Character Study Of World Of Wonders By

Robertson D Essay, Research Paper

Character Study of “World of Wonders” by Robertson DaviesThe book World of Wonders by Robertson Davies is a character filled book. It is centered around the development of the characters their personalities, histories, moral characteristics, and flaws, and most of all, the way they react with one another. The characters are divided into two main divisions; the book is about a group of people who listen to their illusionist friend tell his life story. There are the people in the reality in the story (i.e. the friends of the illusionist) and those who exist in the history of the main characters and are described in the history of the illusionist, Magnus Eisengrim. The characters are further subdivided by the degree of importance they have to the book. The first three characters are the true main characters in the book. Dunsten RamsayThis book is seen all through the eyes of Dunsten Ramsay. Born in Canada of Scottish descent, he is a constant stabilizing force in the somewhat confusing happenings of Magnus Eisengrim s story. This man is a humble (in contrast to Magnus) and conservative figure who does not strive for power and fame like others in this story. He is content listening to the incredible tale of Magnus life, without getting upset or fazed by the opinionated view from which the story is delivered. Nor does he constantly argue with whatever is said. Basically, he on the outside, he is a relatively simple and happy man, who strives not for control, but for knowledge in and out of his field of history. However, as one delves deeper into the character of Ramsay, one begins to understand what really motivates him. Just like the rest of the characters in the story, he has had his life-long squabbles and arguments. He is not as totally free from shame as one is originally led to believe. His life-long disagreement with the character “Boy Staunton” regarding events leading up to the premature birth of Magnus, escalates to the point where it looks as if he contributed to the suicidal death of Staunton. Overall, Dunsten Ramsay is a character good enough for the point of narrator, but really rather boring with regards to enrichment of the story. Liselott VitzliputzliGenerally referred to as Liesl, this opinionated woman shares dominance of the characters with Magnus. Growing up in Switzerland, with her rich grandfather, she acquired a disease causing one to become exceedingly large. Through a series of events, she became uncontrollable and totally barbaric until Magnus, managed through much effort, to reform her while working for her grandfather. The character of Liesl exemplifies the outgoing opinionated, yet gentle and understanding female. She can at times be extremely stubborn, especially when dealing with finances (being very rich). Liesl is the “mistress” of both Dunsten Ramsay, and Magnus. The three share a large mansion in which Liesl is clearly dominant. Liesl was the administrative side of the Soiree of Illusions, the fantastic show in which Magnus starred. Liesl tends to be extremely frank, especially with those she knows very well (i.e. Ramsay and Eisengrim) but can act this way to strangers, or new friends as well (i.e. the way she acts toward Roland Ingestree). Overall, Liesl is Magnus Eisengrim s female counterpart. She holds the necessary part of the skeptic and sits at the side, jumping in whenever she feels it important, not necessarily appropriate. Magnus EisengrimMagnus Eisengrim is the leading character in this book. He is by far the most dominant of the characters due a course of life-shaping events, some good, some terrible. He was born in Debtford, Ontario to a religious family eighty days prematurely (due to strange circumstances regarding Boy Staunton). Early in his life, he was kidnapped by a second rate carnival conjurer and forced into sexual, physical, and mental submission. For years inside the great idol Abdullah, working as the mechanism for the con, he practiced sleight of hand and the repair of watches. For eight years he toiled in this way until his captor fell to his morphine addiction. He later through strange circumstances ended up in the theater troupe of Sir John Tresize, who he immediately adopted as an idol. His part was to play that of a stunt double as he looked much the same. He learned to move, speak and act like Sir John. In a sense he became Sir John Tresize, an actor of great note. Through this time, he began to rebuild his battered self-esteem and self image and once again became proud of himself. After Sir John s death, Magnus became a restorer of old clocks for a museum. Eventually, he ended up working for the grandfather of Liesl, repairing the collection of antique toys which she had smashed in a fit of anger and frustration. Through hours of work, Magnus not only to fix the toys, but to humanize Liesl. Following this, he and Liesl formed the Soiree of Illusions and formed it into a successful show. Years later (the time the book is set) Magnus portrays the role of Robert Houdin in Jurgen Lind s Un Hommage a Robert Houdin. This eventually results in him finally revealing his life story, in an attempt to create a subtext to the film. Magnus is an extremely stubborn, strong-willed man. He enjoys the humiliation of others and then will maul them wolfishly and crush them into submission. The character of Eisengrim is not that of a nice kindly old conjurer but that of a very refined and proud actor. Throu