ANAGNOS: Deaf, blind, mute—who knows? She is like a little safe, locked, that no one can open. Perhaps there is a treasure inside.

Question

ANNIE: Maybe it’s empty, too?

ANAGNOS: Possible. I should warn you, she is much given to tantrums.

ANNIE: Means something is inside. Well, so am I, if I believe all I hear. Maybe you should warn them.

ANAGNOS: [FROWNS]: Annie. I wrote them no word of your history. You will find yourself among strangers now, who know nothing of it.

Next, read the excerpt from The Story of My Life by Helen Keller.

Dr. Bell advised my father to write to Mr. Anagnos, director of the Perkins Institution in Boston, the scene of Dr. Howe's great labours for the blind, and ask him if he had a teacher competent to begin my education. This my father did at once, and in a few weeks there came a kind letter from Mr. Anagnos with the comforting assurance that a teacher had been found. This was in the summer of 1886. But Miss Sullivan did not arrive until the following March.

Based on the excerpts, how is the point of view in The Miracle Worker different from the point of view in The Story of My Life?

1.The reader gets background on how Annie came to be Helen’s teacher.
2.The reader experiences Helen’s feelings of frustration in a description of her tantrums.
3.The reader gets background information that Helen might not have known about or experienced.
4.The reader experiences Miss Sullivan coming to teach Helen from Helen’s point of view.

Answer 1

The correct answer is 3. The reader gets background information that Helen might not have known about or experienced.

In "The Miracle Worker," the dialogue between Anagnos and Annie provides context about Annie's own past and the challenges she faces, as well as insight into Helen's situation and the anticipation of her arrival at the Perkins Institution. This background may not be something Helen herself is fully aware of, particularly since she is depicted as locked in her own world.

In contrast, "The Story of My Life" presents Helen's own narrative, offering her perspective and experiences directly. Thus, while readers gain a deeper understanding of Helen's context through Anagnos's conversation, this information may not be accessible to Helen herself.