she could fingerspell and read in raised print and Braille. He could not only speak in English, but also a little bit of French. Helen began her formal schooling and preparation for college in for college by taking Latin and Math lessons.  She initially liked Math more, but later grew to love Latin too.
Anne Sullivan taught Helen based on her interests until now. She used to teach her what she wanted to know and provided her with experiences. However, when preparing for college, Helen worked systematically and things that did not gratify her immediately. She had to achieve her goal of receiving formal education.

Chapter - 17

In October 1894, Helen went to the Wright-Humason School for the Deaf in New York City for two years. Miss Sullivan accompanied her and attended the school as her interpreter. Helen studied arithmetic, physical geography, French and German at the school. The school was chosen because it was the best for continuing the development of Helen’s speech and lip reading skills. Helen and her teachers were disappointed as her lip-reading and speech skills were not what they had hoped and expected to be despite the practice. Helen did not like Math. In spite of the setbacks, her admiration for geography and languages helped her form fond memories of her stay in New York. The only thing she liked about New York was Central Park. The daily walks in Central park and closeness to nature were the two things that helped her get closer to her former life in her country.

Chapter - 18

In 1896, Helen went to Cambridge school for Young Ladies to be prepared to get into Radcliffe. It was her first experience of attending classes with girls who could hear and see. At the Cambridge School too, Miss Sullivan was to attend the classes with Helen as her interpreter. The teachers had never taught someone like Helen. The subjects that Helen learnt in the first year were English history, English literature, German, Latin, arithmetic, Latin composition and occasional themes. Miss Sullivan tried her best to spell into Helen’s hands everything that was in the books. Although Helen’s sponsors in London and Philadelphia worked to have the textbooks embossed in raised print for Helen to read, the books were not ready in time to suit Helen’s purpose. The Principal and the German teacher learnt to fingerspell so that Miss Sullivan could take a break. Although they were not as fluent as Miss Sullivan, Principal Gilman took over teaching Helen English Literature for the remaining part of the year.

Chapter - 19

Helen looked forward to her second year at Gilman’s school. However, she was confronted with unexpected difficulties that year which caused her a great deal of frustration.  She had to study mathematics without the needed tools. The classes were larger and it was not possible for the Cambridge teachers to give her special instructions. Anne Sullivan had to read all the books to her. Helen had to wait in order to buy a Braille writer so that she could do her algebra, geometry and physics.
When the embossed books and the other apparatus arrived, Helen’s difficulties began to disappear and she began to study with confidence. However, Mr. Gilman thought that Helen was overworked and was breaking down. He insisted that I was overworked, and that I should remain at his school three years longer. He made changes in her studies. A difference of opinion between Mr. Gilman and Miss Sullivan resulted in Helen’s mother withdrawing Helen and Mildred from the Cambridge school. Helen went on to continue her studies under a tutor. Helen found it easier to study with a tutor than receive instructions in class.
When Helen took her exam in June 1899, she faced many difficulties, as the administrative board of Radcliffe did not realize how difficult they were making her examinations. They did not understand the peculiar difficulties Helen had to go through. However, Helen, with her grit and determination, overcame them all.

Chapter - 20

Helen Keller took the entrance exams for Radcliffe College in 1899 just after her 19th birthday. She became the first blind-deaf college student in the fall of 1900. She had thought of college romantically, that it would be a time to reflect and think about her subjects. However, her college life was different from her fellow students. She had to use her hands to listen rather than take down notes. The speed at which the lectures took place made it difficult for Keller to understand and remember everything that was taught.
Ms. Keller and Ms. Sullivan worked hard at Radcliffe College. Ms. Sullivan attended all of Ms. Keller's classes and helped with reading. Radcliffe was not prepared for deaf or blind students at that time. Many of the other students had never met a deaf and blind person. Although she enjoyed college, Ms. Keller thought that schedules of the students were too hectic and gave no time to sit and think. She also wrote, "we should take our education as we would take a walk in the country, leisurely, our minds hospitably open to impressions of every sort."

