Magical Mary (for Children's Literature)

For a modern reader, it is difficult to read Mary Poppins without comparing it to the Disney film of the same name. The book and movie are a great favorite of one of my aunts, and she has read the book and its sequel many times. For my part, I was never particularly fond of the movie, and did not read the book until I was given this assignment. While the book and movie at first seem very similar, by the time I reached the end I realized that the two were strikingly different; in fact the book is much rougher around the edges and even a little dark at times. As a matter of fact, Mary Poppins is rather like any fairy tale that Disney retold in that it was made brighter and far less dangerous.

Mary does not float into (or out of) town gracefully: she is blown in violently (Travers 5-6), and caught up again just as quickly when the wind changes (200). Unlike in the Disney film, she does not displace a long line of nannies who are waiting to be interviewed, she arrives before the advertisement is even placed (5). She does slide up the banister and carry a magical carpetbag (8-10), but she is nowhere near as pleasant as Julie Andrews. She is rude to Mrs. Banks (16), doesn’t’ make friends with the other hired help (204), has a perpetual runny nose (9), and throughout the book is nearly always cranky (29). She snaps at the children and rarely has anything nice to say to them; in fact it is a wonder to me that the children love her at all. Above all, Mary’s vice is her vanity (16), as she frequently buys clothing that is nice and always gazes at herself in windows (30).

Mary is not normal; most of the magical things that happen in the book are clearly a result of her own power. On her date with Bert they jump into one of his drawings, and not only does her clothing change to suit her taste, the raspberry tarts that Bert could not afford are at the tea (21-23). When Uncle Albert is laughing on the ceiling, she is the one who causes the table to fly so that they can have tea on the ceiling (38). She can talk to animals (60-62, 164) and appears to be the only adult in the world who has retained the ability since childhood (140). Most astonishing of all she can instantly command a compass to take her any direction and any distance across the face of the planet (89).

Mary isn’t the only magical being in the book, however. The Red Cow catches a star on her horn and can’t stop dancing until she jumps over the moon (74, 77). Mrs. Corry bakes magical gingerbread and snaps off her fingers as candy (120, 123), then puts the foil stars in the sky as new stars (132). Maia comes down from the heavens for her Christmas shopping (181-182), then walks on air to get back home (189-192).

When all is said and done, Mary Poppins is a paradox. She uses her magic often but afterwards seems to have forgotten what happened or denies that she did anything of the sort. She expects others to be kind and polite and obedient but does not demonstrate those qualities herself. She lies and manipulates when it suits her, and is anything but pleasant most of the time, and yet the children love her dearly and are devastated when she leaves. Overall I would submit that Mary’s powers and adventures are imaginative, but not entirely interesting. In fact, other books and shows have used some of the same ideas but executed them in a more humorous manner. This book does look at the world in a different way, was most likely very original at the time it was written, but I would not want to read it over and over again, nor will I live more fully because I have read it.