Lesson 2) Mary Poppins (Practically Perfect in Every Way)
Thrilled to welcome our new Arithmancy professor, Octavia Proctor! I hope you're all excited to hear from her, especially since she took on the project almost immediately after she was hired! Initially, The Black Cauldron was scheduled to be the second lesson, but Mary Poppins (having been added months later) is next in terms of the film chronology.
Secondly, I have read over the number of survey submissions from Week 1 and I have done my best to incorporate the suggestions as much as feasibly possible! We may not be able to make everyone happy, but we were certainly willing to try!
As a "refresher", I think many of you may appreciate some of these interesting "theories" about Bert's character in Mary Poppins: http://www.etonline.com/movies/150432_mary_poppins_hidden_relationships_fan_theory/. In this lesson, you'll also hear from Professor Maddox and Professor Dowler, your History of Magic professors (https://www.facebook.com/HiHHistoryOfMagic), as well as Professor Fallon, your Magical Transportation professor (https://www.facebook.com/hihmagicaltransportation).
Finally: each video has a shared mp3 link below it, so for those who can't access YouTube, you're welcome to download the file). These videos are important for the quiz and assignments, so I highly suggest listening to them as you work!
EH
http://www.hogwartsishere.com/emmahart/https://www.facebook.com/emmaharthih
Lesson 2: Mary Poppins (Practically Perfect in Every Way)
I welcome you all to this very special lesson for our Feature week! For those of you I have yet to meet, my name is Professor Proctor and I can usually be found up on the Seventh Floor, teaching Arithmancy to students in the third year and above.
Now, I am quite excited to be leading you through this lesson as we are discussing my favourite Disney adaptation, Mary Poppins! I know that many of you will be aware of this wonderful book, film or even theatrical adaptation as it is quite the favourite in Muggle society; however, I will pretend for this lesson that each of you are new to the material.A Simple beginning…
First, a little about the author. Born in Maryborough, Australia on the 9th August 1899, Helen Lyndon Goff lived an unremarkable childhood. Realising she had quite the gift as a storyteller, Helen began to share her stories with her younger siblings. Upon her Father’s unemployment, Helen helped her siblings through hard times by telling very creative and enthralling stories. Sadly, Helen’s father Travers died when she was quite young and this had a very noticeable effect on young Helen.
When Helen was a teenager, she began publishing her stories and poetry in newspapers and soon added actress to her list of skills. Helen decided to adopt a ‘stage name’ as an actress and was soon recognised by the name ‘Pamela Lyndon Travers’. Over time, Helen shortened her stage name to P.L Travers and began using the moniker for her writing as well. In 1935, P.L Travers penned the novel she is most known for--the cheerful tale of a British Nanny and her many interesting adventures, Mary Poppins.
Welcome to Cherry Tree Lane….
Mary Poppins is set in London England at the turn of the 20th Century--1910 to be exact. During the Edwardian era, England was a place of rigid morals in
society. Typically, the economic class you were born into, you remained in, though marriage sometimes gave people the opportunity to rise, depending on their social connections. 
While Mary Poppins is perfectly respectable, she belongs to a different socioeconomic class than the Banks. Bert the Chimney Sweep does as well, albeit an even lower one. In Britain during the nineteenth century, Chimney sweeps were considered part of the lower classes due to the filthy conditions they worked in. The film purposefully showcases multiple class brackets: bank executives, Ship Captains, retired 'odd' gentlemen, and homeless women.
To better understand the time period, it is necessary to understand the home life of the Banks family:
(To download video: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2G0AXwWmqUcd05xcHZma1plTlk/view?usp=sharing).
"It's grand to be a Englishmen in 1910. King Edward's on the throne; it's the age of men! I'm the lord of my castle, the sovereign, the liege. I treat my subjects, servants, children, wife--with a firm but gentle hand--noblesse oblige."
