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What was the frost king controversy and how did it affect Helen? |
| Answer» \xa0A little story, ‘The Frost King’ which Helen Kellerwrote and sent to Mr. Anagnos, created a lot of trouble for her. It waslike a dark cloud in her childhood’s bright sky’. For a long time shelived in anxiety, doubt, fear and shame. She was accused of plagiarism.Helen Keller wrote the story when she was at home. Miss Sullivandescribed to her the beauties of the late foilage. Her descriptionsrevived the memory of a story which must have been read to her. Helenmust have retained that story unconsciously. When the story wasfinished, she read it to her teacher. At dinner the story was read tothe assembled family. They were surprised that Helen could write sowell. It was her story and she had written it for Mr. Anagnos. She sentit to him on his birthday. Mr. Anagnos was delighted with ‘‘The FrostKing’’ and published it in one of the Perkins Institute reports. It wasdiscovered that a story similar to ‘‘The Frost King’’ called ‘The FrostFairies’ by Miss Margaret T. Canby had already appeared. Actually it waspublished in a book called ‘‘Birdie and His Friends’ even before Helenwas born. The two stories were very much alike in thought and language.It was evident that Miss Canby’s story had been read to Helen. Helen’sstory, ‘The Frost King’ was a plagiarismMr. Anagnosis thought that he had been deceived. Helen tried to explain her position. But he turned a deaf ear to the pleadings of love and innocence. He suspected that Helen Keller and Miss Sullivan had deliberately stolen the bright story of Miss Canby. Helen was brought before a court of investigation. She was questioned and cross-questioned. As she lay in her bed that night, she wept and her spirit was broken. In her trouble she received many messages of love and sympathy. Miss Canby herself wrote kindly.‘‘Someday you will write a great story out of your own……’’ | |