Every experience, sight, sound and lesson that is felt in childhood creates the foundation that an adult is built upon. Children need support and affection in their youth so that they can prepare and get ready for the hardships that may come with the future. When they become adults, they can use the lessons and knowledge that they have accumulated to make the right decisions. However, destiny does not always wait for one to become an adult. Sometimes, the expected order of events is reversed, and children are exposed to challenges that they should never experience in their youth. Some become stronger, others are defeated, but they all have scars that remind them of their past. In World of Wonders by Robertson Davies, struggles in youth are…show more content… Although he has overcome so much to get where he is today, Paul’s apprenticeship is clearly not yet over. He does not stand on the same footing as the other actors and, although he has a great deal of potential, Paul realizes that, “I was just a trick, a piece of animated scenery, when I was on the stage. Otherwise I was Macgregor’s assistant, and none too experienced at the job…” (Davies 181). With a name like Mungo Fetch, which is chosen without his consent, Paul is isolated by the other actors, who consider him a “Phantom of the Opera” (Davies 231). As the double of Sir John, nobody trusts, respects or befriends him because they think that Paul will betray them and reveal their gossip and true feelings to Sir John and Milady. Additionally, the fourteen hour work days under Macgregor’s command are tiring and difficult with so many tasks for Paul to complete in preparation for the performances that there seems to be no end to all of his duties. However, through his role, Paul has access everywhere and gets to see everything behind the scenes of the theater. He soon learns every cue for light, sound and action within the play and how Macgregor controls it all within a confined space. Moreover, he discovers how Sir John disguises his age using elaborate makeup and emphasizes his best features to the audience. At this point in his life, Paul escapes from the shadow of Willard to emerge under the shadow of Sir John. Milady insists that Paul must not only achieve imitation, but complete equivalence of Sir