What happened in Act 1 of The Miracle Worker?
The Miracle Worker opens at the home of Captain Arthur Keller and his wife, Kate, in Tuscumbia, Alabama. Yet, moments later, Kate is horrified to discover on her own that Helen does not respond to any movement before her eyes, nor to any sound—not even her mother’s scream. …
What does the key symbolize in The Miracle Worker?
Keys. Keys and their uses are a powerful symbol in The Miracle Worker. Keys are used to open and close doors, lock characters in or out, and deprive characters of their freedom. Keys also serve as the medium Helen chooses in the play’s final moments to communicate understanding and trust in Annie, her teacher.
What is the message of the miracle worker?
The central theme of The Miracle Worker is communication. William Gibson’s play is based on the true story of Annie Sullivan, a young woman from Massachusetts who in the 1880s succeeded in teaching Helen Keller, a young deaf-blind girl from Alabama, how to communicate through sign language.
Why does Helen pull off Aunt Ev’s buttons?
TMW Act I: Why does Helen pull the buttons off Aunt Ev’s dress? Helen wants to use the buttons as eyes for the doll that Aunt Ev has given her.
What does Annie think is Helen’s worst handicap?
What does Annie feel is her greatest obstacle with Helen? Annie believes that her worst handicap is her mother’s love and pity.
Why does Annie Sullivan wear dark glasses?
The trip from Boston, Massachusetts, to Tuscumbia, Alabama, was the farthest that nineteen-year-old Annie Sullivan had ever traveled. Because of a recent eye operation, treatment for an eye disease known as trachoma, Annie had to wear dark glasses so that the sun would not hurt her sore eyes.
Why did Helen felt like crying at times?
Helen was too terrified to remember anything that her speech teacher had taught her. When she finally finished, she rushed offstage and burst into tears. Each time Helen gave a speech, she tried to figure out what kinds of things her audiences wanted to hear. She adapted her talk to fit their interests and their needs.
What was the first word Annie taught Helen?
water
Why does Annie wear smoked glasses?
Smoked glasses Symbol Analysis Before Annie Sullivan leaves her school to go to the Kellers’ home, her blind students give her a present: a pair of smoked (i.e., tinted) glasses. Annie uses these glasses to protect her eyes, which are still weak after her operation and sensitive to bright lights.
What words do Annie continuously hear in her flashback?
In her memory, she hears a boy’s voice, that of her dead brother. Then the voices of the crones, wise old women who tell the truth, are heard saying, “There is schools—” Annie recalls having left for school in Boston and her poor brother begging her not to leave.
What do the children give Annie as she is leaving them?
The children at the school for the blind where Annie was a student give her two gifts before she leaves to teach Helen. Because of her many eye surgeries and sensitivity to light, they give her a pair of dark glasses. And because they know she is going to teach a small girl, they give a doll to give to Helen.
What does Annie do to make Helen jealous of Percy?
TMW Act II: What does Annie do to make Helen jealous of Percy? Annie asks Percy to play a game. She teaches Percy the alphabet for the deaf, spelling words into his hand. Helen become jealous and wants to play the game that Percy is playing.
Why is it so important to Annie that Helen eat with a spoon?
Annie got Helen to eat of her own plate, eat with a spoon, and she also got her to fold her napkin. together forever? Yes, Annie promised her brother that they would be together forever. Annie wants to be in control of the food Helen eats because she thinks it’s a way to reach her.
Why does Annie wake up Percy?
Annie knows that if she herself tries to touch Helen at this point, it will only make things worse, so she wakes Percy and has him reach for her, and Helen, sensing that there is someone else there besides her hated teacher, responds. Annie then tries to arouse Helen’s curiosity by appealing to her competitive spirit.
How long does Annie get to be in the garden house with Helen?
Annie will live two weeks with Helen in the garden house. Viney’s son, Percy, will sleep there, too, and run errands for Annie. There will be no contact between Helen and her parents. The child will depend on her teacher for everything.
Whose voice does Annie hear in her mind that causes her pain when she goes up to her room?
Whose voices does Annie hear in her mind after reviewing the report? The voices Annie Sullivan hears is the boys voice the man voice and the 3 chrones. in a manner that settles an issue convincingly or produces a definite result.
What does Helen do to Annie when she gets the doll back from her?
Instead, here is what happens: (She never finishes, because Helen swings the doll with a furious energy, it hits Annie squarely in the face, and she falls back with a cry of pain, her knuckles up to her mouth.
What does Helen want on her doll?
Young Helen stole beads from her aunt’s cape and mimed that she wanted those for the doll’s eyes. After they were sewn on, Helen Keller said that she was overjoyed.
What made Helen feel bad that she had broken the doll?
Helen was sensitive as a child. When she was unable to understand the difference between mug and water. She got frustrated and dashed her doll against the floor. She felt bad and try to make her doll again by joining broken pieces of her doll.
How does Helen feel immediately?
a angery that the doll was so easy to break. c delight at feeling the broken pieces of the doll. d fear that miss sullivan will be angry with her.