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Smoked glasses
There are several dolls in The Miracle Worker, including the doll Annie Sullivan brings with her to the Kellers’ home and the doll Aunt Ev makes for Helen Keller. Throughout the play, dolls symbolize education. As a child, Annie first learned how to communicate by interacting with a doll, and during her time with Helen she trains Helen to behave by showing her how to take care of a doll. Dolls play an important role in education because they give people like Helen an opportunity to practice new skills and types of behavior.
Dolls Quotes in The Miracle Worker
The The Miracle Worker quotes below all refer to the symbol of Dolls. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Act 1
Quotes
ANNIE: All right, Miss O'Sullivan. Let's begin with doll.
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
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Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
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Dolls Symbol Timeline in The Miracle Worker
The timeline below shows where the symbol Dolls appears in The Miracle Worker. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Act 1
...and the glasses will help her see without pain. The children give Annie another gift—a doll with movable eyelids, which can make a “momma” sound. The doll, the children explain, is...
(full context)
...and smoked glasses as well. Then, she finds Annie’s drawers (i.e., underwear), and a large doll. Helen seems to like the doll. Annie, amused, murmurs, “All right, Miss O’Sullivan. Let’s begin...
(full context)
Annie takes Helen’s hand and gently manipulates the fingers, spelling out “D-O-L-L” in sign language. James, who’s been watching from the doorway, says, “You spell pretty well.”...
(full context)
Annie shows Helen the doll again, prompting Helen to spell its name. Helen does so, and Annie gives her the...
(full context)
Act 2
...Helen. Helen takes the card and accidentally pokes her own finger. Next, Helen throws her doll to the ground, and Annie spells “bad girl” on Helen’s palm. Next, Annie makes Helen...
(full context)
...Annie and Helen alone, and Helen begins banging around the garden house. She finds her doll and is about to throw it when, suddenly, she begins to cry and sinks to...
(full context)
Alone, Annie sits in a rocking chair with Helen’s doll. Happy with herself, she begins singing a lullaby to the doll “in mock solicitude.” As...
(full context)
