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Comparing Play And The Movie 'The Miracle Worker'

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Could you ever imagine teaching a deaf, blind, and mute child? Well, Anne Sullivan got the chance teach a blind, deaf, and mute girl. There was even a play called “The Miracle Worker” that was written by William Gibson in 1956. Along with a play written about Annie’s work with the child, there was even a movie “The Miracle Worker” directed by Arthur Penn which was released in 1962. The play was about Annie Sullivan teaching Helen Keller the blind girl. Annie faced a lot of challenges and obstacles while teaching. The movie was based on the play so there was a lot of similarities along, with differences. In this paper, I am going to be telling you about the differences and similarities. Along with advantages and disadvantages of the two similar …show more content…

The first similarity is the breakfast table scene. Both the play and the movie’s breakfast scene was the same because Helen would go around to her family’s plate and grab the food she liked and ate it with her hands. Annie just watched Helen is disgust. While Helen got to her plate, Helen tried grabbing food but Annie grabbed her wrist and did it multiple times till Helen threw a tantrum. Annie told everyone to leave the room and once everyone left she sat Helen in a chair and put her plate in front and would stop her if she was about to grab the food with her hands. Annie and Helen fought and they both had food on their clothes and their hair was messy. Annie then got a bunch of spoons and would place one in Helen's hand. Helen would throw the spoon and she would keep doing this until Annie was on her last spoon and Annie held it tightly in Helen’s hand and put the spoon in her mouth along with food. Finally, Helen learned how to fold her napkin and eat with a spoon. Another comparison from the play and the movie is, Annie and Helen are in the bedroom and Helen is playing with Annie’s doll that Annie got for her. Annie then is spelling D.O.L.L in Helen’s hand and Annie is trying to get Helen to spell it back to her. Helen this spells it back but she doesn’t know what it means so, Annie takes the doll and Helen tries to get it back but she can’t. Helen and Annie then fight and Annie sits her …show more content…

The first difference is, in the play the little kids that Annie was with, they gave her a gift before Annie left but in the movie, Annie was on the train with Mr. Anagnos talking and all the little kids just waved goodbye. The second difference is in the play when Annie first gets to the Keller’s house Helen is sitting in a chair on the porch outside and Annie walks up to Helen and Helen knows someone in there and Helen stands up and Annie hugs Helen. Then, Helen tries to get away from Annie because she knows it's not her mother but in the movie, Helen is standing on the porch when Annie arrives and instead of hugging Helen tries to get Annie's suitcase and once Helen gets it she carries it up to her room. Another difference is in the play Helen throws the doll because she is mad and the doll breaks. She then notices it broke and she feels guilty and sad but in the movie, Helen is about to throw the doll and it would have broke but then Annie stops Helen from breaking the doll by grabbing the doll before Helen threw it. The last difference is, in the movie Helen’s brother, James ask Annie how her brother Jimmie died but in the play that never happened. There are many more differences but these are important

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