Abstract
The novel portion of this project, Life in a Pear Tree, is a fictional autobiography that tells the story of the American author’s short time managing a London pub. To assist in understanding the experience, a fairy tale story is woven through the real life events, inviting the reader to question truth and fact, fantasy and reality. Chapter one of the accompanying critical portion provides a background of fairy tale stories and the issues with defining the term. It also introduces P.L. Travers as an expert in the study of fairy tale and examines her little-known writings on fairy tale and related topics. Chapter two discusses autobiographical writing and its construction, examining the idea of truth vs. fact in regards to memory and creating a personal narrative. Chapter three introduces Travers’ Mary Poppins novels as potential fairy tale writing, and explores the idea of subversion within the books. Lastly, Chapter four binds together the previous chapters’ discussion of fairy tale, autobiography, reality, memory, and truth with the idea of looking beyond the surface. This chapter invites the reader to consider the duality of human nature by examining Travers, fairy tale stories, Mary Poppins, and Life in a Pear Tree. The background of the novel’s creation and examination of the various characters and themes is the main focus.