Question

Read this excerpt from "The Miracle Worker."

SMALLEST CHILD [MOURNFULLY]: Don’t go, Annie, to her.

ANNIE [HER ARM AROUND HER]: Sarah, dear. I don’t want to go.

SMALLEST CHILD: Then why are you going?

ANNIE [GENTLY]: Because I’m a big girl now, and big girls have to earn a living.

Which of these statements provides the best summary of the scene?
Responses

Annie explains her reasons for leaving and taking a job, and then the girls beg her to reconsider.
Annie explains her reasons for leaving and taking a job, and then the girls beg her to reconsider.

One of the girls encourages Annie to stay, and Annie explains that it is time for her to begin working.
One of the girls encourages Annie to stay, and Annie explains that it is time for her to begin working.

One of the girls is overly emotional and unable to say good-bye, so Annie explains the situation.
One of the girls is overly emotional and unable to say good-bye, so Annie explains the situation.

Annie tells the girls that she must take the teaching job, because the Perkins School has too many students.
Annie tells the girls that she must take the teaching job, because the Perkins School has too many students.

Answer 1

A girl pleads with Annie to stay, but Annie gently clarifies that as she grows older, she needs to work for a living, capturing the scene's dynamic.

Step-by-step explanation:

The best summary of the scene from "The Miracle Worker" is the one where one of the girls encourages Annie to stay, and Annie explains that it is time for her to begin working. This summary accurately captures the essence of the exchange between Annie and the smallest child, Sarah, who is mournful about Annie's departure. Annie affectionately reassures Sarah and explains the practical necessity of taking a job to earn a living, highlighting the theme of growing up and facing responsibilities.