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Themes of Love in The Miracle Worker

The Miracle Worker is a three-act play by William Gibson adapted from Helen Keller's autobiography. It tells the story of Annie Sullivan's work teaching the blind and deaf Helen Keller. Gibson explores the theme of love in two ways. First, he shows how Helen's family's love for her led them to hire Annie as a teacher. Second, he depicts how Annie initially saw Helen as a job but grew to love her as her student opened up. Gibson also shows that Helen's family's pity for her allowed her to remain undisciplined, whereas Annie refused to pity Helen and helped her achieve breakthroughs in communicating.

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Chase Ramel Phillips
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1K views3 pages

Themes of Love in The Miracle Worker

The Miracle Worker is a three-act play by William Gibson adapted from Helen Keller's autobiography. It tells the story of Annie Sullivan's work teaching the blind and deaf Helen Keller. Gibson explores the theme of love in two ways. First, he shows how Helen's family's love for her led them to hire Annie as a teacher. Second, he depicts how Annie initially saw Helen as a job but grew to love her as her student opened up. Gibson also shows that Helen's family's pity for her allowed her to remain undisciplined, whereas Annie refused to pity Helen and helped her achieve breakthroughs in communicating.

Uploaded by

Chase Ramel Phillips
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Chase Ra’Mel Phillips

Ms. Nelson
English 1
MIRACLE WORKER
The Miracle Worker is a three-act play by a Tony awarded writer, William Gibson,

adapted from his 1957 Playhouse 90 teleplay of the same name. Based on Helen Keller's 1903

autobiography The Story of My Life. Gibson has constructed a masterpiece that has reached so

many people to this day. He has written many excellent aspects of the play with several themes.

One of them is love; love is the key to many things in the story. This love theme has two

examples, love is substantial and influential, and love and pity can weaken a person’s abilities

and be like a lie.

Gibson displays, love is substantial and influential by showing the love of Helen’s

family. Ms. Kate Keller is Helen’s mom, the main character who lost her sight and hearing after

an illness at nineteen months. Ms. Kate cherished Helen and deeply loved her. The whole family

loved her, but it was way more visible with Ms. Kate. That love showed when Helen turned the

cradle her baby sibling was in, and she threw a tantrum. The stage directions say, “Kate comes to

her, embraces, caresses, soothes her.” (Gibson) Helen’s family received a teacher for her. That

was a gateway to the “miracle happening.” If they didn’t have a love for Helen, they wouldn’t

have invested in the teacher, Annie.

Annie came to the Keller's household for work but ended up loving again. Annie had a

fondness for her brother, but after he died, loving someone was difficult. She said, “I haven’t

loved a soul since, and I never will.” (Gibson) When Ms. Annie got to Alabama, she had a hard

time connecting with Helen. At first, she didn’t love Helen, she was only doing it for the money,

but she grew to care and love her. At the end of the show, she says, “I love you.” (Gibson) We
Chase Ra’Mel Phillips
Ms. Nelson
English 1
MIRACLE WORKER
begin to realize that Annie opening up was why Helen finally understood what Ms. Annie was

teaching.

Gibson also displays, love and pity can weaken a person’s abilities and be like a lie.

Helen’s family pitied her and didn't believe that she could accomplish anything. Pitied and badly

spoiled by her parents, Helen is taught no discipline and, by the age of six, grows into a wild,

angry, tantrum-throwing child in control of the household. Captain and Kate explain to Annie

that Helen is “accustomed to helping herself from our plates.” (Gibson) They didn’t discipline

her and couldn’t figure out how. Annie says, “but I’m not accustomed to it.” (Gibson) Captain

offers to get Annie a fresh plate, but Ms. Annie declines, saying that Helen is “spoiled.” Captain

argues that Annie should have pity, but Annie replies, “The sun won’t rise and set for her all her

life.” (Gibson) Ms. Annie made sure she didn’t do the same thing as the Kellers did. That paid

off and also led to the “miracle happening.”

Gibson has made a beautiful piece of art. That tells the story of two amazing women’s

journeys. The theme of love is present in the storyline and creates personal moments in the play.

There are two examples in the story dealing with love. One is, love is substantial and

extraordinary. The other is, love and pity can weaken a person’s abilities and be like a lie. Helen

received love from her family, but they also pitied her. Annie made sure not to do this, and Helen

caused Annie to love again. Gibson’s writing won him an Oscar for the film adaptation of the

play in 1962. This play gave hope to many and is also a “miracle worker.”
Chase Ra’Mel Phillips
Ms. Nelson
English 1
MIRACLE WORKER
Gibson, William. The Miracle Worker. Simon & Schuster, 1959.

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