# So what IS Mary Poppins? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 4, 2014, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-mary-poppins/697502 "2014-09-04T17:39:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2014, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-mary-poppins/697502/81 "2014-09-06T23:04:12Z")
I can’t remember who it was who said “There are only two stories: A man goes on a journey, and a stranger comes to town”. And of course, those are both really the same story, just from different points of view. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2014, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-mary-poppins/697502/82 "2014-09-06T23:23:32Z")
And, of course, the story about the baby shoes. ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2014, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-mary-poppins/697502/83 "2014-09-06T23:33:09Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I can’t remember who it was who said “There are only two stories: A man goes on a journey, and a stranger comes to town”. > > And of course, those are both really the same story, just from different points of view. Yeah; Doctor Who is basically Mary Poppins from the nanny’s point of view. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2014, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-mary-poppins/697502/84 "2014-09-07T12:41:58Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > I haven’t read the books since I was a child, so we’re talking about 38 years ago, and I don’t remember many details, and I never read all of them, but to the best of my recollection, things were happening that were crises to children. Think about the Beverly Cleary books. If you read those for the first time as an adult, you might think they were kind of silly, but as far as tapping into real worries of children, she nailed them. I reread some recently (after the SAVING MR BANKS movie) and I don’t see much there about real worries of children. They’re fantasy, pure and simple, and they’re episodic (each chapter is a different adventure that stands on its own, with no connection to any other.) I’m on the road now, when I get back home to the books, I’ll try to do a quick spin through to make my point. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2014, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-mary-poppins/697502/85 "2014-09-07T13:40:58Z")
She’s a Mage In Service to the Queen… part of a small elite staff going back almost 1000 years. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2014, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-mary-poppins/697502/86 "2014-09-08T14:47:20Z")
> [@Count\_Blucher](#): > > She’s a Mage In Service to the Queen… part of a small elite staff going back almost 1000 years. I _Owww_ retract the above statement _Owww_ in its entirety. She is an _Owww_ a… lovely human being… and has no connection whatsoever with The Royal Family. please. send. help. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-mary-poppins/697502.md?page=4)