“Helen’s body continued to grow. But how could her mind grow in the dark silence? There was so much she could no longer understand.”

Though Helen is in good health, the two disabilities she is left with as a result of scarlet fever impact her greatly. Her parents are certain that she will not be able to function fully in society.

“What was everyone doing? What was going on? Helen became more and more angry. Sometimes the feeling of anger was more than she could stand. Then she kicked and screamed and tried to smash everything she touched. But this didn’t help either.”

Because others cannot communicate with Helen, she is frequently left bewildered and confused. Her temper tantrums develop as a partial response to her inability to express herself.

“Helen couldn’t hear the loudest noise in the world. But sometimes she could feel things slam or shake around her. She could feel their vibrations coming through the air and through the ground.”

Without sight or hearing, Helen’s life is both in darkness and silence. She learns to rely on other senses, especially her sense of touch. It is through this sense that she processes much of her world.