We can take a couple things away from Mr. Banks' description of his home life. First, the term "noblesse oblige" is French for "Nobility obliges". It refers to the fact that those with a specific social status must fulfill their social responsibilities, particularly if they are in a leadership position. As the head of his household, Mr. Banks is responsible for everyone living under his roof: his wife, children, and servants. Secondly, the "order" in which Mr. Banks names those living in his household is meant to be taken as a kind of joke, though it is important to remember that women weren't, by this point in history, considered "persons" yet.
During the late 1800s through to the early 1900s, muggle women all around the world were protesting for the right to vote and gain political equality (a theme you discussed in Disney Lit Week 1). Prior to the Suffrage movement, women were denied the right to vote based upon the legislation which gave only landowners, typically wealthy men, the luxury of electing serving members of government. To convey some of the sentiments during this time, Disney chose to represent Mrs Banks as a "Sister Suffragette":
(To download video: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2G0AXwWmqUcSnVsN2Foc0xaRkk/view?usp=sharing).
While this certainly enhances the "colour" of Mrs Banks' character, the real "hidden" protagonist of Mary Poppins is none other than Mr Banks himself. While the film introduces him as a champion of patriarchy, and therefore not necessarily a "good guy", with Mary Poppins' help, Mr Banks eventually learns how to be a better father, and most importantly, a better man. But we'll explore this further later on in the lesson!
A Spoonful of Sugar….
After P.L Travers published the first Mary Poppins novel in 1935, she published seven more over the next 50 years, with the last one, “Mary Poppins and the House next Door”, hitting the shelves in 1988. However, the much loved Disney adaptation focuses on the story from the first four novels, and so shall we.The film opens with two dilemmas: Jane and Michael Banks have run off and the current nanny, Katie Nana, has handed in her resignation. Like the von Trapp children in The Sound of Music, the Banks' children churn through nannies like its going out of style. When the children finally return home with their broken kite (their pleas for help from their father about flying it going unheard), Mr Banks is quick to act. He sends the children off to bed and sets about writing a "Wanted" ad for a new nanny. Wanting to be helpful, the children do the same thing and read their advertisement to their father. Unimpressed by their efforts, Mr Banks shreds the letter and tosses it into the fire.
Somewhat magically, the scraps of paper fly through the air to reach Mary Poppins and she soon presents herself at the Banks household to interview for the position of nanny. With her usual disarming tactics, Mary Poppins convinces Mr Banks that hiring her would be in his best interest. Five minutes later, Mary Poppins is upstairs with the children who are then witness to various acts that blatantly disregard of the International Statute of Secrecy (ISoS). Mary Poppins magically shoots up the stairs and pulls multiple objects out of her seemingly normal carpet bag. 
As you can see from the following clip, Mary Poppins is quite proud of her magical heritage, displaying her prowess in casting an Undetectable Extension charm upon her bag, hanging an enchanted mirror, and using a measuring tape with personalised enchanted statements for each person that it measures. Moreover, she also "wows" the children by her exemplary cleaning skills. She's capable of making the toys and furniture 'come to life'. Mary Poppins can even channel her magic into the children as Jane and Michael find themselves 'snapping' everything back into place. (To download video: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2G0AXwWmqUcSi03ZmRkUzVJYlk/view?usp=sharing).
British muggles in particular seem to have quite the fascination with witches and magic. A British Author, Mary Norton, created a similar tale of a witch learning her trade and caring for children when she penned How to Become a Witch in Ten Easy Lessons in 1943 and followed it with Bonfires and Broomsticks in 1945. Both of these novels are recognized as being the foundation material for another Disney classic, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, which was released in 1971.
