Helen Keller is the same time as Freud but did not need psychoanalysis to understand its existence. She was born in 1880. In February 1882 to 19 months, Helen Keller is suffering from a stroke that deprives it of its meaning. It will be deaf, dumb and blind. Until March 3, 1887, she lives in the fog, almost like an animal in a family that did not communicate with her. Desperate, his parents go to Dr. Graham Bell, inventor of the telephone, that will forward to Professor Michael Anagnos directing the Perkins Institution, a school for blind children. It is through this teacher Helen meeting March 3, 1887, one that will reach out to him, in every sense of the word and release it from its dark Ann Sullivan. This is the woman who will find a way to communicate with her. Patiently, Ann Sullivan pat on the palm of the hand of Helen of words. At first, her small palm games do not make sense for Helen while she appreciates this "game of the hands." "Helen, who was not only dumb, but also blind, could use to learn, that the sense of touch. So you had to hit his hands to teach him the alphabet that held both the manual alphabet and that of Morse. She could then, with his own fingers, reproduce learned the different positions and "talk." "Hickok LA (1968) The story of Helen Keller, Pocket Jeunesse Editions, Paris, (1997), p.35 This is April 5, 1887, one month and two days after the arrival of Ann Sullivan as the "Game of hands" makes sense for Helen. It is a revelation: the link between the word typed in hand and something happens! Following this discovery that changed his life, Helen is constantly wanting to learn. Three months after the first word that was revealed to him in the hand, she wrote a brief letter. The months go by and Helen refines his writing: the sentences are constructed and even more complex. But his desire does not end there. Helen wants to "talk." So she learned writing Braille and she tries to learn to speak with her throat and she succeeds, although with great difficulty and that her language is not as fluid as everything to everyone. Many years later, it was at Harvard that Helen wants to follow his studies and work force she managed to graduate from this university! What we teach Helen Keller is simple: a human being is able to overcome the greatest difficulties, the worst wanderings, provided that his desire is decided!
Reference books: The youth version of this story is available to Pocket Jeunesse editions: Hickok LA (1968) The story of Helen Keller, Pocket Jeunesse Editions, Paris, (1997). There is also the book written by Helen Keller herself: Deaf, dumb, blind to Zone Books editions.