This short book, intended for children, tells of their lives and friendship which lasted until Mr. He is the person who advised Helen Keller’s father to hire a private tutor who was trained in working with deaf children. Alexander Graham Bell, inventor of the telephone, had a lifelong interest in helping people with hearing disabilities. In this 1962 film version, the roles are played by Anne Bancroft and Patty Duke, respectively. George, Beach Tree Press, 1993, is also an excellent supplement for the film. The parts of Annie Sullivan and Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker are two of the strongest, most demanding, and prestigious female roles an actress can undertake. Bell…Your Friend, Helen Keller by Judith St.
We suggest reading this section to children right after they see the film.ĭear Mr. An excerpt concerning Helen’s discovery of the concept of words and naming as well as portions of Anne Sullivan’s letters describing the revelation can be found at pages 312 – 317 of The Book of Virtues (1993) by W. Helen Keller’s autobiography The Story of My Life has been recommended for children ages 10 to 15. In order to do that, she had to establish some discipline in Helen’s life. In order for Anne Sullivan to begin to teach Helen Keller to read or write, Anne had to make Helen understand the concept of symbolism, that is, that one thing stands for another. Only recently, with extraordinary efforts, have a few animals such as chimpanzees been taught to use a vocabulary of simple words. Animals signal danger, happiness, pain, anger or their presence, but they do not express themselves with symbols. The difference between communication among animals and communication among human beings is that we make use of symbols through language, while animals, for the most part, give only signals. See The Truth about Helen Keller from Rethinking Schools Online. Some believe that Helen Keller’s real legacy is as a social reformer. She supported Eugene Debs (1855-1926), the Socialist candidate who ran for president five times in the early 1900s. She was also a strong supporter of the Socialist Party, leading marches and demonstrations. She became a leader for many reformist causes, including women’s suffrage. Helen Keller’s books include The Story of My Life (1902). FICTION (SOAPS, DRAMAS, AND REALITY/SURVIVAL SHOW).On the other hand, older children will find it fascinating and may want to go to the library to learn more about Helen Keller and her remarkable life. The intense scenes of Helen fighting Annie by slapping her and throwing things might be a bit much for them. They both give remarkable performances in this movie.Īlthough there is nothing in this film which crosses our level of acceptability, and although we are awarding the Dove Seal for all ages, we must note that parents need to be cautious with young children watching it. the miracle worker I love this movie it teaches you alot about the feelings and the journey she. Anne Bancroft won an Oscar for a leading actress in a drama for her role as Annie Sullivan, and Patty Duke won the Oscar for best supporting actress for her role as Helen Keller. Helen’s parents hire Annie to teach Helen, who has no manners and is, at times, very difficult to handle. She meets her match in Annie Sullivan, the Irish teacher who once suffered herself from blindness. Helen Keller was not only blind and deaf and mute, but she was one stubborn child.