Class-10 The Story My Life Chapter -5

The Story of My Life

The Story of My life- Novel for class 10- English CBSE

By Helen Keller

Chapter 5- Notes and Study Material

Introduction of Chapter 5- the Story of My Life by Helen Keller

As Helen continued with the exploration of the world with her hands, she became more confident. Miss. Sullivan was always with her and she helped her discover the beauty of every object of nature and every part of the human body. She made her student realise not only the benevolence but also the ferocity of nature. Once on a  warm and humid day, when Helen sat waiting for Miss. Sullivan, who had gone to fetch the lunch basket, on the branch of a tree, the wind blew very hard, lashing against the branches. The frightened Helen clung to the branch with all her might, until her teacher came and helped her down. She is terribly shaken by the event. Her fears lessened as the days passed by, until one beautiful spring day she climbs a gentle mimosa tree seats herself on its branch. Helen had learnt a new lesson-that Nature “wages open war against her children and under softest touch hides treacherous claws.”                                                                                                                                                                                        

Conclusion/ Chapter in short/ Analysis of Chapter 5/Understanding the Theme of Chapter 5

Helen talks about her growing awareness of the world around her and how she started to bond with nature. She also became familiar with the dark side of nature.

Short Summary of Chapter-5 The Story of My Life by Helen Keller in Simple Words-

This chapter Continues with the description of Miss Sullivan’s effect on Helen. She helped Helen become aware of the world around her. Miss Sullivan helped her connect with nature and develop a strong bond with it by taking her out to the fields and the river banks. Miss Sullivan slowly taught her to find beauty in every little thing in nature. Helen also learnt about the darker aspects of nature, when she was caught in a fierce storm while sitting on the branches of a tree. Miss Sullivan had gone to the house to fetch lunch for them and Helen was left alone. When she was caught in a storm and about to fall from the tree, her teacher came to her rescue. This incident shook her up and it took a long time for her to overcome her fear of climbing trees. But nature again lured her and she managed to climb back onto a tree following the odour of a flower.

Extra Important Questions and Answers of Chapter 5

  1. How did Helen’s awareness of the world deepen? What effect did it have on her personality?

Answer-  Helen’s teacher encouraged her to explore the world around her with her hands and taught her the names of every object that she touched. She explained their use. With a greater awareness of her surrounding, Helen became happier and more confident as an individual.

  1. Why did Miss Sullivan take Helen out of doors as much as she could?

Answer- Miss Sullivan wanted Helen to feel the positive aspects of nature and of how plants grow. She wanted her to learn about the interdependence of plants and animals, develop an appreciation for the beauty of nature, and realise the deep bond that she shared with it.

  1. How did Helen learn about the dark side of nature?

Answer- Helen climbed onto a cherry tree with the help of her teacher and they decided to have their lunch on the tree. The teacher left her there while she went to get the luncheon-basket. In the meantime, the weather suddenly changed and there was a fierce storm which almost threw Helen out of the tree. For the first time, Helen experienced the dark side of nature and it took a long time for her to gain the confidence to climb up a tree again.

4. How did Helen finally overcome her fear of climbing?

Answer- The sweet smell of the mimosa flowers drew Helen near the tree and tempted her to climb onto the tree, where she sat for a long time dreaming of the future. She overcame her fear by being overwhelmed by the lure of nature.

 

 

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