Locks
References to locks, keys which can open them and the spaces which they can close or open are a recurring symbolic motif throughout the play. Annie’s own teacher describes Helen as “little safe, locked, that no one can open.” When Annie first arrives at the Keller home, she is locked in her room by Helen who hides the key. The symbolism refers to the process of Annie unlocking the secret to communicating with Helen which is the driving force of the narrative.
Water
The water pump outside the house is the most important part of the set and a focus lighting effects and directorial focus. One of battle of wills physically acted out between Annie and Helen to demonstrate the dramatic tension of their relationship take a sudden intense turn when Annie throws water into Helen’s face. And, of course, the climax of the story is Helen’s learning to communicate at the water pump and speaking her first and only word of the play, “wah” to indicate water. Water has the spiritual symbolism of baptism and rebirth as both Annie and Helen undergo transformative moments that change their lives forever.
Dolls
Helen is often shown interacting with a doll and it is specifically the ways she interacts with the dolls that lend them symbolic significance. When she touches the face of a doll which has no actual facial features, for instance, she recognizes this absence and makes the effort to correct the flaw. Helen’s interactions reveal that she is only physically disabled, not intellectually and the dolls thus become a symbol for the possibility of her being taught and learning.
Candy
Candy becomes a symbol of negative behavior conditioning. The Keller family tries to control Helen’s behavior by giving her candy, not realizing that she makes the connection between behavior and reward. This symbolic aspect is made clear in a scene where Helen actually acts worse upon being given the candy after an effort is made to retrieve it which ends with her hiding behind the water pump, which will become a symbol of positive conditioning that is essential to changing her behavior.
James’ Grace Prayer
When James is asked to say grace before eating, he makes an odd choice: a Biblical story about Jacob wrestling with an angel for so long and so violently that he thigh gets out of joint. The story to then has been one in which Annie has complained that overly protective and indulgent treatment of Helen by the Kellers is obstructing her ability to do her job. This context provides symbolic meaning for the story with the angel representing Annie, Jacob standing in for Helen and the foreshadowing that their battle of wills is only going to become physical.