The narrative of Bedknobs and Broomsticks resembles the education experience of Hogwarts. The main character, a Miss Eglantine Price, is the ‘black sheep’, if you will, of the witchcraft course being delivered by a Professor Emelius Browne. Professor Browne, it seems, has the ulterior motive of using the unbridled raw power of Miss Price to aid in his personal quest of becoming a world renowned magician; instead, the Professor and Miss Price, along with the children, help bring about (a small part of, at least) the end of Muggle WWII.Miss Price, though not fully completed her magical educated, performs some amazing magical feats--particularly on a broom--though she also demonstrates the dangers of magical backfires.
After a particularly enjoyable "tidy up the nursery session" (which you'll get to discuss more in your assignments), the children soon meet Bert, the humorous and charming Chimney Sweep.
One of their adventures includes a a "Jolly Holiday" which involves Mary Poppins, Bert, and the children, magically jumping into one of Bert's chalk paintings. While the children run off to the fair, Bert and Mary enjoy a colourful stroll and make friends with many of the talking animals in the "chalk" world. According to Disney's recent film, Saving Mr. Banks, the animated sequence was something P.L. Travers hadn't exactly been on board with when she first found out about it. However, the blending of live action and animation really added to the "Disney magic" that many people, both young and old, know and love today. Most importantly, this animated sequence gave us all a word that we will never forget: one that you'll have the opportunity to discuss in one of your essays!
Along with learning the importance of laughter, one of the most important lessons that Mary Poppins imparts to the children is that there are many people less fortunate people than themselves. In one pivotal scene in the novel, and also film, Mary takes Jane and Michael to see the Bird Woman, a seemingly homeless woman who can usually be found on the steps of a church feeding the wild birds. The song "Feed the Birds" is quite an emotional scene; certainly it evokes a great deal of empathy in the children. However, the song's message is also universal: even the smallest action can make a difference in the life of another human being.
The children then apply their insights to the world around them, though perhaps at one of the worst possible times to do so. After Mr Banks attempts to scold Mary Poppins for filling his children's heads with "silly" notions, Mary Poppins pulls her usual maneuvering tactic and "agrees" with Mr Banks that it's time his children 'learned to walk in their father's footsteps', resulting in Jane and Michael's first trip to the Bank with their father. However, when they arrive at the bank, a "fight" breaks out on account of Michael's "socialist" ideals (his desire to help others) coming into conflict with the Head of the Bank's "capitalist" endeavors (investments and geopolitical expansion). The song the Bankers sing to Michael is also represented in Disney's Saving Mr. Banks which conveys the darker undertones of the imperialistic endeavors of Britain (and its subsequent effect on the mental health of PL. Travers' father).
The Head of the Bank and Michael fight over (literally) tuppences (slang for "twopence", which is roughly the equivalent of American pennies). When Michael screams, "Give me back my money!" everyone in the bank panics and attempts to take out their money (otherwise known as a 'run on' the bank).
(To download video: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2G0AXwWmqUcMTFEUUNVNTRFdmc/view?usp=sharing).
As they bolt from their father and the Bank Board members, Jane and Michael struggle to find their way home and subsequently get lost. That is, until they bump headlong into Bert who is covered in soot. Bert's explanation of Mr Banks' actions represent the "hidden" message of the entire film (the message that PL Travers attempts to explain to Walt Disney during the making of Mary Poppins). He assures Jane and Michael that while their father always seems preoccupied with his job, there is something much more serious pressing on his mind. In fact, Bert concludes, their father is in "trouble". But not the everyday kind of trouble we might expect. Something the children don't recognize until Bert points it out to them.
"You've got your mother to look after you and Mary Poppins and Constable Jones and me. Who looks after your father? Tell me that. When something terrible happens, what does he do? Fends for himself, he does. Who does he tell about it? No one. Don't blab his troubles at home. He just pushes on at his job, uncomplaining and alone and silent."
As Professor Hart will tell you (as she studies this particular aspect of history and loves the song shown below), nineteenth century men were expected to handle their troubles by themselves. They were meant to represent their country in the home, financially support their family, and forever remain, in the words of Joseph Conrad, as "steadfast as a hero in a book". In short, men had an incredible burden on their shoulders. While they certainly inhabited a privileged position in society, they also felt weighted down by these rather unrealistic expectations.
