The Miracle Worker

Background of the Play

William Gibson was an American novelist and a playwright. He mainly wrote for theatre from where he got fame as a playwright. He went to City College of New York from where he got his graduation. During his stay at the college, he was very much interested in theatre and he worked there mainly. After graduation, he tried his luck in writing different literary pieces but could not succeed. He started working in a psychiatric clinic to earn his living. He married Margaret Brenman-Gibson who was a psychotherapist.

He wrote a novel The Cobweb (1951) stimulated by his time at the psychiatric clinic. Gibson broke the shackles with his upcoming two plays; “Two for the Seesaw” and “The Miracle Worker”. The latter won him the Tony Award for Best Play. He continued writing after those plays but found less success.

“The Miracle Worker” is a biographical play that deals with the childhood education of Helen Keller. It consists of three acts. The play revolves around two characters, Annie Sullivan and Helen Keller. It shows us how an individual’s determination and perseverance lead to one’s success. Annie Sullivan takes the hardest responsibility of teaching Helen who is both blind and deaf. Her parents have pampered her and she is wild and strange as well. Annie, through her experiences and perseverance, soothes her and enables her to understand language slowly and gradually.

Annie Sullivan herself had some sight issues in her past which she overcame after several surgeries. She had experienced everything herself, which Helen is experiencing now, so she knew how it worked. She took her time to try and convince her that she can learn anything. Helen is hesitant, at first, but she adapts to the new situations with the passage of time.

The Miracle Worker Summary

The Miracle Worker Act I Summary

The setting of the play is the 1880’s Tuscumbia, Alabama. One night, the couple Arthur Keller and Kate Keller are standing near the cot of their newborn baby girl Helen Keller. The baby is ill and the doctor assures them that she will survive. He also tells them to wait for their baby’s good health as she is suffering from an enigmatic brain disease. The doctor leaves the household. Afterwards, her mother comes to know that Helen cannot hear or see because she does not respond to her mother.

After five years, Helen has become a wild child now. She is both deaf and blind and cannot communicate with anyone. She threatens the black children, Martha and Percy, with a pair of scissors. The children scream, Helen’s mother comes out and takes her inside. Inside, we are introduced to Aunt Ev and James Keller, Helen’s step-brother. Aunt Ev gives the doll, she has been making, to Helen and asks Arthur Keller to consult the famous ophthalmologist about Helen’s condition. He refuses to cite Helen to have been to many specialists without any progress. Kate also pleads with him but he declines to say that he has become hopeless. James proposes sending her to a madhouse that enrages his father.

Helen’s wild nature continues to disturb her family members. She moves towards the cot in which Mildred, the Kellers’ newest child, is sleeping and pulls it. When she does so, Mildred falls from it. Kate scolds Helen for doing such things. Arthur suggests Kate to start disciplining her. Arthur tells her that he will talk to the eye specialist. The doctor refers them to Mr. Anagnos who works at the Perkins Institution for the Blind.

Mr. Anagnos tells the Kellers that he will find someone. He informs Annie of the situation and offers her the job of Helen’s governess. She accepts the job. Mr. Anagnos tells her how difficult the job would be but instructs her on how to tackle difficult situations. Annie is twenty-years-old. She had eyesight problems but now that is partially over due to several surgeries.

Annie tells him to describe Helen which he declines by saying that no one can describe her. She is an enigmatic character. He also tells her that he has not told the Kellers about her problem and suggests she must tell them herself so that they know. He tells her she will receive $25 a month for her services. He gives her a ring as a farewell gift. Some small blind children come through the door and tell Annie not to leave. They give her a pair of tinted glasses as a gift. They also give her a doll for her new student. The children leave afterwards.

In a flashback, Annie remembers her brother James who tells her to not leave him. James was physically disabled. She promised to take care of him but failed and he died. Annie blames herself for his death because she thinks she did not take enough care of him. When the scene changes, everyone at the Kellers’ wait for Annie’s arrival. Kate and James Keller go to receive Annie from the station.

They meet one another and introduce themselves. Kate is amazed at Annie being very young and doubts her capabilities of teaching Helen. Annie tries to wrong her doubts and tells her that she has the experience to teach. She tells her that she is aware of the difficulties ahead but will tackle it tactfully. She assures her that she is aware of Helen’s condition and will treat her accordingly. She will begin teaching language because it is the most significant thing.

Her first meeting with Helen is a strange one. Annie sees her in the garden and approaches her. She touches her and Helen responds. When Helen tries to open Annie’s box, she stops her. Helen feels angry and starts fighting with her. She then assists Helen with the suitcase taking it into their room. Meanwhile, Arthur also doubts Annie’s abilities to cope with Helen. Kate tells him all about Annie and tells him that she has got the experience.

