The Miracle Worker by William Gibson
The Miracle Worker by William Gibson
I read this short play in one sitting, with a slight break to find some tissues. To be honest, while I knew who Helen Keller was, I've never really thought much about her life, about how amazing it truly was that her teacher found a way to reach her. Both of them, Helen and her teacher Annie Sullivan were simply remarkable women. According to the author's note, the play for the most part was based on Annie's own letters from the time.
The play opens with Helen's parents discovering that following an illness, their baby can neither see nor hear them. Helen, with no way to interact with the world around her becomes a violent, angry undisciplined girl.
When her parents have almost given up, talking about sending her to an institution, a letter they sent to the Perkins Institution in Boston is answered. Annie Sullivan arrives to teach Helen. At only 21 and half-blind herself, Annie...