Miracle – n. an unusual happening, one that goes against the normal laws of nature; a supernatural event regarded as due to divine action. A beautiful and bright little girl, dearly loved by mother and father, was locked in darkness, unable to see the immense world around her, not able to hear the sounds of nature. Then twenty-year-old Annie Sullivan, a bold and persistent woman, was employed by the Keller family to teach their child, deaf and blind Helen Keller. William Gibson, author of the play The Miracle Worker, writes a moving story, showing that this teacher was a true miracle worker.
Annie Sullivan was a miracle worker for not only Helen Keller, but for her mother Kate, her father Captain Arthur, and her stepbrother James Keller as well. Kate Keller, second wife to Captain Arthur Keller, always allowed her husband to dominate over her, commanding her to do this, persuading her to think that. Annie Sullivan’s presence in the heart of their family situation as a young and authoritative female pushed Kate to build confidence. Kate’s growing independence compelled her to speak for herself and express her own thoughts and opinions, and sometimes they are against ot only her husband, but to Helen’s teacher, as well.
Below are quotes from William Gibson’s The Miracle Worker where Kate stands up to Keller, when he tells Kate to give Annie notice of her unemployment, and appeals to Annie, (quoted respectively): Keller: I want you to give her notice. Kate: I can’t. Keller: Then if you won’t, I must. I simply will not- Kate: Miss Annie. (She is leaning toward Annie, in deadly earnest; it commands both Annie and Keller. ) I am not agreed. I think perhaps you-underestimate Helen.
Annie: I think everybody else here does. (A pause, Kate not letting her eyes go; her appeal at last is nconditional, and very quiet. Kate: Miss Annie, put up with it. And with us. Keller: Us! Kate may have been jealous of James, her stepson who was “perfect” in all the ways her first child, Helen, was not. He could see, hear, and speak without difficulty, and was also the son of another woman. She did not fully accept James until she was separated from Helen for the two weeks for which Annie had requested, because she saw James as a child who needs love but has a father who does not show any open affection. In this time period, Kate finally begins to accept him as a friend and stepson.
Finally, Kate acted on her eagerness to see Helen be opened from her closed world. “Kate: I should like to learn those letters, Miss Annie. / Annie [pleased]: I’ll teach you tomorrow morning. That makes only half a million each. ” On her own initiative, Kate asked to understand the sign language that Annie teaches Helen. When Helen is finally able to understand that a certain word in sign language means something, Helen is able to communicate with others, and chooses her mother of all people, to “speak” to: (Kate moves to Helen, touches her hand questioningly, and the Helen spells a word to her.
Kate comprehends it, their first act of verbal communication, and she can hardly utter the word aloud, in wonder, gratitude… ) Confidence, a stepson, these are small miracles compared to the greatest miracle Annie has given Kate. Annie Sullivan gave Kate Keller her child by teaching Helen to speak with her hands and enabling her to express herself in words so that people around her can understand. Captain Arthur Keller is a prideful man, always thinking he is always right in every matter.
He unknowingly treats his son of his first wife very harshly, always putting him down and telling him to top talking when, in fact, most of what James has to say is true and relevant: James: Never learn with everyone letting her do anything she takes it into her mind to- Keller: You be quiet! James: What did I say now? Keller: You talk too much. James: I was agreeing with you! Keller: Whatever it was. Deprived child, the least she can have are the little things she wants. Captain Keller was not a very affectionate man, and had finally realized the truth about himself. “Keller: Why can’t my son be?
He can’t bear me, you’d think I treat him as hard as this girl does Helen- (He breaks off, as it dawns on him. / Kate: Perhaps you do. ” One thing James does not know is that his father has not forgotten James’ mother or him. The audience of the play is given only a faint hearing of his inner thoughts, when he speaks to no one in particular. “Keller: She’s gone, my son and I don’t get along, you don’t know I’m your father, no one likes me… ” When James finally stands up to his father at his stepsister’s welcome home dinner, Captain Keller puts his son in a respectful light.
Captain Keller was an arrogant man who disliked Annie Sullivan at first sight, complaining that this young child had not even grown up erself and questioned her ability to teach Helen. He was especially furious when Miss Sullivan “threw him out of his own house” to teach Helen some table manners, thinking such boldness from a woman extremely rude to the man of the house: Keller: Katie, I will not have it! Now you did not see when that girl after supper tonight went to look for Helen in her room- Katie: No. Keller: … What kind of teacher is she?