In the room, Helen unlocks Annie’s suitcase with a key. She finds a doll and likes it. Annie takes advantage and politely controls her fingers to spell the word in sign language. Helen responds accordingly but when she takes away the doll, hoping she will respond again, Helen gets irritated. Then she does the same trick with a piece of cake. Helen responds in a positive manner. Annie offers her the cake as a recognition which she consumes straight away. Helen does the same with the doll and Annie awards her the doll as well.

Suddenly, Helen smacks Annie with her doll causing blood. She escapes and locks Annie inside, hiding the key. Annie yells pointlessly. At supper, the Kellers realize the situation. Kate tries to find the key while Arthur takes the ladder at the window to climb and descend Annie on his back. Annie descends and tries to find her naughty apprentice. Helen, oblivious to her surroundings, opens her mouth and takes out the key. Annie is amazed at her smartness.

The Miracle Worker Act II Summary

Annie thinks discipline is important to tame the wild nature of Helen. She takes the responsibility of disciplining her pupil in the best possible way. She continues with her teaching and teaches her the ideas of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ through examples. Kate observes Annie teaching Helen but does not get satisfaction from her teaching methods. Annie assures her that these methods are apt for Helen and it will benefit her in the long run.

Annie dislikes Kate rewarding Helen with candy every time she does some nonsense. She terms discipline important for learning and promises to teach her. At the breakfast table, Annie observes Helen carefully. Helen teases everyone except Annie. When she tries to tease Annie, she stops her much to the dislike of her parents. They argue but Annie tells them to leave her alone with Helen. Angrily, Arthur tells Kate that he is firing Annie but James intervenes and tells them that Annie’s way of doing things is right.

In the meantime, Annie tries to teach Helen table manners. When Helen disobeys her, she slaps her on the face. Afterwards, Helen does not respond to Annie and tries to escape. Annie catches her and takes her back to her chair. The struggle continues. Annie offers Helen a spoon to eat with. At first, she declines but when Annie takes the plate out of her reach, she accepts the spoon. At last, they come out of the dining room. Annie tells them, victoriously, that Helen has eaten her food with a spoon. Kate sheds tears of joy hearing that.

Annie is again haunted by her past memories. She, time and again, remembers her dead brother and blames herself for the murder. Back in present time, Arthur Keller disapproves of Annie’s treatment of Helen. KAte consoles him by supporting Annie and her methods. In the meantime, Annie packs up her luggage and tells the Kellers that she is hopeless about the situation. She tells them that their leniency has spoiled Helen and she will be unable to educate her if she is pampered like that.

She also explains to them that Helen’s problem is not her disability but her parents’ undue care. She tells them she will educate her only if she is allowed to stay with her alone. She demands full authority over Helen. She recalls her childhood and tells everything to the Kellers. She proposes staying in the garden house with Percy to assist them in some chores. Arthur, hesitantly, permits them for two weeks.

Annie buys herself two weeks to teach Helen. They shift to the garden house. James praises Annie for her perseverance. Annie admires Helen’s curiosity and tries to take advantage of it. Kate tells Annie to take care of Helen. They leave Helen alone and she roams around in the garden. Kate admires Arthur to allow Annie full command over Helen and advises him to show leniency towards James.

In the garden house, Annie takes Percy’s help to turn the attention of Helen. Helen is adamant and does not want to learn. Annie summons Percy and starts teaching him some words. When Helen intervenes, Annie pushes her away. She becomes envious, Annie returns to her and thanks to the servant. Helen agrees to take some rest. The act ends with an optimistic note.

The Miracle Worker Act III Summary

In this act, Annie tries her best to educate Helen about the idea of meaning. She deems it a  significant part of learning but very difficult. At the Kellers, Kate is feeling sad and gloomy. She advises James to face the realities in his life. She agrees to be James’ friend. Meanwhile, Annie continues with her teaching. She tries to teach her the spelling of ‘water’ but feels haphazard. She wants Helen to communicate with other individuals.

She tells Kate about all the things she has taught Helen but wants her to invigorate her communication skills. She tries to provide impetus to her communicative organ in her mind. Annie is determined that she will go to every extreme to invoke that part of her mind. Arthur admires her for her struggles. Her parents bring her a dog named ‘Belle’, and Annie lets Helen touch the dog. She then spells the word “D-O-G” but is unable to associate meaning with it.

