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Ruth Gruber

A life dedicated to rescue.

By Michael Feldberg

READ: Ruth Gruber, Journalist Who Helped Holocaust Survivors, Dies at 105

Ruth Gruber led a remarkable life dedicated to rescuing her fellow Jews from oppression. After earning her bachelor’s and master’s degree by age 19, she accepted a fellowship in 1931 to study in Cologne, Germany. While completing her doctorate there (the New York Times described her then as the world’s youngest Ph.D. at age 20), Gruber attended Nazi rallies and listened to Adolf Hitler vituperate against Americans, and particularly Jews. She completed her studies and returned to America, attuned from then on to the threats that totalitarianism posed to the Jewish people.

READ: One Ruth Gruber Says Goodbye to Another

In 1932, Gruber started her career as a journalist. In 1935, the New York Herald Tribune asked her to write a feature series about women under communism and fascism. She traveled across Europe to the far reaches of Siberia to cover the story. Harold L. Ickes, President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Secretary of the Interior, read Gruber’s writings about life in Siberia and asked her to study the prospects of Alaska for homesteading G.Is after World War II. After this assignment, Gruber’s life-defining moment came in 1944, when Ickes asked her to take on another special mission: secretly escorting a group of 1,000 Jewish refugees from Italy to the United States.

Despite the grim news coming out of Europe throughout the late 1930s and early 1940s, the United States Congress steadfastly refused to lift the quota on Jewish immigration from Eastern Europe to the United States. Finally acting by executive authority, President Roosevelt invited a group of 1,000 Jewish refugees living in limbo in Naples to “visit” the United States. The refugees were to be “guests” of the President and lodged at Fort Ontario, a decommissioned Army base near Oswego in northernmost New York. Ickes asked Gruber to travel to Italy secretly to meet and escort the refugees.

Ickes gave Gruber the rank of “simulated general.” He explained, “If you’re shot down and the Nazis capture you as a civilian, they can kill you as a spy. But as a general, according to the Geneva Convention, they have to give you food and shelter and keep you alive.” In Italy, Gruber boarded the Army troop transport Henry Gibbins along with 1,000 wounded American soldiers and the refugees. Throughout the voyage, Nazi seaplanes and U-boats hunted the Gibbins.

Aboard ship, Gruber recorded the refugees’ case histories. She told them, “You are the first witnesses coming to America. Through you, America will learn the truth of Hitler’s crimes.” She took notes as the refugees told their stories, but she often had to stop because her tears blurred the ink in her notebook. The grateful refugees began calling Gruber “Mother Ruth,” and looked to her for protection. As historian Barbara Seaman observed, “She knew from then on, her life would be inextricably bound up with rescuing Jews in danger.”

On arriving safely in New York, the refugees were immediately transferred to Fort Ontario. As guests of the President without any rights conferred by the possession of a travel visa, the refugees were locked behind a barbed wire-topped, chain link fence. U. S. government agencies argued about whether the refugees should be allowed to stay at the fort or, at some point, be deported back to Europe. Gruber lobbied Congress and FDR on behalf of keeping them at Ft. Ontario through the end of the war.

Gruber finally prevailed. In 1945, after Germany’s surrender, the refugees were allowed to apply for American residency. Some became citizens and went on to have extraordinary careers as radiologists, physicists, composers, teachers, physicians and writers. One, Dr. Alex Margulies, who came as a teenager from Yugoslavia, helped develop the CAT-scan and the MRI. Another, Rolph Manfred, helped develop the Polaris and Minuteman missiles. Later, Manfred dedicated his life to teaching engineers in developing countries about peaceful uses of atomic energy.

For more about Ruth Gruber’s life, read her memoir Witness: One of the Great Correspondents of the 20th Century Tells Her Story . Other books include Exodus 1947: The Ship that Launched a Nation and Haven: The Dramatic Story of 1,000 World War II Refugees and How They Came to America . 

Chapters in American Jewish History are provided by the American Jewish Historical Society, collecting, preserving, fostering scholarship and providing access to the continuity of Jewish life in America for more than 350 years (and counting). Visit www.ajhs.org .

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'The most important assignment of my life' -- an interview with Ruth Gruber

Ruth Gruber died last week at 105. She was an accomplished journalist and humanitarian. But in Oswego she is remembered and celebrated for the role she played when the United States offered safe harbor to 986 European refugees during World War II.

Gruber worked for the department of the interior when she was chosen to escort the mostly Jewish refugees on their voyage to America. They were housed at Fort Ontario in Oswego for the remainder of the war. Eventually, Gruber championed the refugees' fight to gain American citizenship.

WRVO was able to capture her story in an interview in 1984.

Audio from Gruber's interview with WRVO, which was collected with assistance from professor Lawrence Baron, is archived online . "Oral Histories: Emergency Refugee Shelter at Fort Ontario (Safe Haven)"/Tape 271, Special Collections, Penfield Library, SUNY Oswego, Oswego, NY.

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The Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women

Ruth gruber.

by Barbara Seaman

Journalist and writer Ruth Gruber, photographed circa 1944 when she escorted Jewish refugees to the United States. Courtesy of Ruth Gruber

Ruth Gruber graduated from New York University at eighteen and travelled to Germany to study, where at age twenty, she became the youngest PhD in the world. She returned to the United States, where she became the first foreign correspondent allowed to travel to the Soviet Arctic and witness Stalin’s gulags. In 1944, Gruber was made a simulated US general to escort European refugees to America. Deeply moved by the stories of the refugees, she recorded them in her book  Haven . In the years leading up to Israel’s independence, Gruber visited concentration camps and profiled David Ben-Gurion and other Israeli leaders. She covered the crisis of the  Exodus 1947 as it unfolded, and her book became the basis for Leon Uris’s novel and the award-winning movie. In 1985, she helped rescue Ethiopian Jews and recorded their stories.

Early Life and Education

Ruth Gruber moved across most of the twentieth century as a compassionate writer, eloquent speaker, humanitarian, and rescuer of Jews.

Gruber was born on September 30, 1911, in Brooklyn, the fourth of five children of David and Gussie (Rockower) Gruber, Russian Jewish immigrants who owned a wholesale and retail liquor store and later went into real estate. She graduated from New York University at age eighteen and in 1930 won a fellowship to the University of Wisconsin, where she received her MA in German and English literature. In 1931, Gruber received a fellowship from the Institute of International Education for study in Cologne, Germany. Her parents pleaded with her not to go: Hitler was coming to power. Nevertheless, she went to Cologne and took courses in German philosophy, modern English literature, and art history. She also attended Nazi rallies, her American passport in her purse, a tiny American flag on her lapel. She listened, appalled, as Hitler ranted hysterically against Americans and even more hysterically against Jews.

Gruber’s professors asked her to stay in Cologne and study for a PhD. Analyzing the writings of Virginia Woolf, she received her doctorate magna cum laude in one year. The  New York Times  reported that, at age twenty, she was the youngest PhD in the world.

Early Journalism Career and Work with the Government

Gruber returned home in the midst of the Great Depression and, like most of her peers, was unable to find a job, so she began writing. After many rejections of her work, she wrote an article about Brooklyn, describing its colorful neighborhoods as a microcosm of Europe, which the  New York Times  bought for the Sunday paper. Then Gruber began sending stories to the  New York Herald Tribune,  and with their acceptance felt she had found her home.

In 1935, she won another fellowship, given at the recommendation of the Guggenheim Foundation, to write a study of women under fascism, communism, and democracy. The  Herald Tribune  gave her press credentials, and she became the first foreign correspondent, male or female, allowed to fly through Siberia into the Soviet Arctic. She lived among pioneers and prisoners, many of them Jews, in the gulag in Stalin’s iron age.