I thought I had seen her at her worst this morning, shouting at me, but I come home to find the entire house disorganized by her–… From the moment she stepped off the train, she’s been nothing but a burden, ncompetent, impertinent, ineffectual, immodest– And later: Keller: Miss Sullivan, I have decided to-give you another chance. Annie: [cheerfully]: To do what? Keller: To-remain in our employ. (Annie’s eyes widen. ) But on two conditions. I am not accustomed to rudeness in servants of women, and that is the first. If you are to stay, there must be a radical change of manner.
Annie [a pause]: Whose? Keller [exploding]: Yours, young lady, isn’t it obvious? Captain Keller allowed Miss Sullivan to remain in his employ because she was able to teach Helen, when all these years neither he nor his wife could. He allowed Annie and Helen to live in the summerhouse separate from the rest of the family for two weeks. During this period of time, he and Kate were able to visit Helen, as long as Helen did not know they were there. As each day passed, his daughter seemed to be making great progress, dressing herself each morning, sewing, eating in a mannered fashion.
He was so glad with the results of Annie’s teaching that the first paycheck he gave Miss Sullivan was with zeal, hoping that she would stay in their employ. Annie Sullivan manages to bring the Captain and his son together, a welcomed (and long-awaited) elationship. Annie’s boldness set the Captain in a number of rages at first, but as she continued to treat him as an equal and readily verbalized her opinions and beliefs, the Captain learned to accept the fact that she was the one who was in control of Helen and appreciated her for who she was.
It was a miracle to see such a prideful man step down from a young yet persistent woman, to see Captain Keller begin to understand other people’s lives from a new perspective. James, son of Captain Keller and his first wife, was a hesitant person, always putting people down. He blames his father for forgetting his mother because she is dead and marrying another woman (Kate), and hated him even more for not loving James like a “real” father. “Keller: Let her this time, Miss Sullivan, it’s the only way we get any adult conversation.
If my son’s half merits that description. ” Keller treated him very harshly, and James, believing that the only way to get through life is to give up like he gave up on the hope of his father ever loving him, shrank from his father’s authority. James felt especially pessimistic for his half-sister’s teacher, who he thought ad no chance in teaching Helen anything: James: No touching, no teaching. Of course, you are bigger- Annie: I’m not counting on force, I’m counting on her. That little imp is dying to know. James: Know what? Annie: Anything.
Any and every crumb in God’s creation. I’ll have to use that appetite too. James [a pause]: Maybe she’ll teach you. Annie: Of course. James: That she isn’t. That there’s such a thing as-dullness of heart. Acceptance. And letting go. Sooner or later we all give up, don’t we? Annie: Maybe you all do. It’s my idea of the original sin. James: What is? Annie [witheringly]: Giving up. James [nettled]: You won’t open her. Why can’t you let her be? Have some-pity on her, for being What she is- Annie: If I’d ever once thought like that, I’d be dead!
James constantly tried to discourage Miss Sullivan to leave Helen alone, that no amount of teaching will do her any good because Helen will just not understand. James tried to pressure Annie to feel how he felt, but she did not give up and stayed through to the end. Annie’s presence and actions were living proof to him that he should not give up, and he didn’t: James: Let her go. Keller: What! James: (a swallow): I said-let her go. She’s right. She’s right, Kate’s right, I’m right, and you’re wrong.
If you drive her away from here it will be over my dead-chair, has it never occurred to you that on one occasion you could be consummately wrong? Captain Keller was adamant on the welcome home dinner being a success, giving Helen special allowances and believing he can fix everything up, that Helen could have more than one authority. James stood up to his father when Annie Sullivan left to make Helen fill the spilled water pitcher, stopping his father from going after the young women in a fit f rage. In standing up for himself, Captain Keller was surprised. It was a miracle.
His boy had finally stood his ground strong, his boy had finally ‘become a man’, and he was proud. For the love and dream of an education, Annie Sullivan left her beloved brother who was younger than her, and when he died, Annie Sullivan felt responsible for his death. By accepting this offer to teach this deaf and blind girl, Annie Sullivan asked God to resurrect her brother and her love that was buried with him. She did not resurrect her brother, but in her success of opening Helen’s ‘eyes’ to he world, her guilt of being responsible for her brother’s death disappeared.
In its place was the love once again replenished and placed in the little girl who has filled her heart, despite her lack of sight and hearing. She had unknowingly helped each member of the Keller family when her goal was to show Helen God’s creation, increasing the quality of each person’s life. The Keller family was blessed with a miracle worker such as Annie Sullivan and God gave Annie more than the compassion and respect of the child. He gave her the heart to love again, blessing her with a devoted family, the Kellers.
