Name: ________________________________________________________Hour:______________ The Miracle Worker by William Gibson Act One 1. What discovery do the Kellers’ make about their baby in the first scene? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ 2. Why do you think Helen feels the movement of Percy and Martha’s lips? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ 3. What do you think causes Helen to knock Martha over and attack her with the scissors? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ 4. Who is James? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ 5. What does Helen want for the doll Aunt Ev gives her? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ 6. Why does Captain Keller finally agree to write to the doctor in Baltimore? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ 7. Why is Annie Sullivan leaving Perkins Institute for the Blind and going to work at the Keller’s house? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ 8. What kind of memories does Annie have of her brother Jimmy? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ 9. Who is Viney? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ 10. Why do you think Kate, Viney, and Captain Keller all give Helen sweets? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ 11. How does Captain Keller get along with (a) James and (b) Helen? Explain your answer. a.____________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ b. ___________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ 12. What three advantages does Annie tell Kate she has over Dr. Howe? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ 13. What happens when Helen and Annie first meet in the yard. ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ 14. How does Helen react when she finds the doll in Annie’s suitcase? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ 15. How does Annie try to teach Helen that it is called a doll? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ 16. Why does Annie think that Helen is bright? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ 17. What does Helen do to Annie after she gets the doll back? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ 18. How is Captain Keller’s reaction to Annie different from Kate’s? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ 19. Why does Annie say that Helen cannot easily get rid of her? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ Name: _________________________________________________________Hour:_____________ The Miracle Worker by William Gibson Study Guide Act Two 1. What does Annie say is her greatest problem with Helen? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ 2. What does Captain Keller think of Annie’s spelling words to Helen? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ 3. How does Annie explain to Kate the usefulness of spelling words to Helen, when Helen does not understand that words have meaning? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ 4. What does Kate want to learn? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ 5. What does Annie think Helen must do if she is to learn? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ 6. What does Annie do when Helen reaches to feel what is on her plate? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ 7. How do Kate and Captain Keller react to Annie’s treatment of Helen at the dinner table? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ 8. Why does Annie ask to be left alone in the dining room with Helen? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ 9. What particular things is Annie trying to teach Helen in Scene 3? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ 10. What is Kate’s reaction when she hears that Helen folded her napkin? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ 11. Why do you think Kate cries? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ 12. What do you learn from the voices of Annie’s past? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ 13. What conditions does Annie say she needs if she is to teach Helen? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ 14. What is James’s opinion of Annie’s attempt to teach Helen? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ 15. What is Helen’s reaction when she discovers Annie in the garden house? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ 16. What does James mean when he says he wants everything his father forgot when he forgot his mother? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ 17. Describe the method Annie uses to get Helen to let her spell words on her hand again. ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ 18. As Act 2 ends, how does Annie feel? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ 19. Do you think Annie’s rough treatment of Helen is wrong? Explain. ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ Name: ___________________________________________________________Hour:___________ The Miracle Worker by William Gibson Study Guide Act Three 1. How have Kate and Captain Keller felt about Helen’s absence? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ 2. What does James think about the two weeks Helen has been gone? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ 3. What does Kate mean when she tells James to stand up to the world, which he says is his father? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ 4. What changes has Helen made while staying in the garden house with Annie? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ 5. How is Annie feeling as she writes a letter? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ 6. What does Annie still want to teach Helen? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ 7. How do Kate and Captain Keller feel about the progress Annie has made with Helen? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ 8. Why do Kate and Captain Keller deny Annie more time living alone with Helen? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ 9. What is Annie trying to forget that happened in her past? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ 10. How has Captain Keller’s treatment of Annie changed? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ 11. How does Helen feel about being home again? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ 12. Why does Helen take the keys out of the door and give them to her mother? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ 13. Why does Helen throw her napkin on the floor? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ 14. What does Helen do after her father seats her, fixes her napkin, and gives her a fork? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ 15. What happens when James stands up to his father by telling him he is wrong? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ 16. Why does Annie take Helen to the water pump? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ 17. What happens as Helen feels the water and Annie spells its name to her? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ 18. Why does Helen excitedly touch things and ask Annie to spell their names? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ 19. How do Kate and Captain Keller react when they see what is happening? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ 20. How does Kate “find and lose a child”? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ 21. How do Annie and Helen express their love for each other? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ 22. Explain the miracle that occurs. ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ 23. Who is the miracle worker? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________