In 1941, Secretary of the Interior Harold L. Ickes, after reading her book  I Went to the Soviet Arctic,  sent Gruber as his field representative to make a social and economic study of Alaska in connection with opening it for GIs and homesteaders. For over eighteen months she covered the vast territory by plane, train, truck, paddle-wheel steamer, and dogsled. On Gruber’s return to Washington, Ickes appointed her his special assistant. She worked for him five years.

In 1944, while war and the Holocaust raged, President Roosevelt decided to bring a thousand refugees from Europe to Fort Ontario, a former army camp in Oswego, a small town in upper New York State. Gruber was selected by Ickes to fly to Europe on a secret mission to escort the refugees to America. Ickes told her, “You’re going to be given the rank of simulated general,” and he explained: “If you’re shot down and the Nazis capture you as a civilian, they can kill you as a spy. But as a general, according to the Geneva Convention, they have to give you food and shelter and keep you alive.”

Escorting the refugees by ship from Naples, Italy, Gruber recorded their stories of how they had survived. Often, she had to stop writing because tears were wiping out the words in her notebook. Soon the refugees began calling her “Mother Ruth.” The voyage became the defining Jewish moment of her life. She knew that from then on, her life would be inextricably bound with rescuing Jews in danger.

Gruber’s book about the experience,  Haven: The Unknown Story of 1,000 World War II Refugees,  became the basis for the permanent Holocaust exhibit in the State Museum in Albany called “From Holocaust to Haven.” On Sunday, October 6, 2002, she helped dedicate the Safe Haven Museum in Oswego, NY. In her honor the museum library is called The Dr. Ruth Gruber Library and Resource Center.

In 2001,  Haven  was made into a four-hour television miniseries by Columbia Broadcasting System. The actress Natasha Richardson played Ruth, and Anne Bancroft received an Emmy nomination for her role as Ruth’s mother.

Israel Reporting and Exodus 1947

In 1946, the war over, Gruber left the government and returned to journalism. The  New York Post  asked her to cover the Anglo-American Committee of Inquiry on Palestine. For four months, she traveled with the committee to the death camps and the displaced persons camps in Germany, then she went on to Palestine, where she became a trusted friend of the founding fathers and mothers of the State of Israel. Her profiles of David Ben-Gurion, who was then almost unknown in the United States, made American readers aware of his prophetic character and unswerving Lincoln-like determination to build a Jewish state.

The next year, Gruber returned to the  New York Herald Tribune  as a foreign correspondent and traveled with the United Nations Special Committee on Palestine through Europe and the Middle East. In Jerusalem, she learned that a ship called  Exodus 1947,  with forty-five hundred survivors of the Holocaust aboard, was battling the British in the Mediterranean. Gruber decided to cover the  Exodus.

In Haifa, surrounded by tanks and barbed wire, Gruber watched as British soldiers carried down the battered bodies of Bill Bernstein, the beloved American second mate, and two sixteen-year-old orphans. Some of the refugees came down dejectedly; those who refused were pulled down. All were transferred to three prison ships,  Runnymede Park ,  Ocean Vigour , and  Empire Rival . The British told her they were being sent to the island of Cyprus, where in three years from 1945 to 1948 fifty-two thousand survivors of the Holocaust were imprisoned. She flew to Cyprus to wait for the ships, but they never came. Instead, they were returned to Port de Bouc, near Marseilles, the port from which they had sailed. After three weeks, the British announced they were sending the Jews of the  Exodus  back to Germany. They selected Gruber as the pool correspondent to represent the American press. Her photos of the agony inside the  Runnymede Park  were sent by the  Herald Tribune  around the world, and her photo of the swastika painted on the British Union Jack became  Life  magazine’s Picture of the Week. Her book,  Exodus 1947: The Ship that Launched a Nation , provided source material for the book and movie  Exodus  and for numerous TV documentaries.

Later Reporting and Personal Life

In 1951, Gruber married Philip H. Michaels, a lawyer, vice president of the Sachs Quality Stores, and a member of the New York City Youth Board. In 1952, at age forty-one, she gave birth to her first child, Celia; her son, David, was born in 1954. Gruber continued working as a special foreign correspondent for the  Herald Tribune,  covering every major wave of immigrants into Israel until the paper’s demise in 1966. At the same time, she also wrote a popular column for  Hadassah Magazine,  “Diary of an American Housewife,” and, as a volunteer, served as associate chair of the Greater New York Women’s Division of United Jewish Appeal, where she wrote and directed the scripts for their many performances. In 1991, she became honorary chair of the Israel Bonds Golda Meir Club.

Michaels died in 1968, and six years later Gruber married Henry Rosner, then deputy commissioner of the New York City Department of Human Resources. He accompanied her to Israel, where she spent nearly a year writing her best-known biography,  Raquela: A Woman of Israel,  which won the National Jewish Book Award for Best Book on Israel in 1979. In 1982, Henry Rosner died.

In 1985, Gruber traveled to the isolated Jewish villages in the highlands of Ethiopia to aid in the rescue of the Ethiopian Jews. Her book  Rescue: The Exodus of the Ethiopian Jews  was acclaimed by critics and such leaders as Menachem Begin, Abba Eban, and Elie Wiesel. The recipient of many awards, in 1995 Gruber was given Na’amat USA’s Golda Meir Human Rights Award for her life’s work. That same year, for  Na’mat Woman  magazine, she covered the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing. In 1997, she won several prestigious awards from the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s Museum of Tolerance for her lifelong work rescuing Jews. In 1998, Gruber received a Lifetime Achievement Award from her peers in the American Society of Journalists and Authors as “a pioneering journalist and author whose books chronicle the most important events of the twentieth century.” In 2010, the Norman Mailer Center awarded Gruber a special Distinguished Journalism Prize.

Gruber received five honorary doctorates including University of Wisconsin, University of New York (SUNY) Oswego and Hebrew Union College.

In 2001, at the age of ninety, she completed a twenty-city tour to publicize the reprinting of four of her books. When asked the secret of her success, Ruth Gruber replied, “Have dreams, have visions and let no obstacle stop you.”

Gruber passed away on November 17, 2016, at the age of 105.

Selected Works by Ruth Gruber

Inside of Time: My Journey from Alaska to Israel: A Memoir with Eleanor Roosevelt, Harold L. Ickes, Golda Meir, and Other Friends  (2003). It received a Pulitzer nomination.

Ahead of Time: My Early Years as a Foreign Correspondent  (1991).

Destination Palestine: The Story of the Haganah Ship Exodus 1947  (1948). Republished in a revised edition as  Exodus 1947: The Ship that Launched a Nation  (1999).

Felisa Rincon de Gautier: The Mayor of San Juan  (1972).

Haven: The Unknown Story of 1,000 World War II Refugees  (1983).

I Can Tell It Now: Members of the Overseas Press Club  (1960).

Israel on the Seventh Day  (1968).

Israel Today: Land of Many Nations  (1958).

Israel Without Tears  (1950).

Puerto Rico: Island of Promise  (1960).

Raquela: A Woman of Israel  (1978).

Rescue: The Exodus of the Ethiopian Jews  (1987).

Science and the New Nations  (1961).

They Came to Stay  (1976).

Virginia Woolf: A Study  (1934).

Virginia Woolf: The Will to Create as a Woman (2005)

I Went to the Soviet Arctic  (1939).

