Last week I decided to psychoanalyze the musical we are putting on in school, Mary Poppins. This week in English class we focused on feminism and feminist criticism. All week I had been trying to think of what I would talk about in relation to feminism, and then I realized that not only can Mary Poppins be analyzed through a psychoanalytic lens, but it can also be analyzed through a feminist lens. In the musical, Winifred, often referred to as Mrs. Banks, struggles with her role as a woman in her family and in society.
In the beginning of the musical, Mrs. Banks acts to please her husband and fulfill her role as a stereotypical wife and housekeeper. Mrs. Banks is an upper class woman with a husband and two children. She lives in a patriarchal society in England during the time of the first wave of feminism. She is clearly inferior to her husband who is very misogynistic. Mr. Banks is the breadwinner and works at the bank, while Mrs. Banks is in charge of the children and other “womanly” things like throwing social parties. Mr. Banks tells his wife that they need a nanny so she can fulfill her role as wife and “do charity work and entertain”. When Mrs. Banks tries to complain to her husband that she should have some independence and freedom to invite her true friends, Mr. Banks as the man in charge has the final say. He will not let her invite her acting friends and even implies that Mrs. Banks should feel ashamed for her old life as an actress. As an actress, she was a more independent person. Mr. Banks believes she should feel ashamed of this former life because she was not adhering to the role women are expected to play in society. Mr. Banks tells Winifred that “It’s your job, to be Mrs. Banks”. This misogynistic comment shows that Mrs. Banks lives in a patriarchal society where women are defined by their husbands and not by their own roles. Mr. Banks wants her to be defined by him, rather than by herself. She is defined essentially not by herself as the actress, but rather as Mr. Bank’s dutiful wife. Mrs. Banks even sings a song about being defined by her husband, and she sings “I have a name which tells the world; I’m someone else’s wife”.
When Mary Poppins arrives to become the children’s new nanny, Mr. and Mrs. Banks assume stereotypical gender roles. Mr. Banks tells Mary Poppins that “Nothing domestic has anything to do with me!”. Women are expected during this time period (around 1910) in England to provide and care for children in society. Mrs. Banks asks Mr. Banks what his job is, and he furthers his belief in stereotypical gender roles by replying that it is “To pay for everything”. Essentially, he believes that women take care of the children and that men earn the money for the family.
At the end of the musical however, Mary Poppins and the children help Mrs. Banks become a stronger woman. Mrs. Banks wants to help George who is in trouble at the bank, but believes that because she is a woman that she cannot go and help him. The children convince her to go and tell her that Mary Poppins says anything is possible. When the children say “Anything is Possible” they mean that it is possible for Mrs. Banks to overcome her fear of becoming a stronger woman and not conforming with the typical role of women in society. Mrs. Banks goes to the bank to help her husband, and she is forced to confront the misogynistic attitude of the chairman of the bank who tells her that they are not finished with business, thus implying that she needs to leave. Mrs. Banks finally overcomes her stereotypical role as a dutiful wife whose place is at home by staying at the bank and successfully negotiating a better salary for her husband. Mr. Banks also realizes that he has been acting misogynist throughout the musical and tells her that she no longer needs to be defined by him, and that she can define herself by going back to the stage and becoming an actress again.
Yet again this week, I was surprised to find another layer of depth to a fun and uplifting Disney musical. This musical seems to have it all; flying kites, spoonfuls of sugar, freudian psychology, and feminist criticism.
I like the fact that we are allowed to write about whatever we want, yet you still choose to relate it to class. Good for you - I could never be that diligent.
ReplyDeleteI also noticed this when I saw the play on Friday (great job, by the way!) (A+ fall - it actually did look like it was supposed to happen). I thought it was awesome how at the end Mrs. Banks is able to prove herself by standing up to her husband's boss and not backing down when she is told to leave. Although it turns out to be unnecessary, she tries to save her family without the help of her husband. In the end, she ends up being more assertive than her husband and increasing their wealth. She also earns the freedom and independence that she has longed for when Mr. Banks agrees to let her go back to work as an actress. Despit this, though, she chooses to prioritize her family in her life and stay at home with the kids. Being able to sacrifice her dreams for her family, I would argue, makes her an even stronger woman than a working one.