Her two-weeks span with Helen ends and the Kellers come to bring Helen back to the house. The servants shift their luggage. Annie allows Helen to touch Kate’s cheek and teaches her the word “mother”. Annie receives her first salary with thanks from Arthur. Annie wants Helen to think properly. She tells Arthur not to pamper her anymore because if he does so she will be unable to face the real world in future.

Helen continues with her naughtiness at the dining table. Annie scolds her and denies her food. The family gets angry at Annie. Annie returns the food with anger. Afterwards, Helen spills water all over the place. Annie takes her out of the dining room and orders her to fill the pitcher herself. She assists her by putting her hand on the water pump. Annie puts Helen’s hand under the pump and spells “water.” When water strikes Helen’s hand, she responds with “wah wah.”

Annie is jubilant. She repeats the same trick with “ground”. Then calls the family outside to show them. Annie introduces her to her parents and spells “mother” and “papa” respectively. Helen approaches Annie and she spells “teacher” and Helen responds accordingly. She approaches her mother, takes out the key from her pocket, and gives them to Helen. Finally, Annie announces her love for Helen and leads her inside the house in her arms.

The Miracle Worker Characters Analysis

Characters are people who have some individual traits in a piece of writing. Without characters, a piece of literature looks dull. They are mouthpieces for a writer through which a writer expresses their opinions about a particular issue. Characters provide them with an outlet to contribute to the social structure. “The Miracle Worker” revolves around the teacher, Annie Sullivan, and her student, Helen Keller. 

Annie Sullivan

Annie Sullivan is the character who performs miracles through the course of the story. Gibson names the title of the play after her. She is a young teacher of Helen Keller who educates her, against all odds, with determination and perseverance. She had a traumatic childhood spent in an almshouse. She also lost her brother early which has a lasting effect on her life.

She herself was blind and regained vision after several surgeries. She went to “Perkins Institute for the Blind” and received ample education and got experience. At a very young age, she pursued teaching as a career and a mode of earning. She pursued this profession to help children having physical disabilities like her.

At the Kellers, she finds Helen erratic and uncontrollable. First, she vows to teach her obedience and discipline. She faces all obstacles with courage and bravery and soothes Helen’s wild nature. When she overcomes Helen, then she tries to educate her through sign language. In this journey, she persuades her parents to let Helen stay with her alone.

Her teaching method is unique. First, she educates her through sign language. Then associates objects with spelling. She spells a word on Helen’s palm and then lets her touch that object to get the association. Through her continuous struggle and patience, she enables Helen to interact with the outer world.

Helen Keller

Helen is a blind and deaf child of the Keller couple. A serious illness in her childhood leaves her blind and deaf. She is the pampered child of her parents. Her parents have not given importance to make her disciplined because of her inability to interact with the outer world. She causes disturbance everywhere she goes.

She is a curious child. She roams around the house to satisfy her curiosity. She wants to know about everything she touches or feels. She is a dictator in the house and does whatever she wants much to the annoyance of the family members. Her father hires a teacher for her to calm her curiosity.

Annie, slowly and gradually, soothes her and tries to use her curiosity in a positive way. Helen begins learning the language through signs. She comes to know about the spellings and the objects associated with it. Annie’s teaching proves to be an outlet for her learning. She indulges in learning the concept of meanings. Finally, she becomes able to interact with the outer world. Her inquisitiveness leads her to learn the language and interact with her family members. Her thirst for learning opens new avenues for her which eventually leads to her acquiring language.

Themes in The Miracle Worker

Themes are the main ideas writers want to explore in their writings. Behind every literary piece, there is a purpose. When writers want to share their opinion about some issues, they raise them through their writings. They discuss those problems and suggest suitable solutions. The main ideas become the main themes in a literary piece. Gibson explores the following themes in this play;

Language and Communication

This is one of the significant themes in the play. Gibson gives much importance to both language and communication. He deems communication necessary for survival in society, even for those who are unable to communicate initially. Helen is a blind and deaf girl unable to communicate. She does not have the characteristic of language with her. Her family members, except her mother, think that she is unable to communicate with the outer world. Hence, they leave her on her own.

On the other hand, her mother tries her level best to make her behave like normal children. When Annie becomes Helen’s teacher, everything changes. Annie unlocks her inquisitive spirit and takes advantage of her curious nature. She teaches her sign language and through it she enables her to identify different alphabets. She enables her to form words from the combination of different alphabets.

Then she tries different strategies to enable her to know the words and their association with the objects. Through this tool, Annie tries to bridge the void between the two worlds: the sign language and the real object. She lets her touch the objects she teaches her so that she can feel them in the real world.

