The Miracle Worker Group at eNotes

The images of darkness and light are at the heart of this play. Helen...

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 12:23:18 PST

The images of darkness and light are at the heart of this play. Helen Keller, deaf, dumb and blind lives in a world dominated by darkness. Although her family copes with her severe disabilities by indulging her, they are in the dark on how to really help her. They endure her savage behavior, her tantrums, her frustration by ignoring it. Captain Keller, a staunch Southerner still smarting from the loss of the Civil War, has to put...

What do the words "light" and "dark" represent in...

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 14:50:41 PST

What do the words "light" and "dark" represent in "The Miracle Worker"?

Tewksbury was the location of a public institution for the poor near...

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 16:15:07 PST

Tewksbury was the location of a public institution for the poor near Boston, where Annie Sullivan and her brother were sent after the death of their mother. The Tewksbury Almshouse was notorious for its harsh living conditions and questionable practices in its treatment of the needy. After the death of her brother Jimmy, Annie was sent briefly to a hospital in Lowell, Massachusetts, where an unsuccessful surgery was performed on her...

How did Annie in "The Miracle Worker" get out of Tewksbury?

Sun, 15 Jun 2008 09:07:59 PST

How did Annie in "The Miracle Worker" get out of Tewksbury?

Communication is at the heart of this story. Helen Keller is deaf,...

Sat, 17 May 2008 09:10:01 PST

Communication is at the heart of this story. Helen Keller is deaf, blind and mute. When Anne Sullivan becomes her teacher, she is unable to effectively communicate with her family in an socially acceptable manner. They in turn allow her to stumble and grab her way through life, ignoring her behavior. Helen gets used to having her way and becomes a very spoiled child.Miss Sullivan, who, herself was blind and now has partial sight,...

Why is comunication a very important thing in the story, "The...

Sat, 17 May 2008 08:53:47 PST

Why is comunication a very important thing in the story, "The Miracle Worker"?

What communication problem existed between captain Keller and Annie?...

Tue, 13 May 2008 18:13:44 PST

What communication problem existed between captain Keller and Annie? Captain Keller and Kate? Captain Keller and James? And James and Kate?

It is language, or specifically an understanding of words, which is...

Wed, 7 May 2008 23:21:57 PST

It is language, or specifically an understanding of words, which is needed as a channel through which knowledge enters. Annie explains to Mr. Keller that Helen "has to learn that everything has its name...(then) words can be her eyes, to everything in the world outside her...with them she can think, have ideas, speak, be reached". Annie has been able to teach Helen to spell a number of words, but she has not yet at this point...

In The Miracle Worker, what, according to Annie, is needed...

Wed, 7 May 2008 18:46:30 PST

This question is from Act 2.

For Annie Sullivan, Helen Keller becomes an adopted sister that she...

Sat, 3 May 2008 19:32:12 PST

For Annie Sullivan, Helen Keller becomes an adopted sister that she succeeds in helping, thereby replacing her lost brother. Helen helps to fill an empty space for Miss Sullivan at the loss of her brother, Jimmie, who she was unable to help and feels guilty about being unable to protect. Her role in Helen Keller's development is a very satisfying experience for Miss Sullivan.

Annie is haunted by the death of her little brother Jimmie. Little...

Fri, 2 May 2008 23:56:58 PST

Annie is haunted by the death of her little brother Jimmie. Little more than a child herself, she watched helplessly as he struggled with her in the squalor of an orphan asylum, wracked by the pain of a tubercular hip. When his illness progressed to the stage where he could no longer walk, he gave up and died, leaving Annie feeling responsible for being powerless to relieve his suffering. The memory of Jimmie is what makes Annie so...

How did Sullivan use Keller to fill a missing piece in her life that was...

Fri, 2 May 2008 21:35:53 PST

How did Sullivan use Keller to fill a missing piece in her life that was left by her brother in "The Miracle Worker"?

James finally stands up to his father at the end of Act II. After...

Fri, 2 May 2008 15:36:07 PST

James finally stands up to his father at the end of Act II. After being alone with Annie, Helen's behavior has improved considerably, but with the return of her indulgent parents Helen reverts to her tyrannical ways. At the dinner table, the child throws a tantrum when she cannot get her way; her parents are inclined to mollify her, but Annie insists that Helen behave. After Helen spills a pitcher of water, Annie grabs her with the...

Why does Jimmie finally stand up to his father in "The Miracle...

Thu, 1 May 2008 17:01:14 PST

Why does Jimmie finally stand up to his father in "The Miracle Worker"?

As you read on you will notice that James is very arrogant at times. ...

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 12:26:06 PST

As you read on you will notice that James is very arrogant at times. He is obviously not close to his father and is resentful of the attention which Helen receives from the family.James waits for the family to be seated before announcing Annie's predicament because of this arrogance. His resentfulness toward Annie is very obvious when he tells everyone that Helen deserves to be in an asylum. His waiting to tell the family that Annie is...

Why does James wait until the family is seated for dinner to tell Kate...

Sat, 12 Apr 2008 05:18:53 PST

Why does James wait until the family is seated for dinner to tell Kate and Captain Keller that Annie has been locked in her room?

annie was once blind when she was a child, too until she went through an...

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 02:03:08 PST

annie was once blind when she was a child, too until she went through an operation herself. She knows how Helen feels

Why does Annie have flashbacks of her childhood in "The Miracle...

Wed, 9 Apr 2008 07:08:22 PST

Why does Annie have flashbacks of her childhood in "The Miracle Worker"?

To me its not till the end when helen learns,word and is begining to...

Wed, 9 Apr 2008 07:06:58 PST

To me its not till the end when helen learns,word and is begining to speak. when she was tryin to say wter and she was sayin wah wah.

Her brother because she promise she wouldnt leave him. and she would be...

Wed, 9 Apr 2008 07:04:02 PST

Her brother because she promise she wouldnt leave him. and she would be there for ever. thats why she has so many flash backs.