The very name conjures up the image of a unique and eccentric character. This is very true in the case of Paul Theroux's Millroy the Magician. He is an exceptionally unusual man with a mystical quality. It is hard to tell whether he is in fact a genuine man of magic or just a very clever illusionist. At the beginning of the book, he is introduced as someone of great power, being able to captivate the audience with an abundance of amazing tricks. The most extraordinary thing about Millroy is that his power extends far beyond his shows at local fairs. He is not a magician who leads a normal life most of the time but puts on a cape and dramatically changes for his shows. He is instead a magician non stop all through his life. It really doesn't matter if he possesses real supernatural power or not. He still has an air of superiority about him that puts him above any other people he comes in contact with. He is self righteous and condemns all the ignorant people of the world who let their bodies deteriorate. Altogether Millroy is a godlike character. .
In this respect, he is very similar to Allie Fox of Paul Theroux's The Mosquito Coast. Allie also possessed extremely godlike characteristics and believed he was above the rest of the world. .
Unfortunately, Allie Fox's life turned out to be very ill-fated. I wonder if Millroy will manage to avoid such doom. .
Most children are taught numerous moral lessons so that they grow to become good people who are able to live harmoniously with all people around them. One such message that I recall being frequently mentioned is that true beauty is on the inside of people. From this it can be gathered that it is quite feasible for a physically ugly person to be very beautiful on the inside. Taking this further, fat people, or people with unpleasant features such as discoloured skin or varicose veins should not be harassed because of their unfortunate appearance.