Without language and communication, Helen is an isolated, violent and uncontrollable child. No one cares for her. But when she finally associates meaning with real objects, she becomes able to communicate. She, then, becomes part of the social structure. For her language proves to be an outlet to express her emotions. Language and communication give her a social status which she was deprived of in her past.

Learning and Teaching

Learning and teaching occupy a central role in the play. Annie’s desire to teach and Helen’s yearn for learning make them a formidable duo. Annie agrees to teach Helen because she, herself, was blind in her childhood and knew what it takes to teach a blind child. She, herself, got her education in the “Perkins Institute for the Blind” and knew the conditions of a blind child.

Annie understands Helen’s trapped mind better than her parents even. She had been all through this in her childhood and wants to assist Helen in her journey of learning. Annie sees the world through Helen’s eyes and wants to inculcate the spirit of learning in her. She faces every harsh situation with grit and determination and never gives up. She rises to the challenge to educate Helen and enable her to interact with the outer world, which she does successfully.

She tends to the needs of her pupil and teaches her accordingly. She empathizes with her which makes Helen learn smoothly. She repeats her strategies, time and again, and does not give up. She controls her violent behavior tactfully and never allows her to over-react. Her perseverance in teaching and Helen’s curiosity in learning make them a great teacher-student partnership. Annie’s teaching qualities make her educate Helen easily and Helen’s inquisitiveness makes her a good learner.

Pity and Tough Love

The story revolves around the ideas of pity and love. Gibson contradicts Helen’s parents’ treatment of her with Annie’s treatment. Her parents deem her disable and good for nothing. They do not think she is able to do anything. They are pessimistic about her and treat her with commiseration.

Her parents spoil her to the extent that she becomes wild and erratic. She misbehaves with everyone and does not get the desired punishment. She even receives presents from her parents despite her wild tantrums. Her parents fail to punish her which makes her uncontrollable. Their treatment of Helen becomes a stumbling block in her way of learning.

On the contrary, Annie’s treatment of Helen is different. She loves her but within a proper boundary. She manipulates her love in an optimistic way. Annie loves her to the extent that she faces every harsh situation with her, with patience and perseverance. Sometimes, she punishes her for her misbehavior but for Helen’s benefit. Annie does not allow her love for Helen overwhelm her.

She wants to make her succeed in the long run and sometimes becomes harsh with her. She deprives her of her food when she misbehaves. Contrary to her parents, she believes in her abilities to learn. She does not feel pity for her instead she struggles with her to make her successful in her life.

Annie’s treatment is, seemingly, hostile and cruel but beneficial for Helen. Her love for Helen can be classified as ‘tough love’ but is better for her than the pity of her parents. Her parents’ pity will deprive her of dignity and respect while Annie’s ‘tough love’ will make her face harsh realities of life.

Triumph of the Human Spirit

It is the human psyche which pushes the person forward in order to achieve success. When a person becomes tired physically, his inner conscience leads him towards his goals. It persuades him to go beyond his physical strength and succeed. It helps human beings in most adverse situations and tries to uplift them. Gibson epitomizes the success of human inner psyche and spirit through the characters in the play.

Annie Sullivan and Helen Keller achieve their dreams against the most adverse conditions. They achieve what others fail to achieve. Annie struggles all her life with the loss of sight, the loss of her beloved brother and family, yet she never loses hope and achieves success slowly and gradually. Her optimistic spirit carries her through all harsh conditions she faces in her life. It never betrays or bullies her, rather it motivates her all the way.

When she becomes the governess of Helen, she instills the same motivational spirit in her. At first, Helen is very naughty and wild. Her parents deem her uncontrollable. Annie deals with her tactfully and never allows her to overwhelm her. She soothes her and tries to make her disciplined. When she does so, she proceeds with her education.

At this point, Annie also draws the same inspiration from her devoted spirit and never falters. She invokes Helen’s anxious mind and inculcates in her the same triumphant spirit. Helen, slowly and gradually, responds to her in her teaching. Annie succeeds in breaking those walls that confine Helen’s mind. Helen responds optimistically and, through grit and determination, both of them throw away the demons of ignorance and taste the fruits of success at the end.

The Miracle Worker Analysis

William Gibson’s play is a masterpiece that won him several awards. Through this play, he shows his readers the importance of language and communication in one’s life. He throws light on the fact that communication is important, even, for people having physical problems. Without language and communication, nobody accepts disabled people in society. Language and communication give an individual social status in a society.

