When Anne Sullivan first arrives at the Keller home, she brings with her a doll that is a gift from the other girls at the Perkins Institute. Though the gift conveys the well wishes of the school and is a means to welcome Helen into her studies, Anne quickly employs it as a teaching tool. She knows that Helen is already familiar with dolls as playthings, and indeed, Helen instantly covets the doll when she recognizes that Anne possesses it. Anne uses the doll to teach Helen the finger signs for “D-O-L-L,” and Helen is very quickly able to mimic the signs herself. This provides the Kellers and Anne with a sense of hope that Helen can indeed learn language.

It is via the doll, however, that Anne discovers Helen’s habit of throwing temper tantrums. When Anne tests Helen’s understanding of the spelling of “D-O-L-L” by removing it and prompting Helen to ask Anne for it, Helen responds by throwing a tantrum. She does not yet comprehend that the finger signals correspond to the object that she desires. The doll, then, is symbolic of Helen’s struggles; she desires to make her thoughts and wishes known but does not know how.