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Character sketch of Anne Sullivan for 10 mark

Miss Anne Mansfield Sullivan had the greatest influence on the life, character and achievements of Helen Keller. She gave a new direction, meaning and purpose to Helen's dark life. Miss Sullivan inherited all those traits and characteristics that go in making a perfect teacher. She was a picture of tireless patience . It was her constant encouragement, help and guidance that made Helen Keller first deaf and blind in the world to earn a bachelor degree. It was Graham Bell who advised the parents of Helen Keller to contact the Perkins Institute for the Blind. The director, Mr. Anagnos asked a former student of Miss Anne Sullivan to become Keller's instructor. Miss Sullivan was herself a visually impaired 20 year old lady. It was he beginning of a 49-year-long relationship. The relationship evolved into Miss Sullivan becoming Helen's governess and then eventful companion
Anne Sullivan arrived at Keller's house in March 1887. She immediately began to teach Helen to communicate by spelling words into her hand, beginning with "d-o-l-l" for the doll. It was Miss Sullivan who unfolded and developed Helen's skills and possibilities. It was Sullivan's genius as a teacher, her sympathy and loving tact which made learning so beautiful and interesting for Helen Keller. She felt that her being was inseparable from her student. All that was the best in Helen Keller had been awakened by the loving touch of Miss Sullivan. Anne Sullivan stayed as a companion to Helen Keller long after she taught her. Anne Sullivan married John Macy in 1905. She remained a s a constant companion to Helen Keller till she died in 1936.
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he Story of My Life reveals Annie Sullivan as the inspiration behind Helen Keller's extraordinary life. She is only partially-sighted herself, after undergoing surgery to correct her vision at a young age and herself having been educated at The Perkins Institute for The Blind, a place instrumental in Helen Keller's own development.

Anne Sullivan, Annie, is the person responsible for "the most important day I remember in all my life" (ch 5) as Helen recognizes Annie's contribution throughout her life as teacher, interpreter, friend, companion and motivator. Annie never misses an opportunity to teach Helen, whether it be academically or life skills. She teaches Helen an appreciation in even the smallest detail: "in every blade of grass, and in the curves and dimples of my baby sister's hand."(ch 5) Annie has the capacity to help Helen connect with nature and "made me feel that 'birds and flowers and I were happy peers.'"(ch 5)

One of Annie Sullivan's most instrumental effects is felt when she makes Helen "Think." It is this that helps Helen make the connection between the abstract and the physical as "you feel the sweetness that it (love) pours into everything."(ch 6) Annie makes "every subject so real that I could not help remembering."(ch 7) So profound is the impact that Annie Sullivan has on Helen that "her being is inseparable from my own, and (that) the footsteps of my life are in hers." (ch 7)

 
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Miss
Sullivan was an extraordinary teacher. She touched the depths of Helen's soul and
brought light to her darkened world. She was a teacher at Perkins Institute. Mr. Anagnos offered her a teaching job to teach Helen. She was partially blind and had undergone treatment for the same. This was the reason she could understand Helen's needs so well.



The day she arrived at Helen's house, Helen called that day the most important
day of her life. Helen compared the arrival of her teacher to the shining of
'light of love' in her darkened life.

 

 Miss Sullivan took unprecedented pains to
teach Helen manual alphabet. Since Helen was suffering from hearing as well as
visual disabilities, Miss Sullivan really had to work very hard to teach Helen
the alphabet. Initially Helen did not accept all her explanations, techniques
and methodology, but after Miss Sullivan won Helen’s confidence, Helen had
complete faith in her.  Miss Sullivan understood Helen thoroughly. She
knew how to make things clear to her. Whether it was teaching her the
difference between ‘w-a-t-e-r’ and ‘m-u-g’ or teaching her the word ‘d-o-l-l’
for both the dolls, Miss Sullivan knew the methodology.

 

In
the 7 chapter, Helen praises Miss Sullivan in the following words: "Thus I
learned from life itself. At the beginning I was only a mass of possibilities.
It was my teacher who unfolded and developed them. When she came, everything
about me breathed of love and joy and was full of meaning." It was Miss
Sullivan's genius, her sympathy, her loving tact which made the first years of
Helen's education so beautiful. Miss Sullivan made learning easy and fun-filled
for Helen.

 

Miss
Sullivan stood by Helen during her challenges and ordeals. When the dark clouds
of Frost King incident darkened her already dark world, she stood by her as
light; at Cambridge school, she worked very hard to help Helen cope up with the
stress of the academics. Even at Radcliffe college she tried to lessen Helen’s
hardships.
 
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