Chapter - 21

In this chapter, Helen Keller goes back to tell readers about her initial experiences with reading. Helen first read when I was seven years old. That was her first connected story in May 1887. There were only a few books in raised print, which Helen read repeatedly until a time when the words were so worn and pressed that she could scarcely make them out.
During her visit to Boston, she was allowed to spend a part of each day at the Institution library, and here she used to wander from bookcase to bookcase and take down whatever her “fingers lighted upon”. When she discovered the book ‘Little Lord Fauntleroy,’ Miss Sullivan read it to her and the book became Helen’s “sweet and gentle companion” throughout her childhood.
From there she read many books and she loved "Little Women" because it gave her a sense of kinship with girls and boys who could see and hear. She also loved ‘The Jungle Book’ and ‘Wild ‘Animals I Have Known’ as she felt a genuine interest in the animals themselves, they being “real animals and not caricatures of men”. She was fascinated by Greek literature and it was Iliad that made Greece her “paradise”. According to her, great poetry did not need an interpreter but a responsive heart. Macbeth and King Lear impressed her most among Shakespeare’s works. She read the Bible for years “with an ever-broadening sense of joy and inspiration”. She said she loved it as she loved no other book.
Helen also expresses her love for history apart from her love for literature. The first book that gave her a real sense of the value of history was Swinton's "World's History," which she received on her thirteenth birthday. Among the French writers, she liked Molière and Racine best. Literature was Helen’s Utopia, where she faced no barrier of the senses. The things that she had learned and the things that were taught to her seemed of ridiculously little importance compared with their "large loves and heavenly charities."

Chapter - 22

Books and reading were not the only things that Helen enjoyed. When Helen was not reading, she enjoyed outdoor activities. She liked swimming, canoeing, and sailing. She also loved trees and used to feel close to them so much so that she believed she could hear their sap flow and see the sun shining on the leaves. Helen felt that each one of us had the ability to understand the impressions and the emotions experienced by mankind from the beginning. Blindness or deafness could not rob us of our memory in the subconscious about the green earth. This, she termed as the sixth sense which can see, feel and hear.

Chapter - 23

Bishop Brooks and Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes She was a great admirer of Bishop Brooks whose friendship she knew from her childhood. Sitting in his lap, she received his sweet discourse on God and love as Miss Sullivan spelled them into her hand. Helen’s first meeting with the poet Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes was very emotional. In his library she began to recite a poem; but she stopped suddenly as she felt tears fall on her hand. Dr. Oliver was moved by the recitation. On his request, Helen recited another poem, The Chambered Nautilus. This was the beginning of loving a man and poet that Dr. Oliver was. Dr. Edward Everett Dr. Edward Everett t had been supportive to Helen and Miss Sullivan as he had been to thousands who had difficult tasks to perform.
Dr. Alexander Graham Bell, Mr. Laurence Hutton and other inspiring personalities Dr. Alexander Graham Bell had always been a good friend and mentor to Helen. She spent many happy days with him in Washington and at his beautiful home in Cape Breton Island. Helen got opportunities to talk with distinguished people in the house of Mr. Laurence Hutton. He had a very good capacity to evoke good thoughts and kindle kind sentiments in those who came in his contact. He introduced many literary friends to Helen, and greatest of whom were Mr. William Dean Howells and Mark Twain. She met a host of other interesting people in New York.
They were Mrs. Mary Mapes Dodge, the editor of St. Nicholas, Mrs. Riggs, the author of “Patsy”, Mrs. William Thaw of Pittsburgh. Mr. Charles Dudley Warner was the most delightful of story-tellers. Mr. Gilder told Helen about his moonlight journeys across the desert to the Pyramids. Dr. Hale used to give a personal touch to his letter to her by pricking his signature in Braille. She even heard one or two of Mark Twain’s good stories from his lips. Critical Appraisal Helen Keller concluded her autobiography by paying her tribute and homage to all those who enriched her life and made it meaningful. Helen was quite fond of her friendship with Bishop Brooks who explained her true meaning of God. She recalled how Dr. Oliver was once moved when she recited some poems. Whittier appreciated her clear pronunciation and its intelligibility when she recited his In School Days. Dr. Alexander Graham Bell was not only a long-lasting friend but also a mentor who explained many of his experiments and imparted information on inventions. The house of Mr. Laurence Hutton was a meeting place of writers