One central idea of "Mother Tongue" by Amy Tan is that people make inaccurate judgements about others based on the way they express themselves through language. Which detail best explains how the author develops this central idea over the course of the text? Options:

The author includes lots of imagery to help the reader visualize what's happening.

The author includes anecdotes about how Amy Tan's mother is treated unfairly by the stockbroker and hospital staff when in fact she can communicate effectively despite her nonstandard English.

The author includes figurative language to help get her point across about language.

The author includes stories about being away from family while in college.

she has clear pronunciation

sthe miracle worker  ▾search

home  >   study guides  >   the miracle worker

the miracle worker themeswilliam gibson

themes and meanings

(comprehensive guide to drama)

print  print  document  pdf  list  cite  link  link

there are two central themes in  the miracle worker: that the human spirit can triumph over even the most daunting of disabilities and that a dedicated teacher can transform the lives of those with whom he or she comes into contact. these inspirational themes have long been personified in the widely known true-life relationship between helen keller and annie sullivan, but  the miracle worker  also dramatizes collateral issues that extend beyond the particular case. underlying helen’s process of learning basic principles of what annie terms “obedience” (decorum, etiquette, and hygiene), there are more universal lessons of self-governance—the inculcation of self-restraint instead of willfulness, the development of self-discipline instead of self-indulgence. only when these lessons have been mastered can helen begin to acquire language—which, annie says, “is to the mind more than light is to the eye.”