Illustration of Helen Keller and her teacher, Annie Sullivan

The Miracle Worker

by William Gibson

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What two phrases does Annie teach Helen by letting Helen feel Annies face? And how is Helen like the baby Mildred?

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The final scene at the pump is the most critical and the turning point that will forever change Helen's life. When Helen finally links the finger spelling of "water" to the actual water, she has ultimately grasped the ability to communicate with others. Upon learning the word for water, she frantically touches everything around her in order to learn new words. She is like baby Mildred because she is at the beginning of her life, learning what words mean and how they can be used to communicate with other. She is, in essence, being reborn. By touching Annie's face, Helen is wanting a word for Annie. Annie spells "teacher" to Helen. As a final bonding moment, Annie spells to Helen the words "I love Helen."

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