Illustration of Helen Keller and her teacher, Annie Sullivan

The Miracle Worker

by William Gibson

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The Miracle Worker Questions and Answers

The Miracle Worker

The conclusion of The Miracle Worker emphasizes the transformative power of perseverance and education. The moral lesson is that with dedication and patience, significant breakthroughs can be...

3 educator answers

The Miracle Worker

The relationship between James and Captain Keller in The Miracle Worker is strained and conflict-ridden. James feels overshadowed and ignored by his authoritative father, Captain Keller, who...

4 educator answers

The Miracle Worker

In The Miracle Worker, Annie Sullivan's past significantly influences her approach to teaching Helen Keller. Having grown up in an asylum and experienced blindness herself, Annie is determined to...

10 educator answers

The Miracle Worker

Annie's brother, Jimmie, was sent with her to a harsh state asylum in Massachusetts after their mother died and their father abandoned them. Suffering from a tubercular hip, Jimmie was terrified of...

1 educator answer

The Miracle Worker

The central conflict in William Gibson's play, The Miracle Worker, is the struggle between Helen Keller, a young girl who is deaf and blind, and her teacher, Annie Sullivan, who is determined to...

3 educator answers

The Miracle Worker

In The Miracle Worker, Helen Keller exhibits unruly behavior related to food, often grabbing from others' plates and eating with her hands. Her preferences are not explicitly detailed, but her...

2 educator answers

The Miracle Worker

In "The Miracle Worker," Helen reacts with curiosity and hostility to Annie's arrival and first day. Initially, Helen is intrigued by Annie, but this quickly turns into resistance as she tests...

2 educator answers

The Miracle Worker

In William Gibson's The Miracle Worker, dynamic characters like Annie Sullivan and Helen Keller undergo significant transformations, with Annie teaching Helen to communicate, thus earning the title...

6 educator answers

The Miracle Worker

Annie Sullivan hears the words "forever and ever" repeated in her flashbacks. They are spoken by her brother, who died as a child and to whom Annie feels that she has broken a promise.

1 educator answer

The Miracle Worker

In the breakfast room, Annie Sullivan achieves a breakthrough with Helen Keller by teaching her to eat from her own plate with a spoon and fold a napkin. Despite a physical struggle, Annie's...

2 educator answers

The Miracle Worker

The breakfast discussion on the Battle of Vicksburg parallels Annie and Helen's struggle by highlighting the themes of persistence and obstinacy. Just as Ulysses S. Grant's determination led to...

2 educator answers

The Miracle Worker

In The Miracle Worker, Mrs. Keller is portrayed as a loving but overly permissive mother to Helen, allowing her to act without discipline due to pity for her disabilities. This approach, however,...

3 educator answers

The Miracle Worker

Annie and Helen in The Miracle Worker are similar in that both have vision impairments and are intelligent and determined. However, they differ in their backgrounds; Annie grew up in an asylum after...

1 educator answer

The Miracle Worker

Percy is a young Black servant on the Keller estate and Helen's playmate.

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The Miracle Worker

The Miracle Worker uses several symbols to enhance its themes. The water pump symbolizes communication and breakthrough, as Helen Keller's understanding of language begins there. The locked doors...

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The Miracle Worker

Annie's conversation with Anagnos in The Miracle Worker reveals her resilience and determination. It highlights her difficult past, including time spent in an asylum and her brother's death, which...

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The Miracle Worker

In The Miracle Worker, Helen's mother, Kate Keller, believes in Helen's intellectual potential and shows her affection, while her father, Captain Keller, rarely interacts with her. Her half-brother,...

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The Miracle Worker

In "The Miracle Worker," Viney is a servant in the Keller household, who is considerate and helps care for Helen Keller. Her children, Martha and Percy, play with Helen; Martha is caring, while Percy...

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The Miracle Worker

Annie Sullivan wears dark glasses because her eyes are extra sensitive to light. Annie was once nearly blind until an operation corrected her sight.

1 educator answer

The Miracle Worker

Keller agrees to write to Dr. Chisholm because he's widely regarded as being able to work wonders when it comes to curing people of their blindness. Although Captain Keller is deeply skeptical, he...

1 educator answer

The Miracle Worker

In William Gibson's play "The Miracle Worker," Helen's teacher, Annie Sullivan, receives a salary of $25 per month. This amount is considered generous given her role and circumstances. Despite...

2 educator answers

The Miracle Worker

Captain Keller reacts to Annie's work with Helen with strong disapproval and anger, believing she is too strict and lacks compassion. He prefers to humor Helen's disruptive behavior, while Annie...

2 educator answers

The Miracle Worker

Three behavior modification techniques observed are positive reinforcement, punishment, and planned ignoring. Positive reinforcement involves rewarding a desired behavior, as seen when Annie Sullivan...

3 educator answers

The Miracle Worker

Kate Keller and Annie Sullivan in The Miracle Worker both love Helen Keller and are determined to help her thrive, but their approaches differ. Kate, worn by grief, pampers Helen, seeing her as an...

3 educator answers

The Miracle Worker

Annie Sullivan in "The Miracle Worker" is a determined and partially-sighted young woman tasked with educating Helen Keller. Despite her tough background and personal struggles, Annie's empathy and...