He also sheds light on people having courage and determination. Those people never fail in life. They continue their struggle throughout their lives. They face harsh conditions in life through grit and determination. They are optimistic and they do not think about the negative aspects of life. Their motivational spirits push them towards achieving their ambitions just like Annie and Helen.

Gibson also criticizes the treatment of disabled children by their parents. He opines that parents must love them and take care of them but must not let their care and love spoil them. He argues that parents shall not think of them as good for nothing. Keller’s parents think she cannot learn anything and spoil her with their unimportant love. They offer her presents even when she misbehaves.

On the contrary, her teacher Annie Sullivan loves her but to a certain extent. She also gets angry with her when she misbehaves or when she does not respond to her questions. Her love is tough but good for her personal grooming. Gibson differentiates between the two and informs his readers that children like Keller must not be pampered for the sake of sympathy.

The play also throws light on the class discrimination prevalent in society. The Kellers’ live a comfortable life full of luxuries. On the contrary, black people work as servants in households. Many black servants serve the Kellers’ assisting them with the common chores in the household. The Whites are the privileged class enjoying all the luxuries while the Black people work as servants. Gibson raises this issue in order to make people aware of it.

Moreover, Gibson criticizes those people who do not consider disabled persons part of society. 

At first, the family members do not consider Helen a part of their family because of her disability. Some even suggest sending her to an asylum. It is only after she learns the language and learns how to communicate with people, then she becomes a part of the social structure.

Gibson condemns this attitude and informs his readers that these types of people only need proper care and attention. They need someone who can motivate them to act, who can hone their skills. They only demand proper attention and supervision. They need someone to lift them from the world of ignorance to the world of knowledge with grit and determination.

The language is simple and concise. There are no difficult or archaic words. The choice of words comply with the subject matter. Every word is apt and comprehensible. Through Annie’s character, Gibson tactfully associates meanings with real objects.

Moreover, the play covers the childhood education of Helen. Gibson shares everything with minute detail. The experiences are shared in chronological order. Every situation is well connected with another situation. The story goes smoothly from one phase to another. There are no loopholes in the course of the story. All the events smoothly progress towards the conclusion.

Setting of the Play

The play is set in Tuscumbia, Alabama in the 1880s. Most of the action takes place at the Kellers’ home.

Symbolism in the Play

Gibson has used many symbols to enhance the meaning of the play.

Water

Water is an apparent symbol in the play. Helen, at first, is a violent and uncontrollable child unable to learn anything. Her parents appoint Annie as her governess. Annie works hard to enable her to learn a language. She also tries to enable her to associate meaning with the objects in the real world. Helen, slowly and gradually, adapts to the conditions and tries to learn.

Annie lets Helen touch the things, she spells to her. When Helen comes in contact with water, she remembers the spelling and utters ‘wah wah’ meaning that she recognizes it. She becomes able to communicate when water touches her. With communication, she becomes part of the social class. Water symbolizes new life and Baptism in Christianity. When water touches her, she feels baptized. She feels as if a new life is woven into her after struggling hard in her life.

Keys and Locks

The second significant symbol appears to be the keys and locks in the play. Gibson refers to them, time and again, in the play. They give us important clues to the mind of Helen. Upon Annie’s arrival, Helen locks her in the room and throws the key to the well. Metaphorically, this implies that Helen’s mind is barren and unable to communicate and no one can unlock it.

When Annie starts her teaching, Helen, with the passage of time, learns language. She also realizes the meanings associated with objects. Annie tries to unravel Helen’s abilities and succeeds eventually. At last, when Helen gives Annie the key she realizes Annie’s importance in her life and thinks that Annie has enabled her to interact with the world outside. Helen has realized the importance of communication and deems Annie responsible for her revival. That is why she hands Annie the key deservedly.

Irony

Gibson uses ironic elements in the play to great effect. Firstly, the members in the Keller family term Helen as the most threatening human being in the family. They also think that everyone should be scared of her. Ironic is the fact that how a child of seven-years-old is menacing and threatening for the whole family. She is a different child having a physical disability and nothing else.

Secondly, it is ironic that a blind teacher is educating her blind pupil. Annie was blind in her childhood. She can partially see now thanks to several eye operations but the fact remains that she does not have full vision. How can “an almost blind” teacher enable her blind student to interact with the outside world.

In a patriarchal family, the power rests with the male patriarch and the master of the house. There is a contradiction in this play as no one really cares for Arthur Keller’s opinions which is ironic. He does not possess the same authority over the household as other patriarchs would do.

In a nutshell, Gibson’s story teaches us to keep yourself motivated and keep your spirits high in dire circumstances as nothing is impossible. A thing becomes unachievable when an individual gives up.