The Miracle Worker

1. How does the dialogue between Captain Keller and Annie in lines 68-70 reveal Annie’s intentions and feelings?

• Annie is interested in having Captain Keller discontinue his service.

• Annie is going to continue to fight to help Helen learn, even if it’s hard.

• Annie is afraid that Helen will lose the will to learn as time passes.

• Annie is irritated that James is not willing to do what it takes for Helen to learn.

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2. What does the interaction in lines 72-74 reveal about Captain Keller’s attitude toward his son James?

• Captain Keller values James’s opinions.

• Captain Keller thinks James is being too hard on Annie.

• Captain Keller does not value James’s opinions.

• Captain Keller encourages James to speak during family meetings.

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3. Annie interrupts James and Captain Keller in line 75. How is Annie’s dialogue in line 75 likely to affect the plot?

• It is likely Helen will be taken from the table.

• It is likely Helen will be allowed to stay at the table.

• It is likely Annie will resign her teaching post.

• It is likely Annie and James will begin to date.

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4. Part A: Based on the poem and play, what is the one difference between the author’s purposes in writing about this topic?

• In the play, Gibson wants to show how much Keller loved learning; however in the poem, Langston Hughes celebrates Keller’s accomplishments.

• In the play, Gibson wants to show the relationship between Helen Keller and Annie Sullivan; however, in the poem, Langston Hughes celebrates Keller’s accomplishments. 

• In the poem, Hughes wants to show the difficulties Helen Keller faced; however, in the play, Gibson celebrates Keller’s accomplishments.

• In the play, Gibson wants to show how much Keller loved learning; however, in the poem, Langston Hughes shows that Keller had a miserable life.

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5. Part B: Which evidence from The Miracle Worker best supports the answer to Part A?

• “HELEN yanks [the napkin] off, and throws it down.”

• “ANNIE rises, lifts HELEN’S plate, and bears it away. HELEN, feeling it gone, slides down and commences to kick up under the table.”

• “HELEN struggling gets one hand free, and catches at her mother’s skirt; when KATE takes her by the shoulders. HELEN hangs quiet.”

• “KATE [A pause]; It’s a very special day.”

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6. What can the reader infer from the following text?

[Now in the family room the rear door opens, and HELEN steps in. She stands a moment, then sniffs in one deep grateful breath, and her hands go out vigorously to familiar things, over the door panels, and to the chairs around the table, and over the silverware on the table, until she meets VINEY; she pats her flank approvingly.]

• The family room contains beautiful furniture.

• Helen uses her sense of touch to navigate her surroundings.

• The family room is the family’s favorite gathering place.

• Helen’s favorite person is Viney.

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7. Which line from the play best illustrates Annie’s efforts to teach Helen?

• “I’ve always suspected those hens.”

• “But what’s the child done?”

• “And everything she’s learned is?”

• “It took us the best part of two weeks and— ”

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8. What does the phrase out of joint most likely mean, according to the following passage?

KELLER [Not noticing]: Reverend looked in at the office today to complain his hens have stopped laying. Poor fellow, he was out of joint, all he could‒

• To be highly upset.

• To be highly amused.

• To be tearful.

• To be a vegetarian.

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