THREE DAYS TO SEE

Recently, I was visited by a very good friend who had just returned from a long walk in the woods, and I
asked her what she had seen. 'Nothing in particular', she replied.

How was it possible, I asked myself, to walk for an hour through the woods and see nothing worth
seeing? Those who have eyes apparently see little. I, who cannot see, find hundreds of things to interest
me only through touch. In spring I touch the branches of trees hopefully in search of a bud. I feel the
delicate symmetry of a leaf with my fingers. I place my hand gently on a small tree and feel the happy
quiver* of a bird singing.

If I were the president of a uiniversity, I should start a compulsory course in 'How to Use Your Eyes'. The
students would learn how they could add joy to their lives by really seeing what passes before them.

Suppose you had only three more days to see. What would you most want to look at?

I, naturally, should want most to see the things which have become dear to me through my years of
darkness so that I could take the memory of them with me into the night.

I should want most to see the people whose kindness and gentleness and companionship have made my
life worth living. First I should like to look for a very long time at the face of my dear teacher, Mrs. Ann
Sullivan Macy, who came to me when I was a child and opened the outer world to me. I should want not
only to see her face, so that I could cherish it in my memory, but to study that face and find in it the
living evidence of the sympathetic tenderness and patience with which she accomplished the difficult
task of my education. I should like to see in her eyes that strength of character which has enabled her to
stand firm in the face of difficulties, and that compassion for all humanity which she has revealed to me
so often.

'Three Days To See'

By Helen Keller

Taken from The Atlantic Monthly

*vibration
Helen Keller (1880-1986) was an American author and lecturer. At 19 months she was left deaf and
blind after a severe illness and soon became dumb. As she could not hear nor see, she did not learn to
speak. She could not communicate with people and she did not understand the world around her. She
experienced very difficult moments as a child and because of that she had terrible fits from time to time.
When Helen was seven years old, a teacher, Miss Ann Sullivan (Mrs. John Macy) started her education.
She taught Helen how to communicate and put her in touch with the outer world. The terrible fits
disappeared. Helen learned to speak, read and write. She learned so well that she completed her studies
at the university. She did a lot to help the handicapped and gained world fame.

Helen's teacher, Ann Sullivan, became world famous as an outstanding example in the teaching
profession. The amazing achievements of this partnership must be attributed to both pupil and teacher.

Terminology

touch /tɅtʃ/ dodir

president of a university – rektor univerziteta

compulsory course /kƏm' pɅlsƏri kƆ :s/ obavezni predmet

memory /'memƏri/ of – sjećanje na

patience /'peiʃns/ strpljenje

education /edju: 'keiʃn/ obrazovanje

strength of character – snaga karaktera

compassion /kƏm' pæʃn/ sažaljenje, saosjećanje

humanity /hju: 'mænƏti/ čovječanstvo, ljudi, ljudski rod

Phrases

nothing in particular – nothing special

in search of – looking for

cherish in my memory – keep dearly in my memory

accomplish the task of – complete the work

The Analysis of the Text

a. Can this text be divided into two parts? If you think it can, where does the first part end and the
second begin? Give your own subtiltles for them.
b. Find and underline the sentences in the first part of the text in which Helen Keller makes an
open statement that she is blind.
c. In which sentences does the author indirectly inform us that she cannot hear? Why can't she
enjoy a bird singing in a big tree? Which sense does she use to enjoy things around her?
d. Helen Keller says that 'those who have eyes apparently see little'. What made her think so?
What incident did she describe? What would she like to teach students?
e. How did some people make Helen Keller's life worth living? Is the person described in the
second part of the text a real person? If so, who was she?
f. Explain the meaning of the sentence ... 'Mrs. Ann Sullivan Macy ... came to me when I was a
child and opened the outer world to me.'
g. 'She accomplished the difficult task of my education' – What made the task so difficult?
h. Underline one reason Helen Keller gives why she wishes to see her teacher's face and one
reason why she wishes to see her eyes.
i. The qualities of Ann Sullivan as a teacher were:
sym......ic t.....ness
pat...ce
str...th of ch.....er
comp.ss..n for all hu....ty

Try to get / give some information:

a. Ask some questions about Helen Keller and Ann Sullivan. Choose one of your friends to answer
them.
b. Write a short note to your friend asking who Helen Keller / Ann Sullivan was. When your friend
writes down the answers to your questions in the form of a paragraph, you will have a short text
as a summary.

Assignment

Prepare to tell the class about some interesting moments in Helen Keller's life. For example, it would be
interesting to hear how Ann Sullivan succeeded in teaching Helen the first world. You could ask your
teacher of pedagogy or your psychology teacher to organize a discussion about some book or article you
read about Helen Keller.

Transfer

Handicapped children in special schools today. (Discuss this topic in about 10 sentences.)
Word Study

Notice the suffixes for noun formation:

ADJECTIVE adjective + -ness = abstract noun - NESS

gentle + -ness = gentleness

ADJECTIVE adjective + -ity = abstract noun - ITY

regular + -ity = regularity

VERB verb + -ment = abstract noun - MENT

disappoint + -ment = disappointment

NOUN noun + -ship = abstract noun - SHIP

friend + -ship = friendship