My Commentary on Maledicus by Charles French…
The book Maledicus by Charles French tells the story of a villain and the multiple characters either victimized by him, working to defeat him, or who can be characterized under both categories. Something that I appreciate about this book so much is its use of history. Maledicus travels across centuries and even gives its contribution about the background history of the Roman Empire. Additionally, one of the main heroes is named Theodore Franklin Roosevelt, which is a combination of both presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Franklin Delano Roosevelt. An aspect of history that is more discreet but still equally important is the fact that the three main heroes are all older men; this demonstrates that they are wiser and have seen a great deal of history. Ultimately, these three details combined, along with the other factors in this book that contribute to the theme of history, assert the importance of learning from wrongdoings, as history is said to make humankind do. Through including history within, and specifically through having a villain dominate the lives of so many, French is commenting on the consequences of the historical events humankind has experienced. Thus, asserting history’s importance throughout the book, he is making a larger message that people need to learn history on a deeper level, which is not only extremely interesting but also brutally honest. The ignorance exhibited by so many people in regards to history exemplifies that the world we currently inhabit could easily go to ruins and could have its own Maledicus infiltrating it, in a way. At the same time, history serves as a compelling background to set the characters against, and it adds complexity to Maledicus’s already perplexing, disgusting mentality. Ultimately, the use of history throughout Maledicus greatly contributes to the plot, while it also opens the eyes of the reader to just how pressing the issue of history is and always will be.
Getting Heavy With Evy 