Everything Had a Name/Annie
Extended Discussion
Name_______________________________
1. According to Helen Keller, what can be said about Annie Sullivan’s character? Is this
how Annie is portrayed in The Miracle Worker? Explain your answer and use evidence
from the text(s).
2. How does Helen Keller’s true story relate to the dramatic version in The Miracle Worker?
Does Helen’s retelling of the miracle at the water pump change how you first interpreted
this event? Which version is most moving? Explain using evidence from the text(s).
3. What does Helen mean when she claims that she was unable to feel “strong sentiment or
tenderness”? How does Helen’s story about her doll differ from the play?
4. In her letter, how does Annie describe Helen’s miraculous moment? How is it similar or
different from the play? Use examples from the text(s) to support your answer.
5. Contrast the picture of Annie (p. 711) with the depiction of her early life. What does this
picture communicate about Annie?
6. What details on p. 710-713 help readers visualize Tewksbury? How does Joseph Lash’s
account of Tewksbury change how you originally pictured the almshouse in The Miracle
Worker?
7. How does William Gibson use background information about Jimmie in the play? Use
examples from the text to explain your answer.
8. Do you think Helen might have understood Annie’s feeling of being completely alone at
Tewksbury? Why or why not?