Witness: One of the Great Correspondents of the Twentieth Century Tells Her Story (2007)

Sources for this biography include Ruth Gruber’s books, magazine articles, lectures, and appearances in films and documentaries, including  The Great Depression  for PBS,  Truman  for PBS,  Exiles and Emigrants  for Los Angeles County Museum of Art,  Exodus 1947,  and the 1997 Oscar Award Documentary  The Long Way Home,  her biography on the website “Miriam’s Cup,” as well as interviews and conversations with the author.

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How to cite this page

Seaman, Barbara. "Ruth Gruber." Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women . 27 February 2009. Jewish Women's Archive. (Viewed on March 31, 2024) <http://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/gruber-ruth>.

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The Story of My Life

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In her autobiography, The Story of My Life, Helen Keller recounts her early childhood through to her college years, outlining the various wonders and struggles she encountered on the way to achieving her dream.

Growing up in a small Alabama town, Keller suffers an illness just shy of her second birthday which robs her of her eyesight and hearing. She finds herself isolated due to her disabilities and her inability to communicate or be understood by others. Keller’s frustration and depression manifest themselves in temper tantrums which steadily grow out of control. In desperation, her parents take her to Baltimore to be evaluated by a prominent eye doctor. Although he cannot help Keller, he recommends her parents contact Dr. Alexander Graham Bell in Washington, who in turn connects them with Mr. Anagnos from the Perkins Institution. From there, Miss Sullivan is sent to Keller’s home as a tutor for the young girl. Sullivan’s arrival changes Keller’s life, bringing her out from the darkness of her mind into the light of the world.

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From Miss Sullivan, Keller learns to love nature and education , particularly reading. For a child who had felt isolated and trapped, these gifts allow her to use her imagination and to begin to define who she is as an individual. These were essential foundations for Keller’s confidence and self-esteem, both of which were to be frequently challenged in the coming years.

As her education continues, Keller learns a series of valuable lessons, one of which involves the accidental plagiarism of a short story. Although Keller is found innocent of intent, her confidence is shaken, and it takes her some time to recover from the scars left by the incident and the supportive friend lost in the process.

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Keller has a series of adventures and trips with Miss Sullivan always by her side. She begins to learn how to speak aloud, giving her power she previously has not owned. Ultimately, Keller determines that she wants to attend college, and her parents do everything possible to make that happen. Keller is enrolled in the Cambridge School for Young Ladies wherein she would, upon passing her exams, be allowed to apply for admission into Radcliffe.

Despite the obstacles before her and the disadvantages she has to contend with due to her disabilities, Keller presses on, refusing to give up her dream. With great perseverance , and with the help of her teacher, friends, and family, Keller passes her courses and enters Radcliffe. Even though a college education is not what she had imagined it would be, Keller learns to value analysis and different ways of examining subject matter. She still prefers to reflect on the feelings she has from her studies rather than minute information, but she understands the importance of studying topics in this way.

Keller succeeds in achieving her dream and in overcoming obstacles that most people would not be able to defeat. Her determination to become an educated, well-rounded person makes for an inspiring and stirring autobiography.

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How to Write a Life Story Essay

Last Updated: May 28, 2023 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Alicia Cook . Alicia Cook is a Professional Writer based in Newark, New Jersey. With over 12 years of experience, Alicia specializes in poetry and uses her platform to advocate for families affected by addiction and to fight for breaking the stigma against addiction and mental illness. She holds a BA in English and Journalism from Georgian Court University and an MBA from Saint Peter’s University. Alicia is a bestselling poet with Andrews McMeel Publishing and her work has been featured in numerous media outlets including the NY Post, CNN, USA Today, the HuffPost, the LA Times, American Songwriter Magazine, and Bustle. She was named by Teen Vogue as one of the 10 social media poets to know and her poetry mixtape, “Stuff I’ve Been Feeling Lately” was a finalist in the 2016 Goodreads Choice Awards. There are 11 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 101,075 times.

A life story essay involves telling the story of your life in a short, nonfiction format. It can also be called an autobiographical essay. In this essay, you will tell a factual story about some element of your life, perhaps for a college application or for a school assignment.

Preparing to Write Your Essay

• If you are writing a personal essay for a college application, it should serve to give the admissions committee a sense of who you are, beyond the basics of your application file. Your transcript, your letters of recommendation, and your resume will provide an overview of your work experience, interests, and academic record. Your essay allows you to make your application unique and individual to you, through your personal story. [2] X Research source
• The essay will also show the admissions committee how well you can write and structure an essay. Your essay should show you can create a meaningful piece of writing that interests your reader, conveys a unique message, and flows well.
• If you are writing a life story for a specific school assignment, such as in a composition course, ask your teacher about the assignment requirements.

• Include important events, such as your birth, your childhood and upbringing, and your adolescence. If family member births, deaths, marriages, and other life moments are important to your story, write those down as well.
• Focus on experiences that made a big impact on you and remain a strong memory. This may be a time where you learned an important life lesson, such as failing a test or watching someone else struggle and succeed, or where you felt an intense feeling or emotion, such as grief over someone’s death or joy over someone’s triumph.

• Have you faced a challenge in your life that you overcame, such as family struggles, health issues, a learning disability, or demanding academics?
• Do you have a story to tell about your cultural or ethnic background, or your family traditions?
• Have you dealt with failure or life obstacles?
• Do you have a unique passion or hobby?
• Have you traveled outside of your community, to another country, city, or area? What did you take away from the experience and how will you carry what you learned into a college setting?

• Remind yourself of your accomplishments by going through your resume. Think about any awards or experiences you would like spotlight in your essay. For example, explaining the story behind your Honor Roll status in high school, or how you worked hard to receive an internship in a prestigious program.
• Remember that your resume or C.V. is there to list off your accomplishments and awards, so your life story shouldn't just rehash them. Instead, use them as a jumping-off place to explain the process behind them, or what they reflect (or do not reflect) about you as a person.

• The New York Times publishes stellar examples of high school life story essays each year. You can read some of them on the NYT website. [8] X Research source

Writing Your Essay

• For example, you may look back at your time in foster care as a child or when you scored your first paying job. Consider how you handled these situations and any life lessons you learned from these lessons. Try to connect past experiences to who you are now, or who you aspire to be in the future.
• Your time in foster care, for example, may have taught you resilience, perseverance and a sense of curiosity around how other families function and live. This could then tie into your application to a Journalism program, as the experience shows you have a persistent nature and a desire to investigate other people’s stories or experiences.

• Certain life story essays have become cliche and familiar to admission committees. Avoid sports injuries stories, such as the time you injured your ankle in a game and had to find a way to persevere. You should also avoid using an overseas trip to a poor, foreign country as the basis for your self transformation. This is a familiar theme that many admission committees will consider cliche and not unique or authentic. [11] X Research source
• Other common, cliche topics to avoid include vacations, "adversity" as an undeveloped theme, or the "journey". [12] X Research source

• Try to phrase your thesis in terms of a lesson learned. For example, “Although growing up in foster care in a troubled neighborhood was challenging and difficult, it taught me that I can be more than my upbringing or my background through hard work, perseverance, and education.”
• You can also phrase your thesis in terms of lessons you have yet to learn, or seek to learn through the program you are applying for. For example, “Growing up surrounded by my mother’s traditional cooking and cultural habits that have been passed down through the generations of my family, I realized I wanted to discover and honor the traditions of other, ancient cultures with a career in archaeology.”
• Both of these thesis statements are good because they tell your readers exactly what to expect in clear detail.

