Helen Keller Argumentative Essay

The person of the Modern Era is a person who is intelligent, emotionally strong, and kind hearted. Helen Keller should be chosen as the person of the modern era because she fulfils all three of the criteria. At the age of 19 months, Keller suffered from a severe fever. Early one morning Keller's fever left her but took her hearing and seeing leaving her blind and deaf

Helen Keller should be the person of the modern era because she is intelligent. Despite being blind and deaf, Helen Keller wrote many successful books like, The Story of My life, The World I Live In, Optimism, My Religion, and the Open Door (“Helen Keller” 2). At the age of 5 Helen had a "vocabulary" of about 60 gestures ("Helen Keller, Humanitarian" 16). Mark Twain, a famous author once said in a letter to an oil-company executive about Keller, "It won't do for America to allow this marvelous child to retire from her studies because of poverty. If she can go on with them, she will make a name that will endure history for centuries" ("Helen Keller, Humanitarian" 57). It shows a lot about Keller to have Mark Twain write about her like that. Along with book writing, in 1993 Helen Keller started lecturing on behalf of the American foundation for the blind. She established a two million dollar endowment fund, and her lectures took her around the world several times (“Helen Keller”). These accomplishments seem impossible to meet when not being able to see or hear, but Keller used her intelligence to pull through and fulfill them.

Not only was Helen Keller intelligent, but she was also emotionally strong. As Keller became older she became more willful and less responsive to the guidance of her protective parents. Keller once said, “I was strong, active and indifferent to consequences. I knew my own mind well enough and always had my own way, even if I had to fight tooth and nail for it” (“Helen Keller” 1). This quote shows that Keller wasn't going to settle for anything less than progress, and was willing to fight for it. Keller once quoted "The desire to express myself grew. The few signs I used became less and less adequate, and my failures to make myself understand were invariably followed by outbursts of passion. I felt as if invisible hands were holding me, and I made frantic efforts to free myself ("Helen Keller, Humanitarian" 18). At another point in her life Helen Keller quoted “Once I knew only darkness and stillness, my life was without past or future, but a little world from the fingers of another fell into my hand that clutched at emptiness, and my heart to the rapture of living” (“Helen Adams Keller” 1). Helen Keller was put through great emotional strain throughout her life, but as she grew older she was able to take control of her emotions.

Helen Keller should be the person of the Modern Era because she is kind hearted. Helen Keller always thought about other people’s well being before her own. By raising money for the blind and deaf, she helped put a stop to placing all disabled children permanently in institutions (“Helen Adams Keller” 1). When millionaire Andrew Carnegie offered Helen a lifetime annual pension of $15,000, she refused it and said, "I already have a fair share, and millions have less than their rightful portion ("Helen Keller, Humanitarian" 68). Another example of her kind heartedness is she was able to convince the government and the public of the importance and the value of appropriate education for disabled children (“Helen Adams Keller” 2). Helen Keller had many struggles throughout her life, but throughout these struggles she always put time and effort to help other people with their struggles. I think that proves Helen Keller was really one of a kind.

Helen Keller meets the three criteria that a person of the Modern Era should have, she intelligent, emotionally strong, and kind hearted. Besides being extremely intelligent, Helen Keller was always the person to think about others before herself. She was able to overcome her struggles and gain control of her emotions. She was truly one of a kind. This is why I believe Helen Keller should be chosen as the person of the modern era.