Miracle Worker
...is seen when “Helen takes the doll that Annie has brought her and flings it into Annie’s face, breaking one of her teeth.” (p. 654) This shows that Helen doesn’t cooperate with Annie at all. Another external conflict that Annie has in the play is with Captain Keller and Kate. When they are in the dining room, Helen starts to touch everything on the table. Annie disagrees with that. Captain Keller and Kate don’t like the way Annie treats Helen. At one point, Keller tells Kate, “She’s very rough, Katie.” (p. 652) Annie’s internal conflict is with the guilt that she feels about the death of her younger brother Jimmie. She hears the voice of her brother almost all the time in flashbacks. One time Jimmie’s voice asks Annie, “Where we goin; Annie?” Then Annie responds, “I’m takin’ care of you, Jimmie. Forever and ever.” (p. 646) Before she leaves for Alabama, Annie tells Mr. Anagnos that she can never love anyone else ever again because the loss of Jimmie hurt her so much. It is interesting to note that the flashbacks which reveal this internal conflict come at the times in the play when Annie’s external conflicts are particularly difficult. None of Annie’s conflicts have any hope of being resolved unless certain changes are made. Annie thinks that she must get Helen away from her family so that Helen can depend on Annie and nobody else. This is a turning point because Captain Keller at first does not agree to let her. However, when Annie tells the Kellers what an institution is really like, they change their way of thinking about putting Helen into an institution, and they permit Annie to take Helen to the garden house. Captain Keller lays down one condition: he gives her only two weeks. He says, “Anything or not, two weeks, then the child comes back to us.” (p. 676) Annie’s conflict with Captain Keller reaches a turning point when he sees the new, clean, obedient Helen acting like a little lady at the end of the two weeks. For Captain Keller this is enough, even though Annie begs for more time. “And what would another week accomplish?” he asks her. “We are more than satisfied, you’ve done more than we ever thought possible…” (p. 691) His attitude towards her has obviously changed for the better. A turning point in Annie’s internal conflict shows how Annie has changed her feelings for Helen. If Annie didn’t have feelings for Helen, she never would have told Helen’s parents about life in an institution. She doesn’t yet realize these feelings, but the audience can recognize them since the audience knows that she didn’t want to reveal these horrible facts about her past. Annie also tells Kate, “I didn’t come here for love. I came for money,” (p. 679) but Kate doesn’t believe that. At the end of the two weeks, Annie is seen holding a doll in a rocking chair and singing a lullaby as she watches Helen sleep. It is obvious to the audience that Annie starts feeling maternalistic towards Helen, but again she doesn’t yet realize it. All of Annie’s conflicts get resolved after the “miracle” happens. Helen acts up at her “welcome home” dinner, and Annie drags her outside to refill a pitcher that Hellen spilled. As usual, she spells into Helen’s hand. This time, the word “water” causes something to click on in...