Illumination

"The upshot of Swedenborg's teaching was that the essence of divine life is love and that men are dead unless they are animated by it. Without love they are in a state of spiritual death, while abandonment of self is another name for heaven and self-will is the cause of the torment of hell." pg 101

Van Wyck Brooks, author of Sketch for a Portrait, makes many references to past philosophers, important figures and knowledgeable people. Perhaps the most influential person in Helen Keller’s life which was remarked to in the novel was Emanuel Swedenborg. Swedenborg was a philosopher more than anything. His main objective was to “make Christianity a living reality upon earth” (100) He was a firm believer in the spiritual sense, which claimed to present no difficulty.

In the chapter “My Religion” Helen Keller, the native Catholic, observed different aspects of the religious world and admits that the Bible is something which she could not come to terms with. It baffled her, even though she was naturally a strong believer in God. Ms. Keller longed for a “practical religion” (98) which strived to perfect man and depend on love. Both Swedenborg and Keller had undergone an “illumination” which defined their devotion to this practical belief. For Helen it was the kindle which showed her the world of acquired knowledge. Opposed to this idea was Anne Sullivan who had no religion at all. Notwithstanding, Helen continued to look deeper in this new religion. She felt that Swedenborg had not made a new Bible, but had “made the Bible all new to her.”