While Mary Poppins certainly begins Mr. Banks' transformation process, it is Bert's gentle nudge that completes Mr. Banks' realization that "walking with giants" and "carving his niche in the edifice of time" could never compare to seeing the faces of one's children looking up at you in admiration. Before you know it, they are "up and grown", and you won't be their hero anymore.
(To download video: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2G0AXwWmqUcZndmTmJCWXJmMWc/view?usp=sharing).
While Mary Poppins and Bert, up until this point in the film, have come to function as Jane and Michael's substitute parents, the reality is that they only do so to better bring the Banks family closer together and remind them that a "spoonful of sugar" is sometimes necessary to help one to deal with the harsh reality ("medicine") of life. While Mary Poppins appears to arrive on the scene for the purpose of helping the children, it is ultimately Mr. Banks' life that she ends up 'saving'.
In fact, is through Mr Banks' newfound joy that results in his eventual promotion at the Bank. This comes about after he sends his former employer into a tizzy with a real "snapper" of a joke:
(To download video: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2G0AXwWmqUcRlBXZXJTQlJ4c2c/view?usp=sharing).
Step in Time…..
While we were first introduced to Mary Poppins in novel form, she went on to inspire us in Disney's film, and later on in theatrical musical stage shows. Whatever form Mary Poppins' story takes, muggles remain fascinated by her special brand of magic. While the novel portrays Mary Poppins more harshly than the film, Julie Andrews--in look, manner, and song--ultimately brought the character to life and into our hearts. Should you ever be in London or New York, I suggest visiting the local theatre precinct (The West End and Broadway, respectively) to experience a Muggle musical theatre performance. Quite soon, Mary Poppins will be returning for performances on the West End! Let’s go Fly a Kite…
(To download video: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2G0AXwWmqUcQ1F4QzdjbjNTUms/view?usp=sharing).
The song "Let's Go Fly A Kite" was a song that touched million of lives as it it suggests the universal message of "Carpe Diem"--"Seize the Day". We all only have one life to live. It is over in the blink of an eye; we all must cherish every moment we have with our loved ones, even if it is as simple as going with them to "Fly a Kite". Although Mr Banks never necessarily "walks with giants", his simple gesture of fixing his children's kite is a heroic one. In fixing the kite, the Banks family unit are now where they belong: together.
To conclude, let's return back to the previous mention of Disney's Saving Mr. Banks. As many of you may know, this film was what we call a ‘true life’ narrative of the creation of Mary Poppins, from its early beginning as part of a young Helen Goff/P.L Travers’ childhood experiences courtesy, to the business meetings with the wonderful Walt Disney and his creative film team. This film (like most films), though based upon actual recorded conversations during the production of Mary Poppins, is more in line with the "Disney-esque" canon than the genre of historical documentary. While every situation and word spoken in the movie may not be entirely accurate, its evocation of genuine emotion and carefully weaved together narrative brings to life a very real woman, one who, like Walt Disney himself, endured much hardship (as mentioned in Week 1), but gained universal adoration nonetheless.
I hope to see you all in Arithmancy, available to you from the third year and above! Today's Extra Credit assignments include determining what Hogwarts House Mary Poppins was sorted into as well as analyzing the kind of magic Mary Poppins uses. Both assignments include videos of songs from the film, so be sure you watch them!
Just remember, a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down,
Prof Proctor
As someone who experienced overwhelming emotion while watching Saving Mr. Banks, I can't thank Professor Proctor enough for volunteering to do this lesson, especially when it wasn't initially scheduled to happen! I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did.
If you want to discuss the lessons in further detail, please feel free to leave a comment here:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kBvL3TLPndbQOT7zeMAs_cB_9iR-RYvZiMfPXp4Z8SI/edit?usp=sharing
EH
