The Miracle Worker examines a number of themes. In this project, you will have an opportunity to write about one of these themes. Here is your goal for this assignment: Write an essay on a selected theme from The Miracle Worker. In at least 600 words, write an essay discussing one of the following themes from The Miracle Worker. In your essay, discuss your choice by responding both to (1)how Gibson presents the theme in The Miracle Worker as well as (2) the message Gibson is trying to present through this theme. You will be expected to refer to quotes in The Miracle Worker as evidence of your interpretations of the play. Remember to document your evidence properly, using MLA format (click here to review the MLA Style Guide).

Read the excerpt from the poem "growing up italian" by maria mazziotti gillan and answer the question that follows. when i was a little girl, i thought everyone was italian, and that was good. we visted our aunts and uncles, and they visted us. the italian language smooth and sweet in my mouth. in kindergarten, english words fell on me, thick and sharp as hail. i grew silent, the italian word balanced on the edge of my tongue and the english word, lost during the first moment of every question. source: gillan, maria mazziotti. "growing up italian." poetrymagazine.com. poetry magazine, n.d. web. 30 mar. 2011. what is the tone of this poem? what does the tone reveal about the speaker of the poem and the conflict she faces? based on this excerpt, what can you predict about the theme of the poem?