Helen loves nature, but she describes a time when she was in a tree during a storm and realized nature could be frightening.
Helen adores nature. Anne Sullivan brings her into the fields to smell flowers and feel the waves of the grass. Helen is mesmerized. Nature seems wonderful, especially after her sheltered existence. It helps her experience the entire world and all life has to offer, despite her disabilities.
Even if you are blind and deaf, you can still enjoy nature. You can feel the sunlight on your face, smell flowers, and dip your toes in a pond. Helen Keller never really saw nature as dangerous or scary until one time she managed to climb a very tall tree.
Suddenly a change passed over the tree. All the sun's warmth left the air. I knew the sky was black, because all the heat, which meant light to me, had died out of the atmosphere. (Ch. 5)
Helen can tell from the smell of the air that the weather is changing and thunder is imminent. She suddenly feels alone and vulnerable. She is in the tree, and the safe earth seems far away. Fortunately, Anne Sullivan rescues her.
...I clung to her, trembling with joy to feel the earth under my feet once more. I had learned a new lesson—that nature "wages open war against her children, and under softest touch hides treacherous claws" (Ch. 5).
This incident does not end Helen’s love for nature, but it tempers it a little. She realizes that nature can be wonderful, but also dangerous. You have to be careful of snow and water, for example. Even though Helen is missing two senses, being part of nature is important to her. It helps her feel alive. She just has to learn to interact with nature in a safe way.
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