Two People Can Change the World
Helen Keller profoundly affected millions throughout his inspirational life and the impact of those people upon others cannot even be calculated. As an iconic figure changing the way society viewed the potential of people with physical disabilities and as a tireless activist for a host of social causes, Keller deserved her ranking on many lists of the most significant people of the 20th century, but important to keep in mind is that without Annie Sullivan’s persistence, tenacity, stubbornness and hard work, none of that might be true. The history of the world without Helen Keller was possible to avoid not just because she survived her life-threatening illness as a child, but because Annie Sullivan later became a part of that life.
Language as a Way Out
The illness of her youth has robbed Helen of her ability to see, hear and speak, but she still possesses the ability to communicate. Annie recognizes this even if the Keller family has given up on the idea. As long as Helen is merely physically disabled and not deprived of the mental ability to communicate, language remains possible and Annie’s driving motivation is her belief that for Helen, “there’s only one way…language.” Language is ultimately demonstrated to be the foundation for knowledge and communication, not vision or hearing or even speaking.
Annie Wanted It More
The dramatic tension of the play is manifested physically in a series of confrontations between Helen and Annie that play out the underlying conflict between the two. This is a battle of wills, a war between a spoiled little girl used to getting her way from the people inside the house who love her and an interloper with crazy ideas presupposed to fail miserably. Both are tenacious combatants possessed with an unyielding confidence that they ultimately hold the upper hand which will result in victory in the end. The title suggests something beyond the ordinary—something mysterious and inexplicable—takes place. What happens is not a miracle, however, but simply what always happens when a heavyweight boxing goes into the final round or when two evenly matched teams meets to battle for the championship. In the end, Annie’s triumph of the will results from her desire to teach being stronger than Helen’s will to not learn.
