The THEME of Act 2 is:
Pity can interfere with the discipline that learning requires.
Explanation:
What does Annie say is Helen's greatest handicap? Her family's pity. And what does she mean when she says, "Obedience is the gateway through which knowledge enters the mind of the child?" She means that children have to be disciplined (learn to sit still and listen!) before they can be taught. So, since the Kellers pity Helen, they don't discipline her; therefore, she cannot be taught. Make sense?
