Read the following excerpt from katherine anne porter's "the jilting of granny weatherall": it had been a hard pull, but not too much for her. when she thought of all the food she had cooked, and all the clothes she had cut and sewed, and all the gardens she had made — well, the children showed it. there they were, made out of her, and they couldn't get away from that. sometimes she wanted to see john again and point to them and say, well, i didn't do so badly, did i? which two themes does this passage most clearly develop? a. past experiences shape who we are; the insecure often seek to be validated. b. sometimes we doubt our own strength; it's fruitless to live in the past. c. adversity builds character; tough times make for tough people. d. life presents obstacles to be overcome; parents are children's first role models.

A. Past experiences shape who we are; the insecure often seek to be validated.

A. Past experiences shape who we are; the insecure often seek to be validated.

Explanation:

One of the themes displayed in this extract is that the past assumes an imperative role in the people who we later become. Here, the youngsters' decency mirrors all the work and adore her mom put into them: cooking for them, sewing and cutting their garments.  

The second topic created is that insecure individuals will in general search for approval from others, as opposed to feel pleased with themselves. Here, the mother feels glad for her youngsters and some of the time needs to boast about them, to demonstrate everybody what a great job she had done raising them.

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the miracle worker themeswilliam gibson

themes and meanings

(comprehensive guide to drama)

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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.”