Question about Braille

In the final scene of "I'll Be Waving As You Drive Away" Mary reads aloud to the congregation the fifteenth Psalm from a Braille bible. My impression, though, is that she was only at the blind school a couple of months. Would someone really be able to read Braille so fluently after such a short time?

I was wondering about that too...I suppose that the answer is "no". But I think that the authors wrote this eoisode in a hurry, so it is put in a grat incosistence like this one. Once more...

Vanesa.

As evidenced in "Whisper Country" she knew some of the psalms by heart, but somehow it kind of spoils the scene to think she was reciting this one partly from memory.

Great topic whitelighter!!
I think its possible. Some people are quick learners. How did Isaiah Edwards learn American Sign Language so quick when he took in that deaf boy whose dad abandoned him?
The writers, write, and we enjoy.

Joe wrote:

The writers, write, and we enjoy.

And I think that's what it boils down to. They are looking for drama, things that will touch the hearts of viewers. They did it well, even though we pick on them from time to time for things like this.

I do agree, but Mary remember was very smart. She learned quickly, and she once again could see her dream happening to be a teacher. I do believe that Mary probably did know that verse from memory, but she would have picked up the braille well enough to do well during this service.

Joe and Beth&Manly -
I know it may sound nitpicky, but I think certain details like this are important since Mary's blindness was such a turning point in the series. But as Gin said, she probably had the psalm memorized anyway since she'd since she recited another one by memory in "Whisper Country" (Psalm 133?).

I told agree with you, whitelighter, but in Hollywood our opinions don't seem to matter much.

whitelighter wrote:

Joe and Beth&Manly -
I know it may sound nitpicky, but I think certain details like this are important since Mary's blindness was such a turning point in the series. But as Gin said, she probably had the psalm memorized anyway since she'd since she recited another one by memory in "Whisper Country" (Psalm 133?).

They ARE important!! I think every show that has dedicated followers should question inconcistancies (sp). That might make for an interesting topic to discuss; LHOTP Inconsistancies. (I really should learn to spell that word.) :)

Another little detail: how could she have been entitled to teach blind children when she only studied at Vinton only for a couple of months? This question puzzles me even more than how good she began to read braille in short time. Don't forget she was teching along with Adam at Winoka School for the Blind since the very moment she arrived there with her family!

Vanesa.

Another good point, Vanesa.

Mary was helping Miss Beadle to teach before she went blind so I can see where she was already capable of teaching the blind children. Back then children did a lot of memorization and repitition. You don't need to see to teach them to memorize. And as for learning to read braille so quickly, she already knew how to read print, it wasn't as if she was learning as a 1st grader. Mary was a scholar, I don't think that it would have taken her long to learn to read braille.
It is said that when someone loses one sense, others are more sensitive. I have a book about Louis Braille who invented the braille alphabet. On the back cover, the braille alphabet is written so we can see and feel the letters. My fingers can't tell the differrence in any of them but a blind person would be able to feel it easier because of the "strengthened sense" of touch. (I don't know how else to explain that, hope it made sense.) So.... Mary's few months as a student would be likely enough to learn the basics. Knowing Mary, she likely had a book or two stuffed in her bag to read and practise over the summer until she met up with Adam again and became a teacher.
These are only my thoughts but I hope they may cast some light on your questions.

[b]I think it depends on the type of learner you are.I agree with Savannah.

Today be harder.....

Today, even no-blind education is slowliest. My nephews knows much less than my great-grandfather did at their same age. I have his books here and it's amazing!

Vanesa.

If I recall, I remember reading something about it- it may have been in the book "Laura" -author's name escapes me at the moment.... the cover is posted on the forum... anyhoo- the real Mary Ingalls apparently learned to read braille very quickly because of the fact she knew so many bible passages by heart. Can't say for certain if that is what they were going for on the show- but it seems like it.

Yes. She learned braille quite quickly, but she graduated from Vinton, Iowa , after8 or nine years of studying there (I can't recall the exact amount of time), while in the show, she leaves after few months of being there studying- Grace's age is a proof that the writers didn't resume some years in a single episode...

Vanesa.

I never thought before about whether or not Mary could read Braille that fluently. But I think it was probably a combination of her being a good student and her knowing perhaps what the psalm essentially said. She may not have been able to read every Braille word, but if she knew the context she probably knew what word was coming anyway and maybe she just followed along with her fingers. I have some Bible verses memorized myself, but if I stood up in front of a church, I would want to have the piece of paper with them written on them rather than rely on my memory and I would probably even read from the piece of paper but maybe not really be reading it and maybe some of what I would say would be from my memory - if that makes sense!

It could have been interesting to have Mary at the blind school for at least several episodes in the season, but one thing I like about LHOTP is that the episodes are fairly well contained instead of them being a story arc like most shows feel compelled to do now. I like that you don't necessarily have to watch them in order or see every show to know what is going on. To me it is more like each episode is its own little movie.

It makes sense...Maybe Mary was remembering that Psalm by memory.

My objection to this episode is that Mary couldn't be in state of teaching blind children after few months of studies in Vinton.

Of course, I asume that every single episde in LHOTP could be seen as a movie in itself whithout any need of watching the previous ones...but this time I think they resumed the situation a little to fast.

Vanesa.

I think it depends what kind of teacher she was supposed to be to the children. If she was supposed to teach things specifically for the blind, such as Braille, then maybe she was not qualified. But if she was supposed to teach subjects that sighted children would also learn, I think she could have been qualified. Plus, she had Adam to help her along, so I still think she could do it. If Pa can do everything he does (like being able to pick up any job without much problem), then Mary can!

amyk wrote:

If Pa can do everything he does (like being able to pick up any job without much problem), then Mary can!

At least the part about Pa picking up odd jobs all the time is historically accurate.

But I really don't think he could have done those heroics that he did in THE RUNAWAY CABBOOSE!! It just seems like he is "Superman" - but I am not actually complaining about that....I rather enjoy it, but it does make me laugh.

Anyway, yes, maybe Mary teaching the kids so soon is a bit far-fetched, but I still think the Mary character from the show could have done it, even if Mary in real-life did not. I guess it just does not really bug me at all, maybe because I love this episode so much and for me it is more poignant that, at the end, she is going to be a teacher, which is what she wanted so badly.

Hi, gang!:

Yes...Pa was depicted as a Super-hero! But I think that any parent whose children could be in danger is capable of trying to d desperate things.



Vanesa.