Mary Poppins drops a lot of wisdom on Jane and Michael—and on Mr. Banks—throughout the movie. So does Bert.
How did the gain all this knowledge and wisdom? No one knows. Their backgrounds are enigmatic, obscure. But their wisdom is definitely better than the Dawes' version, since that just makes Mr. Banks totally unhappy, tense, and barely able to cope.
Mary's short sayings—like "A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down" and "Enough is as good as a feast"—make people relax and accept the lives their leading, instead of being constantly anxious about what's next or what needs to be under control.
Questions about Wisdom and Knowledge
- What wisdom does Mary pass on to the children and to Mr. Banks, and how does it help them?
- What would you say Mary's over-all philosophy of life is?
- How does Michael's conflict with Dawes Sr. over tuppence demonstrate the difference between Mary's philosophy and Dawes' philosophy?
- Does Bert have wisdom and does he use it to help the other characters?
Chew on This
The reason Mr. Banks is unhappy is because he spends time worrying about the past and the future. The wisdom of Mary Poppins and Bert allows them to live in the present, making them happy.
Mr. Banks is unhappy because he's not paying attention to the passage of time, and isn't realizing how fast his children's childhood is blazing by. Mary and Bert help him tune into this and enjoy the process of watching his kids grow up instead of being a strict disciplinarian.