• An anecdote is a very short story that carries moral or symbolic weight. It can be a poetic or powerful way to start your essay and engage your reader right away. You may want to start directly with a retelling of a key past experience or the moment you realized a life lesson.
• For example, you could start with a vivid memory, such as this from an essay that got its author into Harvard Business School: "I first considered applying to Berry College while dangling from a fifty-food Georgia pine tree, encouraging a high school classmate, literally, to make a leap of faith." [15] X Research source This opening line gives a vivid mental picture of what the author was doing at a specific, crucial moment in time and starts off the theme of "leaps of faith" that is carried through the rest of the essay.
• Another great example clearly communicates the author's emotional state from the opening moments: "Through seven-year-old eyes I watched in terror as my mother grimaced in pain." This essay, by a prospective medical school student, goes on to tell about her experience being at her brother's birth and how it shaped her desire to become an OB/GYN. The opening line sets the scene and lets you know immediately what the author was feeling during this important experience. It also resists reader expectations, since it begins with pain but ends in the joy of her brother's birth.
• Avoid using a quotation. This is an extremely cliche way to begin an essay and could put your reader off immediately. If you simply must use a quotation, avoid generic quotes like “Spread your wings and fly” or “There is no ‘I’ in ‘team’”. Choose a quotation that relates directly to your experience or the theme of your essay. This could be a quotation from a poem or piece of writing that speaks to you, moves you, or helped you during a rough time.

• Always use the first person in a personal essay. The essay should be coming from you and should tell the reader directly about your life experiences, with “I” statements.
• For example, avoid something such as “I had a hard time growing up. I was in a bad situation.” You can expand this to be more distinct, but still carry a similar tone and voice. “When I was growing up in foster care, I had difficulties connecting with my foster parents and with my new neighborhood. At the time, I thought I was in a bad situation I would never be able to be free from.”

• For example, consider this statement: "I am a good debater. I am highly motivated and have been a strong leader all through high school." This gives only the barest detail, and does not allow your reader any personal or unique information that will set you apart from the ten billion other essays she has to sift through.
• In contrast, consider this one: "My mother says I'm loud. I say you have to speak up to be heard. As president of my high school's debate team for the past three years, I have learned to show courage even when my heart is pounding in my throat. I have learned to consider the views of people different than myself, and even to argue for them when I passionately disagree. I have learned to lead teams in approaching complicated issues. And, most importantly for a formerly shy young girl, I have found my voice." This example shows personality, uses parallel structure for impact, and gives concrete detail about what the author has learned from her life experience as a debater.

• An example of a passive sentence is: “The cake was eaten by the dog.” The subject (the dog) is not in the expected subject position (first) and is not "doing" the expected action. This is confusing and can often be unclear.
• An example of an active sentence is: “The dog ate the cake.” The subject (the dog) is in the subject position (first), and is doing the expected action. This is much more clear for the reader and is a stronger sentence.

• Lead the reader INTO your story with a powerful beginning, such as an anecdote or a quote.
• Take the reader THROUGH your story with the context and key parts of your experience.
• End with the BEYOND message about how the experience has affected who you are now and who you want to be in college and after college.

Editing Your Essay

• For example, a sentence like “I struggled during my first year of college, feeling overwhelmed by new experiences and new people” is not very strong because it states the obvious and does not distinguish you are unique or singular. Most people struggle and feel overwhelmed during their first year of college. Adjust sentences like this so they appear unique to you.
• For example, consider this: “During my first year of college, I struggled with meeting deadlines and assignments. My previous home life was not very structured or strict, so I had to teach myself discipline and the value of deadlines.” This relates your struggle to something personal and explains how you learned from it.

• It can be difficult to proofread your own work, so reach out to a teacher, a mentor, a family member, or a friend and ask them to read over your essay. They can act as first readers and respond to any proofreading errors, as well as the essay as a whole.

Expert Q&A

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• ↑ http://education.seattlepi.com/write-thesis-statement-autobiographical-essay-1686.html
• ↑ https://study.com/learn/lesson/autobiography-essay-examples-steps.html
• ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/fulfillment-any-age/201101/writing-compelling-life-story-in-500-words-or-less
• ↑ Alicia Cook. Professional Writer. Expert Interview. 11 December 2020.
• ↑ https://mycustomessay.com/blog/how-to-write-an-autobiography-essay.html
• ↑ http://www.ahwatukee.com/community_focus/article_c79b33da-09a5-11e3-95a8-001a4bcf887a.html
• ↑ http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/10/your-money/four-stand-out-college-essays-about-money.html
• ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xY9AdFx0L4s
• ↑ https://www.medina-esc.org/Downloads/Practical%20Advice%20Writing%20College%20App%20Essay.pdf
• ↑ http://www.businessinsider.com/successful-harvard-business-school-essays-2012-11?op=1
• ↑ http://www.grammar-monster.com/glossary/passive_sentences.htm

About This Article

A life story essay is an essay that tells the story of your life in a short, nonfiction format. Start by coming up with a thesis statement, which will help you structure your essay. For example, your thesis could be about the influence of your family's culture on your life or how you've grown from overcoming challenging circumstances. You can include important life events that link to your thesis, like jobs you’ve worked, friendships that have influenced you, or sports competitions you’ve won. Consider starting your essay with an anecdote that introduces your thesis. For instance, if you're writing about your family's culture, you could start by talking about the first festival you went to and how it inspired you. Finish by writing about how the experiences have affected you and who you want to be in the future. For more tips from our Education co-author, including how to edit your essay effectively, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Jotted Lines

A Collection Of Essays

The First Year Of My Life – Summary

‘‘The First Year of My Life’’ begins with the unnamed narrator’s statement: ‘‘I was born on the first day of the second month of the last year of the First World War, a Friday.’’ In other words, the narrator was born on February 1, 1918 (the same date that Spark was born). The story continues with the narrator noting that she will not smile for her entire first year of life. The implication is that the baby will not smile because of the war. Family members and family friends all try to get the baby to smile. The narrator then states that she was told about this later, but that she already knew this. She knew this because human babies are omniscient for their first year of life. Even now, psychologists and scientists are studying and working to prove this phenomenon. The narrator also notes that poets and artists have always known this. Parts of this power remain, the narrator says, in adults with psychic abilities or in members of primitive cultures. 

The narrator is able to recall her first year of life in detail, ‘‘the very worst year that the world had ever seen so far.’’ She remarks that she was born helpless and unable to communicate. She is surrounded by women dressed in mourning. They have lost husbands or sons, and the narrator quips that they are absentminded and should go find the men they misplaced. The women coo at the narrator, but she is not impressed; nor is she moved to smile. 

The narrator’s mother observes that babies are unable to smile until they are three months old. Meanwhile, the narrator’s six-year-old brother marches about carrying a toy gun and singing childish war ditties. The women find it adorable. 

When the narrator is ten days old, Russia drops out of the war. The Russians are still reeling from their recent revolution, and the narrator, in her omniscience, can see the deposed czar and his family in prison. The narrator then notes that she sleeps most of the day in order to gain her strength. She will need it given the state of the world. The fighting on the Western Front has grown increasingly bloody and chaotic. The narrator grows concerned about the future and then falls asleep again. 

It is now March 21. The narrator is fifty days old, and the German Spring Offensive (one of the bloodier and more aggressive series of battles on the Western Front) has begun. The narrator can see the ‘‘slaughter.’’ She cries and glowers at the sight. The women sing the absurd war ditty earlier sung by the narrator’s brother. They do so in an attempt to soothe her. 

The narrator can see the riots and the starving and homeless people in Eastern Europe. She can see the people in London rushing to work and wishing that the war would finally end. Nevertheless, the adults nearby show their teeth, which means they are smiling. They complain about ration cards. 

