Anne Sullivan

Anne Sullivan

“To persevere is to suffer.” This is what Annie Sullivan did. She was practically blind but taught Helen Keller to realize a world beyond her dark silence. Helen Keller, in Annie’s opinion, was a spoiled brat. She had tantrums all the time. Anne’s patience was running out with her. But she decided that she would persevere. Her decision was the right one, but required a lot of suffering. As she made this decision she had opened a door to Helen.

Born on April 14, 1866 was Annie Sullivan, a hero in disguise. Annie was born into a poor family, in a small house, in Feeding Hills, Massachusetts. She was the daughter of Thomas Sullivan, and an older sister to her brother Jimmie, and Mary. She also had a younger sister, but she died at young age, of a deadly disease. While her younger sister had her disease, Annie had contracted trachoma. Trachoma, at the time, was an untreatable sickness that caused the eyes to swell up, and become practically blind. Later their mom died, and Mary, a perfect child, was sent to live with their Aunt and Uncle. Annie and Jimmie, who had a crippled leg, were sent to live in an Almshouse in Tewksbury. A few months later Jimmie died.

Annie entered Perkins Institute for the Blind on Boston in 1880, not knowing what would come after. As Annie finished college she got a job offering for teaching a little girl who was both blind and deaf. Annie arrived in Tuscumbia in March 1887, not know that a little monster was hiding behind the doorway. Helen was a spoiled brat. She got everything she wanted, and more. Annie had a hard time with her, but through a method of teaching called “finger spelling” Annie was able to teach Helen that there was a world beyond her dark silence.

As The Miracle Worker, a play of the early life of Annie and Helen was first broadcast; the rest of the world was never the same. Helen and Annie started to travel the world so Helen could speak to those who were blind. They became world wide figures. Then The Miracle worker was first created. It started out as a TV program on Playhouse 90 in 1957. It became more and more popular that they made it into a Broadway play. This play became so popular that it became a movie.

True heroes are determined. They show bravery and perseverance at difficult times. These are the qualities that Annie showed while teaching Helen. She had these characteristics with her till the very end of her life. These qualities are the only reason that she was able to help Helen. For this I respect her very much.