Examples Of Pity In The Miracle Worker

English Novelist Graham Greene, once said: “Pity is cruel. Pity Destroys”. Pity may seem like a positive thing to have, to feel “sorry” for someone, but in reality, it is not. Pity can make it difficult for people to learn and improve, just like Helen Keller in the play The Miracle Worker, by William Gibson. Helen Keller was a blind and deaf girl, whose family commiserated her for her disabilities. They hired a lady named Anne Sullivan to teach her. Sullivan came to Keller, and luckily, she lacked the pity that Helen’s parents had. She was able to teach Helen language because she wasn’t afraid to be a little rough. Essentially, pity for someone makes it difficult for them to learn and improve.

To begin, many times, one can see parents giving treats or rewards to their children when said children are acting up. Not to “reward” them per se, but to distract the child enough to stop their incessant whining and screaming. A similar scenario occurs in The Miracle Worker. Helen is given a “reward” when she behaves negatively, to stop the wrongdoing for a short period of time. For example, Kate, the mother, says: “I don’t think one peppermint drop will spoil your supper” (502). Shortly afterwards, two more members of the household give

Not only does it have a true story that most people should know about, it includes very valuable themes and lessons pertaining to life. It is seen in the play that pity can suppress improvement and education in someone. This is especially important to understand in a day and age where it is so easy to offer a quick distraction. “Oh, little Billy hurt his knee? Let me give him some ice cream, he looks so sad”. This sort of interaction may seem harmless, but it can keep people from bettering themselves. If society were to take anything away from a play about a blind and deaf girl, it would be that if someone is to be strong, than they do not need any pity to