The baby tunes in on the writers Bernard Shaw and Joseph Conrad. Coincidentally, both are telling someone to be quiet. Still, this is not enough to make her smile; and she is supposed to do so any day now. The narrator sees the women in Turkey in their harems, dressed in black. They are boring. 

Back at home, there are more women in black, but it is a ‘‘British black.’’ This is the first concrete indication of the narrator’s location. The baby’s uncle is present. He is coughing because he was gassed in the trenches and is still wearing his uniform. Meanwhile, the commander of the Allied Forces (comprised of troops from Britain, the United States, Russia, Belgium, France, Canada, Australia, and Italy) shouts a rallying war cry in French. Roughly translated, his cry means ‘‘everyone to war!’’ The narrator’s uncle will never truly recover from being gassed, but he must still return to the front. 

The narrator grows bigger and stronger— she must be strong to deal with all these awful people.

Bodies are piling up. In France, the soldiers are fleeing. All of the bravest and best have already met their ends. The narrator then recounts her graphic visions of the war. 

In her omniscience, the narrator watches a play, listens in on the British Parliament, and spies on the writer Virginia Woolf, who is writing in her diary. She nevertheless prefers to watch the carnage on the Western Front. That way, she is prepared for the worst and knows exactly where things stand. 

At five months of age, the baby is able to grab things and hold up her head. Her aunts worry because she hasn’t smiled yet. Here, it is finally revealed that the baby is a girl (this fact remains a mystery for the first half of the narrative). 

The rich and powerful are getting married and celebrating their anniversaries in public displays filled with pomp and circumstance. The commander’s war cry is reiterated. Meanwhile, income tax in England is higher than ever. The Russian czar and his family have been moved to Siberia, and the baby witnesses their execution. 

At her five-month checkup, the doctor declares the narrator to be strong and healthy. The narrator is pleased. The war cry is reiterated once again. The narrator has begun to crawl. The philosopher Bertrand Russell has been imprisoned for his writings in support of peace. 

At the front, it seems the Germans are losing the war, yet they are winning the battles. (This is an ironic statement.) People, especially the rich, continue to complain about the income tax. Women over thirty are granted the right to vote. The narrator eavesdrops on former Prime Minister Herbert Henry Asquith (who is referred to in the story as Mr. Asquith or Asquith), and the narrator admits that she slept through his famous speech, given in the House of Commons after the armistice (cease-fire) on November 11. She does, however, eavesdrop on a private conversation of his. 

On the day the armistice is signed, the narrator stands on her own for the first time. Her teeth are coming in and she weighs twenty pounds. The narrator states that over eight million soldiers have been killed and over twenty million have been wounded. The women recite poetry about the war and death and note that most of the poets were soldiers and that almost all of them have been killed. 

It is February. A party is being held in honor of the baby’s first birthday. Though the war has ended, she still has not smiled. The adults worry over this lack. People at the party are talking about Asquith, on whom the narrator has recently eavesdropped. He was drunk and was behaving toward a woman ‘‘in a very friendly fashion.’’ 

One of the women at the party speaks of the poet Wilfred Owen and, quoting his poetry, mourns his death in the war. The other children at the party make messes. More war poetry is quoted, and more people arrive at the party. They discuss Asquith’s speech following the armistice and the fact that the baby never smiles. The narrator’s mother is upset by this latter topic and quickly comes to her daughter’s defense. 

A stout man at the party quotes Asquith’s speech, in which the former prime minister declares that the war has purified the world: ‘‘All things have become new. In this great cleansing and purging it has been the privilege of our country to play her part.’’ It is this quotation that finally makes the narrator smile. Coincidentally, her brother has blown out the candle on her cake at the same moment, and the adults assume it is this event that has finally caused her to smile. Everyone is pleased, especially the baby’s mother. 

The narrator states that for the rest of her life she has lived and smiled just as any other normal person. But, when she truly smiles, it is always because of the words of the gentlemanly (and now deceased) Mr. Asquith.

Sara Constantakis, Thomas E. Barden – Short Stories for Students – Presenting Analysis, Context & Criticism on Commonly Studied Short Stories, vol. 28 (2010) – Muriel Spark – Published by Gale Cengage Learning.

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• The First Year Of My Life - Themes
• The First Year Of My Life - Analysis
• The First Year Of My Life - Literary Devices
• The First Year Of My Life - Setting
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Teacher Guide

The story of my life lesson plan.

• Study Objectives

If all of the elements of this lesson plan are employed, students will develop the following powers, skills, and understanding:

Students will be able to read closely to determine both explicit and implicit meanings of the text.

Students will be able to analyze the structure of the text, particularly the significance of first-person narrative.

Students will be able to use textual evidence to support their interpretations and analyses.

Students will be able to identify and analyze significant themes throughout the narrative.

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The Story of My Life Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for The Story of My Life is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

Describe the structure used to organize helen's story

The structure is in three parts . The first two, Miss Keller's story and the extracts from her letters, form a complete account of her life as far as she can give it. Her style is called Affectionate Recollection. Despite the hardships Keller...

How many pages is this book?

This really depends on the publication of the book you have. Different publications have different number of pages.

The Story of My Life by Helen Keller

I'm sorry, I do not have access to the prompts your teacher hands out in class.

Study Guide for The Story of My Life

The Story of My Life study guide contains a biography of Helen Keller, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About The Story of My Life
• The Story of My Life Summary
• Character List

Lesson Plan for The Story of My Life

• About the Author
• Common Core Standards
• Introduction to The Story of My Life
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Related Links
• The Story of My Life Bibliography

Wikipedia Entries for The Story of My Life

• Introduction
• Publication history

The Story of My Life

Helen keller, everything you need for every book you read..

Helen Keller was born on June 27th, 1880 in Tuscumbia, a small town in Northern Alabama. Helen’s paternal lineage can be traced back to Switzerland, where one of her ancestors, ironically, was the first teacher of deaf children in Zurich. The beginning of Helen’s life was ordinary but joyful—she lived with her parents in a small house on a large familial estate, and was a happy and intrepid child. When she was nearly two years old, however, she was struck with a sickness which gave her a high fever and which her parents and her doctor all feared she would not survive. Helen’s fever eventually broke, but the illness left her blind, dumb, and deaf.

In the months after Helen’s illness, she clung tightly to her mother , and the two of them developed a few crude signs by which Helen could communicate her wants and needs. Despite Helen’s impairment, she still understood a lot of what was happening around her, and could complete small tasks, play games with her dog and the daughter of the family cook, and even get into mischief and danger, once nearly knocking her baby sister Mildred from the crib where she slept.

As Helen grew, so did her desire to express herself. Without any language at all, Helen often succumbed to fits of frustration and rage, and Helen’s parents—far from any school for the deaf or the blind and afraid that no tutors would come to their small Alabama town—feared that their daughter would never be educated. After a trip to an oculist in Baltimore, the Kellers were referred to Dr. Alexander Graham Bell , famed inventor of the telephone and advocate for deaf and blind children. Dr. Bell told the Kellers to write to Mr. Anagnos , the director of the Perkins Institution for the Blind in Boston, and they did so. Within weeks, they received a letter back telling them that a teacher had been found, and the following March, Helen’s teacher arrived.

Miss Anne Mansfield Sullivan’s arrival in Tuscumbia marked a new chapter in young Helen’s life. Helen and Miss Sullivan had an instant connection, and with Miss Sullivan’s constant, patient care, Helen began to understand and acquire language through finger-spelling the alphabet. Helen’s world was changed, and she found herself excited for the future for the first time in her life. Miss Sullivan instilled a love of the natural world in Helen, and though Helen came to realize that nature is as dangerous as it is beautiful, her love of plants, trees, flowers, and animals was deep and abiding.

