How we cite our quotes: All quotations are from Mary Poppins.
Quote #4
WINIFRED: I'll try to do better next time.
GEORGE: Next time? My dear, you've engaged six nannies in the last four months. And they've all been unqualified disasters.
George and Winifred are both so caught up in their own lives that they keep ditching their kids with nannies—and do a bad job of picking those nannies, besides. George thinks that he's the man to solve this, but it's actually the children's own ad which gets Mary P.'s attention.
Quote #5
JANE: Oh Michael, the city! We'll see all the sights and father can point them out to us!
MARY: Well, most things he can. Sometimes a person we love, through no fault of their own, can't see past the end of his nose.
It's not that George doesn't love his kids. It's just that he's so wrapped up in his worldly problems at the bank that he can't see that life is passing him by.
Quote #6
WINIFRED: But you're always saying that you wanted a cheerful and pleasant household.
GEORGE: Winifred, I should like to make a slight differentiation between the word cheerful and just plain giddy irresponsibility.
George thinks Mary is irresponsible—an anarchist. But that's not actually the case. Mary does have rules and order, and she makes the children clean up the nursery (albeit with magic) and things like that. But Mary injects fun into these things. She realizes that it's easier to follow the rules if you don't really feel like you're following the rules.