Which sentence best states the conflict revealed in this passage from Helen Keller’s The Story of My Life? Have you ever been at sea in a dense fog, when it seemed as if a tangible white darkness shut you in, and the great ship, tense and anxious, groped her way toward the shore with plummet and sounding-line, and you waited with beating heart for something to happen? I was like that ship before my education began, only I was without compass or sounding-line, and had no way of knowing how near the harbour was. “Light! give me light!” was the wordless cry of my soul, and the light of love shone on me in that very hour. A. Helen is scared that she will never be able to communicate with her family again. B. Helen is angry that her mother and teacher aren’t helping her to communicate. C. Helen is frustrated by the challenges associated with learning to communicate. D. Helen is sad that her teacher is leaving and will be unable to communicate with her. ? PREVIOUS SUBMIT
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
Correct Answer: C. Helen is frustrated by the challenges associated with learning to communicate.
Explanation
In this powerful passage from The Story of My Life, Helen Keller uses an extended metaphor of being at sea in a dense fog to convey her inner turmoil before she gained the ability to communicate. She compares herself to a ship lost in a fog without tools like a compass or sounding-line to navigate, emphasizing her feelings of isolation, confusion, and desperation. The ship represents her own state of mind—tense, anxious, and searching for direction—while the fog symbolizes the darkness and silence she experienced due to her blindness and deafness.
Helen’s cry, “Light! give me light!” is described as the “wordless cry of my soul,” which powerfully captures the deep frustration and longing she felt for understanding and connection. The fact that this cry was “wordless” highlights the core of the conflict—she lacked a way to express her thoughts and feelings. This emotional and intellectual frustration forms the central conflict of the passage. She was not scared of never communicating again (as in choice A), nor was she angry with her family or teacher (choice B), and her teacher wasn’t leaving her (choice D). Instead, Helen felt trapped in her own mind, unable to break through the barriers created by her disabilities.
The resolution to this conflict begins with the introduction of “the light of love,” referring to the arrival of her teacher, Anne Sullivan. Sullivan’s patient and devoted instruction helped Keller find a way out of the metaphorical fog. Her education gave her the “light” she so desperately sought, allowing her to finally connect with the world around her. Therefore, the conflict revealed in the passage is best described as Helen’s frustration with the difficulties of learning to communicate, making C the most accurate choice.
