Worksheet: Analyzing Helen Keller’s 1912 Letter to Governor Walsh

Name: _______________________________________ 
Period: ________ 
Date: __________

Follow this link to the digital Helen Keller Archive: “Article with letter from Helen Keller to David Walsh, Governor of Massachusetts, advocating for women’s suffrage.” Read the article and answer the questions below.

Sourcing

To whom is Helen Keller writing? Why? Who do you think is her primary audience, the letter’s recipient or the public?

Close Reading

What is Keller’s opinion of women’s suffrage?

What changes does she anticipate once women have the right to vote?

Identify and summarize the two most important arguments made in this article.

Contextualization

What unfamiliar names, events, or ideas are referred to in this article? What topics would you need to learn more about in order to more fully understand Keller’s letter? Consult your teacher to find additional information.

Rhetoric and Analysis

Choose two passages in the text you find compelling and explain why you chose them.

Identify one rhetorical device used in the article. How does Keller use it to persuade her audience?