2 educator answers

The Miracle Worker

Annie Sullivan believes that obedience is the gateway through which knowledge enters the mind of a child. After Helen has another tantrum, Annie tells her mother and father that she knows what...

1 educator answer

The Miracle Worker

Anne Sullivan brought Helen Keller a beautiful doll as a gift. The children from the Perkins Institute had contributed to its purchase. When Helen finds the doll in Anne's suitcase, she is delighted...

1 educator answer

The Miracle Worker

In The Miracle Worker, Helen hides the key to lock Annie Sullivan in her room as a sign of her resentment towards Annie's teaching methods, which involve physical interaction to teach sign language....

2 educator answers

The Miracle Worker

The climax of The Miracle Worker occurs when Annie Sullivan spells the word water in Helen's hand as they are pumping water and the young girl understands the connection between the word and the...

2 educator answers

The Miracle Worker

Kate reacts with weariness and a sense of defeat when Helen stabs Annie with a needle. Despite knowing it's not ideal, she gives Helen a sweet to make her drop the sewing card, reflecting a strategy...

1 educator answer

The Miracle Worker

When Annie Sullivan leaves the Perkins Institute for the Blind, she receives several gifts. Anagnos, an administrator, gives her a small loan for travel and a garnet ring. Additionally, the children...

1 educator answer

The Miracle Worker

When Captain Keller says "the house is at sixes and sevens from morning 'til night over the child," he means the household is in constant disarray due to Helen's uncontrollable behavior. Helen's...

2 educator answers

The Miracle Worker

Helen Keller became deaf and blind due to an illness she contracted at 19 months old. In The Miracle Worker, this illness is described as "acute congestion of the stomach and brain." While initially...

2 educator answers

The Miracle Worker

In The Miracle Worker, Annie's role is crucial in resolving the conflict by teaching Helen Keller to communicate, which transforms Helen's life. Her persistence and innovative methods drive the plot...

3 educator answers

The Miracle Worker

Dolls in The Miracle Worker symbolize the feelings Helen and Anne struggle to express.

1 educator answer

The Miracle Worker

Annie Sullivan comes to the Keller home to teach seven-year-old Helen Keller, who is deaf and blind, language and understanding. Despite Helen's increasing difficulties and previous failures to find...

1 educator answer

The Miracle Worker

James initially exhibits a negative attitude towards Annie, dismissing her as too young and inexperienced to manage Helen. He is unsympathetic towards Helen and disrespectful to Annie, calling her...

1 educator answer

The Miracle Worker

Helen's reaction to Annie in The Miracle Worker reveals her challenge of being a spoiled and obstinate child who behaves without manners due to her family's pity. Mr. Keller's actions and Kate's...

1 educator answer

The Miracle Worker

Doctor Howe is not a character in "The Miracle Worker" but is referenced as Annie Sullivan's mentor. His influence is significant as he trained Annie at the Perkins Institute for the Blind, which...

2 educator answers

The Miracle Worker

At the "welcome home" dinner in "The Miracle Worker," Helen initially regresses to her previous unruly behavior after showing improvement during her time with Annie Sullivan in the garden house....

1 educator answer

The Miracle Worker

Captain Keller, whose first name is Arthur, is a stern and authoritative figure in "The Miracle Worker." He is a newspaper editor and a former Confederate officer. His strict demeanor often clashes...

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The Miracle Worker

The first word Helen Keller understands and appropriately uses is water.

1 educator answer

The Miracle Worker

Annie links Jimmie and Helen in her mind due to her past guilt over failing to protect her brother Jimmie, who died young in an institution. She views saving Helen from institutionalization as a way...

1 educator answer

The Miracle Worker

Jimmie stands up to his father in "The Miracle Worker" during a dinner scene where Helen misbehaves, and her parents wish to appease her. Annie insists on discipline, and when Mr. Keller tries to...

1 educator answer

The Miracle Worker

The Kellers' actions at breakfast in "The Miracle Worker" reveal their lack of discipline and boundaries for Helen, who is blind and deaf. Helen's unruly behavior, like sticking her fingers into...

1 educator answer

The Miracle Worker

Before Annie's arrival, Helen's behavior significantly affects her family. The Captain pities her but is often exasperated, as seen when Helen disrupts his papers to gain attention. Kate coddles...

1 educator answer

The Miracle Worker

Keys symbolize knowledge and the liberating effect knowledge has upon Helen's mind.

1 educator answer

The Miracle Worker

Helen wants approval from Annie, as she demonstrates her grasp of the "game" of spelling by forming letters into Belle's paw. At this stage, Helen perceives the letter-making as a game taught by...

1 educator answer

The Miracle Worker

In The Miracle Worker, Helen interacts affectionately with Belle, the family dog, often showing rough affection. During a pivotal scene, Helen tries to spell "water" to Belle using the dog's paws but...

1 educator answer

The Miracle Worker

Over the last five years, Kate Keller evolves from a traditional, overindulgent mother to a supportive advocate for her daughter, Helen. Initially filled with doubt about Helen's potential, Kate...

2 educator answers