Illustration of Helen Keller and her teacher, Annie Sullivan

The Miracle Worker

by William Gibson

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The Miracle Worker Questions on Annie Sullivan

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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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.

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The Miracle Worker

Annie writes in a letter that her biggest problem in teaching young Helen is how to discipline her without breaking her spirit.

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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...

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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...

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...

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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...

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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...

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The Miracle Worker

Annie Sullivan, the protagonist of William Gibson's The Miracle Worker, faces two main antagonists in the play--her own fears (fear of failure) and the Keller family, particularly Helen (her deaf and...

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The Miracle Worker

Annie Sullivan uses her asylum experience to persuade the Kellers by stressing the harsh conditions she endured, which made her strong, but argues that Helen doesn't need such an experience. Annie...

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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...

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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...

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The Miracle Worker

In "The Miracle Worker," Annie opposes sending Helen to an asylum for two main reasons: her determination to help Helen and the horrors of the asylum itself. Annie is committed to teaching Helen,...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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The Miracle Worker

In "The Miracle Worker," classical conditioning is exemplified when Anne Sullivan finger-spells "water" while running water over Helen Keller's hand. This pairing of the tactile sign with the...

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The Miracle Worker

Annie Sullivan's smoked glasses in "The Miracle Worker" symbolize her own limited vision, both literally and metaphorically. They protect her sensitive eyes, but also reflect her initial inability to...

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The Miracle Worker

In The Miracle Worker, Annie Sullivan identifies three key advantages as she begins her job with the Keller family. Despite her youth and lack of experience, Annie emphasizes her energy, crucial for...

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The Miracle Worker

The crones in "The Miracle Worker" represent Annie's internal doubts and insecurities, urging her to hide her past to avoid undermining her credibility and confidence. Despite advice from Michael...

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The Miracle Worker

Annie Sullivan escaped Tewksbury Almshouse, known for its harsh conditions, by pleading for help from a visiting government official. After her brother's death and an unsuccessful eye surgery, Annie...

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The Miracle Worker

Annie demonstrates hope through her patience, determination, and belief in Helen's potential. Despite Helen's initial resistance and wild behavior, Annie's resolve never wavers, as shown when she...

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The Miracle Worker

Before leaving the garden house, Captain Keller and Annie Sullivan agree that Annie and Helen can live together alone on the property. Annie believes this separation from Helen's family will prevent...

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The Miracle Worker

Annie compares words to Helen's eyes, emphasizing that words are essential for Helen to understand and interact with the world. Annie believes that comprehending language will allow Helen to escape...

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The Miracle Worker

At the end of "The Miracle Worker," Annie and Helen share a profound love for each other. Helen, who once felt contempt and frustration toward Annie, is now deeply thankful and seeks her out,...

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The Miracle Worker

Annie insisted on keeping her own plate to establish boundaries necessary for Helen's learning. The Keller family had previously allowed Helen to do as she pleased, including grabbing food from...

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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...

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The Miracle Worker

Annie finds a flaw in Dr. Howe's methods, noting that he treated his patients like fragile eggs rather than ordinary children. She believes this approach prevents them from reaching their full...

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The Miracle Worker

The author effectively describes Helen's fit at the dinner table, highlighting the challenges Annie Sullivan faces. The scene emphasizes Annie's determination and strong will, crucial for teaching...

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The Miracle Worker

Annie's strength in "The Miracle Worker" stems from her harrowing experiences at a state almshouse, where she endured horrific conditions alongside the gravely ill, dying, and morally compromised...

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The Miracle Worker

The first argument between Annie and Helen in "The Miracle Worker" occurs over Annie's suitcase before entering the house. Helen explores Annie's hands and tries to open the suitcase. Annie uses sign...

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The Miracle Worker

Helen Keller's early life antagonists in "The Miracle Worker" are primarily her own parents, who indulge her behavior due to pity. This lack of discipline becomes an obstacle until Anne Sullivan...

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The Miracle Worker

After Captain Keller compliments Annie for her achievements with Helen, Annie requests that he not undo her progress by allowing Helen to have her way in everything. She urges him and his wife to...

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The Miracle Worker

The end of "The Miracle Worker" where Annie no longer hears voices signifies her overcoming fear, insecurity, and guilt, particularly regarding her brother's death. These voices symbolized her...

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The Miracle Worker

Annie pretends to play a spelling game with Percy, teaching him some basics of sign language, in order to stimulate Helen's sense of jealousy. Helen has become frustrated and is hiding under the bed,...

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The Miracle Worker

In "The Miracle Worker," Annie refers to the garden house experience as a "siege" because it isolates Helen with her, much like a city under siege. Helen can no longer escape to her parents and must...

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The Miracle Worker

The miracle at the water pump occurs when Annie Sullivan finally breaks through to Helen Keller, teaching her the concept of language. While holding Helen's hand under the flowing water, Annie spells...

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The Miracle Worker

Annie Sullivan is twenty years old when she arrives at the Keller home.

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The Miracle Worker

In "The Miracle Worker," Annie uses Percy to achieve her objectives by engaging him to provoke Helen's jealousy and curiosity. This tactic helps Annie to break through Helen's isolation and...

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The Miracle Worker

Before Annie Sullivan's arrival, Helen Keller's family was considering sending her to an asylum due to their desperation over managing her condition. The family discussed the possibility as a last...

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The Miracle Worker

The play portrays Helen Keller as a miracle because she overcomes her isolated world, learning to communicate through Annie Sullivan's guidance. Annie is depicted as the miracle worker for breaking...

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The Miracle Worker

In "The Miracle Worker," Jimmie, Annie Sullivan's younger brother, asks her the painful questions "Where we goin'?" and "When are we goin' home?" during her flashbacks to their time in the almshouse....

1 educator answer