Describe Annie Sullivan. What kind of a woman was she?

When Anne Sullivan went to teach Keller in March 1887, she was only twenty years old and a recent graduate of the Perkins Institution for the Blind. When she was very young, she and her brother were sent to an almshouse (a charitable home for the poor, usually providing very bad living conditions at that time) in Massachusetts, where she contracted an eye disease that left her with severely impaired vision. Having overcome her own vision problems, she had the benefit of understanding what it was like not to be able to access the world through all five senses. She knew that discipline would be the first priority if she was to be an effective teacher, and she was as patient in disciplining Keller as she was in tutoring her.

Sullivan used Samuel Gridley Howe's approach to teaching the blind and deaf. This consisted of using the manual alphabet to spell out words in the student's hand. While Howe believed in structured lessons, Sullivan opted for more spontaneous lessons. She was acutely aware of her environment and her student's interests, so she sought opportunities to teach in everyday moments, such as while taking a walk or preparing for a holiday. Sullivan taught Keller the manual alphabet, Braille, and a wide range of educational subjects, and she accompanied her to special schools to learn advanced subjects. When Keller attended Radcliffe College, Sullivan repeated lectures and class discussions using Howe's method.

Throughout Keller's life, Sullivan was dedicated to supporting her efforts in education and in social reform. Sullivan was always with Keller, helping her to communicate to her audience and being a go-between as Keller met new and interesting people. This dedication to her student was uninterrupted even after Sullivan married Keller's editor, John Albert Macy. Sullivan died in 1936.