Like my knowledge of most Disney films or stories, what I
know about Mary Poppins is limited to
fragmented memories at least ten years ago. My memories of Marry Poppins were limited to a very nice nanny who sang the children
songs and made their lives better. Upon reading this story I was shocked to
discover that not only was Marry Poppins not sweet, but rather she was snooty
and sharp with the children. Mary Poppins reminded me of a conservative, formal,
and strict grandmother who does not like to have any fun. In general, the Mary Poppins
of P.L. Travers’ story seemed to be the opposite of the Disney Mary Poppins.
The most
interesting aspect of the story was the connections to the childhood of P.L.
Travers. Growing up without a father and a very distant mother manifests itself
several ways throughout the stories. One of the first ways that stands out is
the characterization of the Banks family. The father is rarely around due to
work and the mother wants no part in raising her children. One of the more
minor parts that stood out to me was the scene where Michael takes comforts
Jane when she has a searing headache. Michael first offers to read her stories
and when she refuses he describes what occurs on the street below their window
to entertain her. The story of an older sibling taking care of their younger one
is a tale as old as time, but directly applies to P.L. Travers’ childhood where
she had to raise her younger sister.
In chapter
6 of the story Michael begins to act irrationally rude and there seems to be no
reason behind it. P.L. even writes that Michael does not seem to know why he
has a desire to behave in a beyond rude manner. Part of the reason behind this
could be Michael is acting out for the attention of his parents because he
feels neglected. Michael enjoys acting rudely because it garners at least a
negative reaction out of his mother. This interesting because given P.L.
Travers situation it seems very likely that she is writing about her own
experience with herself or with her sister.
Furthermore,
the strict attitude of Mary Poppins seems to represent the mother figure P.L.
Travers wishes she had. Mary Poppins is strict in a nature that does not seem appealing
to the audience, but the children love her despite her snootiness. P.L. Travers
writes Mary Poppins as a strict mother figure and makes sure the kids adore her
to emphasize that a level of strictness in a mother figure is better than the alternative
of a distant mother.
The last
thing that stood out to me while reading the stories was the choppiness. I know
that the story was designed to be read to children before bed, so each
individual chapter could be treated as its own mini story for convenience. While
that is practical for the purpose of the story it is extremely maddening to
read.
No comments:
Post a Comment