The sense of touch makes up for the loss of sight and hearing. Explain this statement with reference to the text.
The sense of touch serves as a powerful substitute for the loss of sight and hearing, as demonstrated by Helen Keller throughout the text.
Despite being blind, she finds 'hundreds of things to interest me through mere touch.' She experiences the 'delicate symmetry of a leaf,' feels 'the smooth skin of a silver birch' and 'the rough, shaggy bark of a pine.'
In spring, she touches branches searching for buds, and sometimes feels 'the happy quiver of a bird in full song.'
Through touch, she can detect 'laughter, sorrow and other obvious emotions' and knows her friends 'from the feel of their faces.'
Touch allows her to connect with nature, understand emotions, and form meaningful relationships, compensating for what she cannot experience through sight and hearing.
Explanation
The chapter opens with Helen Keller explaining how she, who cannot see, finds 'hundreds of things to interest me through mere touch.' She provides numerous examples: feeling the symmetry of leaves, the texture of tree bark, searching for buds in spring, feeling a bird's quiver, and reading emotions through facial touch. This demonstrates how touch becomes her primary way of experiencing and understanding the world.
Solution Steps
The sense of touch compensates for the loss of sight and hearing, as shown by Helen Keller
Helen Keller finds 'hundreds of things to interest me through mere touch' despite being blind
She experiences nature through touch - the delicate symmetry of a leaf, smooth bark of silver birch, rough bark of pine
In spring, she searches for buds and feels the 'happy quiver of a bird in full song'
Touch enables her to detect emotions like laughter and sorrow, and recognize friends by feeling their faces
Touch allows connection with nature, understanding emotions, and forming meaningful relationships