The Miracle Worker: A Film Against the Culture of Indulgence and Pity5
Fabio Bocci, Alessandra M. Straniero, Leonardo Tantari
In 1962, The Miracle Worker (in Italy Anna dei miracoli), a film directed by Arthur Penn that tells the human and educational story of Anne Sullivan and Helen Keller, was released in cinemas. The authors of this paper, after an essential description of the biographical profiles of the two protagonists, analyse the reasons why this film, which over time has become a cult film, still represents a forerunner and a point of reference in the pedagogical debate on the culture of inclusion in Italy and around the world. In particular, it clearly emerges how both the historical story of Anne and Helen, and the film, which narrates the moment of their meeting and the first crucial phases of their educational relationship, constitute a point of no return in reference to the culture of indulgence and pity, which for too long characterized the lives of people with impairments.
Keywords
The Miracle Worker, Anne Sullivan, Helen Keller, Inclusion, Deafblindness.