Soon after Helen acquired language and tools of communication, she learned how to read in braille. Helen’s lessons in reading and in sign language were informal, and often conducted outdoors. Helen continued to learn in and through nature, and credits Miss Sullivan’s “loving touch” with awakening her to the pleasures and comforts of learning, nature, self-expression, and kindness.

In May of 1888, Helen began her education in Boston at the Perkins Institution for the Blind. She delighted in being around other children and classmates who were so much like her. Helen took trips to the seaside during summer vacation, and discovered her love of the water. In the fall, Helen and Miss Sullivan returned to Alabama for a stay at the Keller’s country home, Fern Quarry, where they shared exciting and perilous adventures in the mountainous countryside with Helen’s little sister Mildred.

In the spring of 1890, Helen heard the story of a deaf and blind Norwegian girl who had been taught to speak out loud. Helen had been yearning for a more articulate way of expressing herself, and decided to undertake lessons to learn how to speak with Miss Sarah Fuller at the Horace Mann School in New York. As Helen progressed in her speech lessons, she felt her soul come awake in a new way, and was delighted to return home to Alabama and share her new gift with her adoring family.

In the winter of 1892, Helen experienced a major setback in her creative life. She composed a story called “The Frost King,” inspired by Miss Sullivan’s vivid descriptions of the changing fall foliage at Fern Quarry. Helen sent the story to Mr. Anagnos as a birthday gift, and Anagnos was so pleased and impressed that he published the story in a Perkins Institution newsletter. Soon after the story’s publication, however, it was discovered that “The Frost King” bore striking similarities to a well-known children’s story called “The Frost Fairies,” published years before Helen was even born. Helen was ashamed, astonished, and embarrassed, though she realized that her plagiarism was inadvertent. She must have had the story read to her by Miss Sullivan at a young age, and had its details stamped upon the surface of her memory, as when she was still learning language she retained everything read to her in sharp detail. Mr. Anagnos, convinced that Helen had willfully plagiarized the story, forced her to appear before a “court” of teachers and administrators at the Perkins Institution. Although Helen was ultimately found innocent, the ordeal changed Helen’s relationship to the written word and caused her to second-guess herself in all of her compositions for a long while. Ultimately, though, Helen concludes that the incident did serve to teach her to think deeply about the problems and methods of composition, and the ways in which young writers must wade through the temptations toward assimilation and reproduction of others’ words and ideas in order to find their own true voices.

In 1893, Helen attended the inauguration of President Cleveland, visited Niagara Falls, and accompanied Dr. Alexander Graham Bell to the World’s Fair. The year was one of excitement and awakening for Helen, as she also began more regular lessons in the histories of Greece and Rome, French grammar, and Latin. In the summer of 1894, Helen began studies at the Wright-Humason School for the Deaf in New York City, where she fell in love with German literature and enjoyed a happy two years in the city. At the end of her time in New York, however, Helen’s father died, causing her, her mother, and her sister deep sorrow.

In October of 1896, Helen, determined to one day gain admission to Radcliffe (the women’s college at Harvard University) enrolled as a student at the Cambridge School for Young Ladies. Helen knew that there would be challenges and obstacles, but wanted very badly to be admitted to Radcliffe alongside her seeing and hearing peers. Helen’s teachers at this new school had no experience with teaching deaf or blind children, and Helen was almost entirely reliant on Miss Sullivan to interpret for her what her teachers in each class were saying. Helen’s course load was heavy, though, and on top of her rigorous studies there was a lot of extra work for Helen to do, like copying her lessons into braille and ordering specially-embossed braille textbooks from London and Philadelphia. Despite these challenges, Helen progressed well in school, and enjoyed the friendships she made with her new classmates. After Christmas that year, Mildred also enrolled at the school, and so Helen enjoyed many happy months studying, working, and playing alongside her beloved sister. Helen completed her preliminary examinations and passed with flying colors, and as she headed into her second year of school, she was determined to continue her unflagging success. Helen’s second year, however, featured a course load more heavily focused on mathematics—Helen’s greatest weakness in school since she began lessons with Miss Sullivan long ago. Helen was determined to keep up, but the principal of the school believed that Helen was falling behind, and refused to let her take her final examinations with the rest of her class. Helen’s mother withdrew both her and Mildred from the school, and Helen began studying with an independent tutor, splitting her time between Boston and Wrentham, Massachusetts. In June of 1899, it was time for Helen to take her final exams for entrance to Radcliffe. The college authorities barred Miss Sullivan from sitting during Helen with her exams and interpreting for her, but despite the unfamiliarity of her designated proctor and the difficulty of the mathematics exam, Helen passed her exams and gained admission to Radcliffe.

After one more year of preparation with a private tutor, Helen began school at Radcliffe, excited to finally fulfill her lifelong dream of attending college. Helen soon discovered, however, that college was not the “romantic lyceum” or utopia she’d dreamed it would be. It was difficult for Helen to keep up without careful attention to her “peculiar” needs. By her third year of college—the time in which Helen is composing this story of her life—Helen is taking classes which deeply interest her, and has come to learn that the way she was educated in the earlier part of her life—leisurely but hungrily, with an open mind and heart and a desire not just to memorize facts but to truly come to understand the history of the human race, the delicate nature of the natural world, and the integrity and beauty of the written world—was the best education for her all along.

Helen dedicates an entire chapter to expressing her love of books, and the indebtedness she feels to the stories which have brought her joy, comfort, and companionship throughout her life. Literature is her Utopia, she writes, and when she is reading, she does not feel disabled or barred from the human experience in any way—she has learned love and charity from books, and is grateful to writers like Shakespeare, Goethe, Moliére, Hawthorne, and Hugo for all they have taught her.

Helen doesn’t want her readers to think, however, that books are her only amusement. She takes great pleasure in physical activity and the natural world, and enjoys sailing, rowing, and canoeing. As much as she has come to love college, she treasures her escapes to the countryside in Wrentham, where she can get away from the dirt, grime, and speed of the city and find peace in beloved nature. Helen also enjoys taking in art and museums, attending the theater, and seeing the world through the eyes of others.

Helen gives thanks to her many friends, who have enriched her life beyond measure. She is grateful for her friends both famous and obscure, as well as those friends whom she has never met but with whom she has corresponded. Other people have made her life what it is, and have “turned [her] limitations into beautiful privileges.”

A Short Narrative of My Life

No related resources

Introduction

Samson Occom (1723–1792) was born in New London, Connecticut, a member of the Mohegan Nation. The Mohegan had split from the Pequot in 1631, just a few years before the Pequot War. When he was nineteen, Occom was sent to study at Moor’s Charity School for indigent young men, operated by Eleazar Wheelock, where he remained for four years. Afterward Occam became a celebrated Christian preacher and missionary to other Indian tribes.

In 1765 Occom went to London to raise funds to help Wheelock educate Indians. He stayed more than two years and raised a substantial amount. Unfortunately, upon his return he found that his teacher was largely abandoning Indian education. In 1769 Wheelock moved his school to New Hampshire and reorganized it as Dartmouth College. The money Occom had raised for Indian education became the endowment for the new college. The move and Occom’s discovery that Wheelock had lost his passion for educating Natives caused a permanent breach between teacher and pupil.

Occom’s best known written work is his 1772 “Sermon Preached at the Execution of Moses Paul, an Indian,” which was an early bestseller after its publication. Less known is the short autobiography he penned in 1768 to correct misrepresentations made about him by some white men. The document, from which this excerpt was taken, is the earliest known autobiography by an Indigenous person in North America.

