My recollection of Mary Poppins I had from
my childhood consisted of a woman in a pretty black dress holding an umbrella and
singing supercalifragilisticexpialidocious beautifully in a movie. If I am
going to be completely honest, I thought before reading this book that it was
going to be a surface level children’s book filled with whimsy and some
creative stories. Well, let’s just say I was pleasantly surprised about the
depth this seemingly simple “children’s book” would possess. I was not ready
for the different twists and turns this book was about to offer or the direct
relationship between the characters and the life of P.L. Travers.
The deepest and darkest depths of this book
are revealed throughout the character dynamics. From the mannerisms of Mary
Poppins herself to the underlying theme of the adults as a whole, this book
showed the audience there is more to life than what meets the eye. Mary Poppins
was definitely a fascinating character. She did not come to the Banks home and
become the nurturing motherly figure who Mrs. Banks could never be. She tended
to be stern with the children and acted as if she was all knowing. For example,
on page 61, in the Bad Tuesday chapter, she was almost threatening towards
Michael when he was arguing with her. There were many instances when she would
sniff her nose or display a certain harshness towards the children. She was not
all whimsy and magic as I expected before reading this book. Her wealth of
knowledge caused her to put herself above others in society as well. From the
story of Miss Lark’s dog Andrew and Mary Poppins conversation together or the
knowledge she had during the Zoo scene in regards to the animals and the power
of birthday’s, Mary Poppins seemed to possess a kind of knowledge “higher” than
everyone else. Mary Poppins, beyond her sternness and “higher” intelligence was
the glue, however, which kept the Banks family together. When she left by being
whisked away by the wind, the children cried and the Banks parents did not know
what to do without her. The adults throughout this book act more like children
than adults (besides Mary Poppins). They are honestly irrational. I believe the
life if P.L. Travers in relation to the adults in the book directly coincide.
Her father was a drunk (died) while her mother was emotionally unstable. Her
aunt had to come in and be that glue to the family just as Mary Poppins was for
the Banks family. Mary Poppins had one last side of her which is worth noting,
her vanity. She seemed confident at all times in public, but deep down she was
always looking at how people viewed her. These are just a few of the deeper
dynamics found in this more than average “children’s book.”
Beyond the interesting character dynamics,
I really loved the last few chapters of the book. When I first read the book, I
was asked in class what was something I did not love about the book… I quickly responded with, “I am not the
biggest fan of the short, choppy and almost seemingly misplaced chapters.” The
end of the book, however, helped to bring more of an understanding behind the
reasoning of writing all of those short creative stories. The quote at the very
end of the book, “And high above them the great shaped circled and wheeled
through the darkening sky, shining and keeping its secret for ever and ever and
ever….” shows the audience that the star in the sky, Mary Poppins, was magical
and creative, but also had parts of her which should be kept a secret. Mary
Poppins added whimsy and creativity to the book, but it was the different
facets of her character which left a lasting impact on the children and their
ability to be creative and dream of their magic “fairyland” (pg. 21).
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