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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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,...

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...

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...

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....

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

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,...

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...

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

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...

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...

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

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...

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...

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...

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...

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,...

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...

Before Anne Sullivan arrived, Helen Keller's disabilities isolated her from the world. Her parents, unable to communicate with her, resigned themselves to her wild behavior and tantrums, treating her...

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...

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....

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...

Martha first appears in the play in Scene 1 and she is a servant of Helen's family. In Scene 2, Martha and Kate argue about who will take care of Helen. They proceed to fight over scissors until...

Helen Keller was treated as incapable and undisciplined at a young age, with her family indulging her rather than teaching her. They viewed her as unable to learn due to her disabilities, leading to...

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...

Helen demonstrates that the doll needs eyes by pulling buttons off Aunt Ev's dress and holding them to the doll's face, illustrating her intelligence and problem-solving skills despite her inability...

James's feelings about Helen's learning ability are complex and influenced by his resentment over feeling neglected by his family. While his sarcastic remarks initially mask his true beliefs, they...

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...

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...

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,...

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...

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,...

In The Miracle Worker, Kate discovers that Helen, despite her disabilities, is highly intelligent and capable of learning. Kate observes Helen's ability to imitate and understand sign language,...

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...

Percy describes Helen's way of communication as an attempt to talk by touching her fingertips to her lips and mimicking the lip movements of others without producing sound. He observes this behavior...

The irony in Helen's reaction when Aunt Ev gives her a doll lies in dramatic irony. Although Helen insists the doll have eyes, reflecting her own blindness, the real irony is that the audience...

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...

The Kellers initially have low expectations for Helen due to her disabilities, primarily hoping to manage her behavior. However, they eventually seek help from Annie Sullivan, hoping she can teach...

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...

Baby Helen is diagnosed with "acute congestion of the stomach and brain" after surviving a serious fever. Modern interpretations suggest she may have had scarlet fever, meningitis, or encephalitis,...

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...

Helen's mother, Kate, discovers Helen's blindness and deafness after Helen recovers from a severe illness. As the doctor assures them of a full recovery, Kate notices Helen's lack of response to her...

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...

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...