Samuel Occom, Autobiography, https://collections.dartmouth.edu/occom/html/normalized/768517-normalized.html .

From the Time of Our Reformation till I Left Mr. Wheelock’s

When I was 16 years of age, we heard a strange rumor among the English that there were extraordinary ministers preaching from place to place and a strange concern among the white people. This was in the spring of the year. But we saw nothing of these things, till some time in the summer, when some ministers began to visit us and preach the Word of God; and the common people all came frequently and exhorted us to the things of God, which it please the Lord, as I humbly hope, to bless and accompany with divine influence to the conviction and saving conversion of a number of us; amongst whom I was one that was impressed with the things we had heard. These preachers did not only come to us, but we frequently went to their meetings and churches. After I was awakened and converted, I went to all the meetings, I could come at; and continued under trouble of mind about 6 months; at which time I began to learn the English letters; got me a primer, 1 and used to go to my English neighbors frequently for assistance in reading, but went to no school. And when I was 17 years of age, I had, as I trust, a discovery of the way of salvation through Jesus Christ, and was enabled to put my trust in him alone for life and salvation. From this time the distress and burden of my mind was removed, and I found serenity and pleasure of soul, in serving God. By this time I just began to read in the New Testament without spelling, 2 and I had a stronger desire still to learn to read the Word of God, and at the same time had an uncommon pity and compassion to my poor brethren according to the flesh. 3 I used to wish I was capable of instructing my poor kindred. I used to think, if I could once learn to read I would instruct the poor children in reading, and used frequently to talk with our Indians concerning religion. This continued till I was in my 19th year: by this time I could read a little in the Bible. At this time my poor mother was going to Lebanon, 4 and having had some knowledge of Mr. Wheelock and hearing he had a number of English youth under his tuition, I had a great inclination to go to him and be with him a week or a fortnight, and desired my mother to ask Mr. Wheelock whether he would take me a little while to instruct me in reading. Mother did so; and when she came back, she said Mr. Wheelock wanted to see me as soon as possible. So I went up, thinking I should be back again in a few days; when I got up there, he received me with kindness and compassion and instead of staying a fortnight or three weeks, I spent 4 years with him.

After I had been with him some time, he began to acquaint his friends of my being with him, and of his intentions of educating me, and my circumstances. And the good people began to give some assistance to Mr. Wheelock, and gave me some old and some new clothes. Then he represented the case to the honorable commissioners at Boston, who were commissioned by the honorable society in London for propagating the gospel among the Indians in New England and parts adjacent, 5 and they allowed him £60 in old tender, which was about £6 sterling, and they continued it 2 or 3 years, I can’t tell exactly. While I was at Mr. Wheelock’s, I was very weakly and my health much impaired, and at the end of 4 years, I over strained my eyes to such a degree, I could not pursue my studies any longer; and out of these 4 years I lost just about one year; and was obliged to quit my studies.

From the Time I Left Mr. Wheelock till I Went to Europe

As soon as I left Mr. Wheelock, I endeavored to find some employ among the Indians; went to Nahantuck, 6 thinking they may want a schoolmaster, but they had one; then went to Narraganset, and they were indifferent about a school, and went back to Mohegan, and heard a number of our Indians were going to Montauk, on Long Island, and I went with them, and the Indians there were very desirous to have me keep a school amongst them, and I consented, and went back a while to Mohegan and some time in November I went on the island, I think it is 17 years ago last November. I agreed to keep school with them half a year, and left it with them to give me what they pleased; and they took turns to provide food for me. I had near 30 scholars this winter; I had an evening school too for those that could not attend the day school—and began to carry on their meetings, they had a minister, one Mr. Horton, the Scotch society’s missionary; but he spent, I think two-thirds of his time at Shenecock, 30 miles from Montauk. We met together 3 times for divine worship every sabbath and once on every Wednesday evening. I (used) to read the Scriptures to them and used to expound upon some particular passages in my own tongue. 7 Visited the sick and attended their burials.

When the half year expired, they desired me to continue with them, which I complied with, for another half year, when I had fulfilled that, they were urgent to have me stay longer. So I continued amongst them till I was married, which was about 2 years after I went there. And continued to instruct them in the same manner as I did before. After I was married awhile, I found there was need of a support more than I needed while I was single, and made my case known to Mr. Buell and to Mr. Wheelock, and also the needy circumstances and the desires of these Indians of my continuing amongst them, and the commissioners were so good as to grant £15 a year sterling.

And I kept on in my service as usual, yea, I had additional service; I kept school as I did before and carried on the religious meetings as often as ever, and attended sick and their funerals, and did what writings they wanted, and often sat as a judge to reconcile and decide their matters between them, and had visitors of Indians from all quarters; and, as our custom is, we freely entertain all visitors. And was fetched often from my tribe and from others to see into their affairs both religious, and temporal, besides my domestic concerns. And it pleased the Lord to increase my family fast—and soon after I was married, Mr. Horton left these Indians and the Shenecock and after this I was (alone) and then I had the whole care of these Indians at Montauk, and visited the Shenecock Indians often. Used to set out Saturdays toward night and come back again Mondays. I have been obliged to set out from home after sunset, and ride 30 miles in the night, to preach to these Indians. And some Indians at Shenecock sent their children to my school at Montauk, I kept one of them some time, and had a young man a half year from Mohegan, a lad from Nahantuck, who was with me almost a year; and had little or nothing for keeping them.

My method in the school was, as soon as the children got together and took their proper seats, I prayed with them, then began to hear them. I generally began (after some of them could spell and read) with those that were yet in their alphabets, so around, as they were properly seated till I got through and I obliged them to study their books, and to help one another. When they could not make out a hard word they brought it to me—and I usually heard them, in the summer season 8 times a day 4 in the morning, and in the afternoon. In the winter season 6 times a day, as soon as they could spell, they were obliged to spell whenever they wanted to go out. I concluded with prayer; I generally heard my evening scholars 3 times round, and as they go out the school, every one that can spell is obliged to spell a word, and to go out leisurely one after another. I catechized 3 or 4 times a week according to the assembly’s shout or catechism, and many times proposed questions of my own, and in my own tongue. I found difficulty with some children, who were somewhat dull, most of these can soon learn to say over their letters, they distinguish the sounds by the ear, but their eyes can’t distinguish the letters, and the way I took to cure them was by making an alphabet on small bits of paper, and glued them on small chips of cedar after this manner A B & C. I put these on letters in order on a bench then point to one letter and bid a child to take notice of it, and then I order the child to fetch me the letter from the bench; if he brings the letter, it is well, if not he must go again and again till he brings the right letter. When they can bring any letters this way, then I just jumble them together, and bid them to set them in alphabetical order, and it is a pleasure to them; and they soon learn their letters this way.

I frequently discussed or exhorted my scholars, in religious matters. My method in our religious meetings was this; sabbath morning we assemble together about 10 o’clock and begin with singing; we generally sung Dr. Watt’s Psalms or Hymns. 8 I distinctly read the Psalm or hymn first, and then gave the meaning of it to them, after that sing, then pray, and sing again after prayer. Then proceed to read from suitable portion of Scripture, and so just give the plain sense of it in familiar discourse and apply it to them. So continued with prayer and singing. In the afternoon and evening we proceed in the same manner, and so in Wednesday evening. Sometime after Mr. Horton left these Indians, there was a remarkable revival of religion among these Indians and many were hopefully converted to the saving knowledge of God in Jesus. It is to be observed before Mr. Horton left these Indians they had some prejudices infused in their minds, by some enthusiastical exhorters from New England, against Mr. Horton, and many of them had left him; by this means he was discouraged, and was disposed from these Indians. And being acquainted with the enthusiasts in New England and the make and the disposition of the Indians I took a mild way to reclaim them. I opposed them not openly but let them go on in their way, and whenever I had an opportunity, I would read such pages of the Scriptures [as] I thought would confound their notions, and I would come to them with all authority, saying “these saith the Lord”; and by this means, the Lord was pleased to bless my poor endeavors, and they were reclaimed, and brought to hear almost any of the ministers.

