Mr. Banks is stuck in a sad, lonely prison: the bank where he works. And the worst part is—he thinks he enjoys it.
The bank has colored everything else in his life, until he thinks that all you need to run a family are the same tools you need to run a bank (like discipline and efficiency). In other words, he's lost that lovin' feeling. In order to get his groove back, Banks needs Mary Poppins to help him.
Only after she helps get him fired (by suggesting that he take Jane and Michael to the bank) does he open up and start living the life that's always been waiting for him to live it.
Questions about Isolation
- Why is Mr. Banks' job at the bank so isolating?
- When he goes back to work at the bank as a partner, do you think Banks will end up feeling as caged in as he was before?
- How does Banks break through his own state of isolation?
Chew on This
Mr. Banks feels isolated because his work at the bank has shifted his worldview: he thinks life is all about the kind of discipline you need to manage money, instead of just enjoying life.
Mr. Banks feels isolated because of the British class system, which has forced him to act like a proper upper-class gentleman instead of letting him let his hair down and chill.