I am now to give an account of my circumstances and manner of living. I dwelt in a wigwam, a small hut with small poles and covered with mats made of flags, and I was obliged to remove twice a year, about 2 miles distance, by reason of the scarcity of wood, for in one neck of land they planted their corn, and in another, they had their wood, and I was obliged to have my corn carted and my hay also, and I got my ground plowed every year, which cost me about 12 shillings an acre; and I kept a cow and a horse, for which I paid 21 shillings every year York currency, 9 and went 18 miles to mill for every dust of meal we used in my family. I hired or joined with my neighbors to go to mill, with a horse or ox cart, or on horseback, and some time went myself. My family increasing fast, and my visitors also. I was obliged to contrive every way to support my family; I took all opportunities to get something to feed my family daily. I planted my own corn, potatoes, and beans; I used to be out hoeing my corn sometimes before sunrise and after my school is dismissed, and by this means I was able to raise my own pork, for I was allowed to keep 5 swine. Some mornings and evenings I would be out with my hook and line to catch fish and in the fall of year and in the spring, I used my gun, and fed my family with fowls. I could more than pay for my powder and shot with feathers. At other times I bound old books for Easthampton people, made wooden spoons and ladles, stocked guns, and worked on cedar to make pails, (piggins), 10 and churns, etc. Besides all these difficulties I met with adverse providence, I bought a mare, had it but a little while, and she fell into the quicksand and died. After awhile bought another, I kept her about half year, and she was gone, and I never have heard of nor seen her from that day to this; it was supposed some rogue stole her. I got another and [it] died with a distemper, and last of all I bought a young mare and kept her till she had one colt, and she broke her leg and died, and presently after the colt died also. In the whole I lost 5 horse kind; all these losses helped to pull me down; and by this time I got greatly in debt and acquainted my circumstances to some of my friends, and they represented my case to the commissioners of Boston, and interceded with them for me, and they were pleased to vote £15 for my help, and soon after sent a letter to my good friend at New London, acquainting him that they had superseded their vote; and my friends were so good as to represent my needy circumstances still to them, and they were so good at last, as to vote £15 and sent it, for which I am very thankful; and the Reverend Mr. Buell was so kind as to write in my behalf to the gentlemen of Boston; and he told me they were much displeased with him, and heard also once again that they blamed me for being extravagant; I can’t conceive how these gentlemen would have me live. I am ready to (forgive) their ignorance, and I would wish they had changed circumstances with me but one month, that they may know, by experience what my case really was; but I am now fully convinced that it was not ignorance, for I believe it can be proved to the world that these same gentlemen gave a young missionary, a single man, 100 pounds for one year, and £50 for an interpreter, and £30 for an introducer; so it cost them £180 in one single year, and they sent too where there was no need of a missionary.

Now you see what difference they made between me and other missionaries; they gave me £180 for 12 years’ service, which they gave for one year’s services in another mission. In my service (I speak like a fool, but I am constrained) I was my own interpreter. I was both a schoolmaster and minister to the Indians, yea, I was their ear, eye, and hand, as well as mouth. I leave it with the world, as wicked as it is, to judge whether I ought not to have had half as much, they gave a young man just mentioned which would have been but £50 a year; and if they ought to have given me that, I am not under obligations to them, I owe them nothing at all; what can be the reason that they used me after this manner? I can’t think of anything, but this as a poor Indian boy said, who was bound out to an English family, 11 and he used to drive plow for a young man, and he whipt and beat him almost every day, and the young man found fault with him, and complained of him to his master and the poor boy was called to answer for himself before his master, and he was asked, what it was he did, that he was so complained of and beat almost every day. He said, he did not know, but he supposed it was because he could not drive any better; but says he, I drive as well as I know how; and at other times he beats me, because he is of a mind to beat me; but says he believes he beats me for the most of the time “because I am an Indian.”

So I am ready to say, they have used me thus, because I can’t influence the Indians so well as other missionaries; but I can assure them I have endeavored to teach them as well as I know how; but I must say, “I believe it is because I am a poor Indian.” I can’t help that God has made me so; I did not make myself so.

• 1. A book used to teach reading.
• 2. That is, without ceasing.
• 3. “Brethern according to the flesh” referred to his fellow Indians, whom he distinguished from his spiritual brothers; i.e., fellow Christians.
• 4. Lebanon, Connecticut. The town was in traditional Mohegan territory and was first settled by them. They called the area Poquechaneed and used it primarily for hunting.
• 5. The Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, a Church of England missionary organization chartered by the king in 1701.
• 6. Nahantuck is near present-day New London, CT, as is Narraganset, next mentioned. Shenecock and Montauk are on the eastern end of Long Island, New York. These place-names are also the names of the Indian tribes that lived there.
• 7. In his native language.
• 8. Isaac Watts (1674–1748) was an English Congregational minister and hymn writer.
• 9. Money issued by the colony and state of New York.
• 10. Small wooden pails.
• 11. "Bound out” means to work for someone as a servant in return for food and lodging.

Correct Behavior in Church, The Journal of Charles Woodmason

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Class-10 The Story of My Life- Full Summary in Short

Complete Summary

  The story is an inspirational account of the world of a blind and deaf girl, and how she triumphs over her disabilities, going to school and college, facing exams and learning to enjoy the simple things in life. Some of her concerns are common to all young people of her age, but other concerns arose exclusively out of her desire to triumph over her disabilities. The book shows us the perception of a person who has been denied sight and sound and struggles to understand the world and interact with those around her. It also shows us how normal people can help to aid those with disabilities.                         

Helen Adams Keller was born on 27 June 1880, in the north-west Alabama city of Tuscumbia. Her father was a retired Confederate army captain and editor of a local newspaper The North Alabamian, while her mother, Kate, was an educated young woman from Memphis. Helen had a younger brother, Phillips Brooks and a sister, Mildred.

When Helen was nineteen months old, she was afflicted by an unknown illness, possibly scarlet fever or meningitis, which left her deaf and blind. Helen, who was an extremely intelligent child, tried to understand her surroundings through touch, smell and taste; and by the age of seven, Helen had developed nearly sixty hand gestures to communicate with her parents and ask for things. However, she was often frustrated by her inability to express herself. With the help of her teacher, Anne Sullivan, Helen learned the manual alphabet and started communicating with fingerspelling. Within a few months of working with Anne, Helen’s vocabulary increased to hundreds of words and simple sentences. Anne also taught Helen how to read braille and raised type, and to print block letters. By the age of nine, Helen began to learn to speak and read lips.

Helen attended Perkins School for the Blind for four years. She then spent a year at the Cambridge School for Young Ladies to prepare for Radcliffe College. In 1904, she graduated from Radcliffe and became the first deaf-blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree.

While in college, Keller undertook an essay assignment that eventually took the shape of her autobiography The Story of My Life in 1903. In this book, Helen chronicled her education and the first twenty-three years with her teacher and friend, Anne Sullivan providing supplementary accounts of the teaching process. The autobiography went on to become an almost unparalleled bestseller in multiple languages and laid the foundation of Keller’s literary career.

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