
The similarities between the works of Pereira Declares and The Lives of Others are quite evident, but the one similarity that sticks out the most is how much alike the main characters of each work are. Pereira is a man who has spent the majority of his life disapproving of the totalitarian government that has taken over his country, yet has not done much about it. Dreyman, from The Lives of Others, has done almost the same thing, and he had to be convinced by his friends to write something about the government he does not agree with. It is through these similarities between the main characters that we can point out the importance of the strength and courage both Pereira and Dreyman gained at the end of the story. If we look at the two main characters, Pereira and Dreyman, we notice that these two stories have a lot in common, including opposition to a totalitarian government and deciding in the end to stand up against censorship and oppression. This is important because many people did not have the courage to do anything, yet both Pereira and Dreyman decided in the end that it was best for their country to say something.

In Pereira Declares, Pereira shows a slight dislike for the totalitarian government that controls his country. He is only able to show a small portion of how he feels towards the government because if he says anything more, it will upset the government and he will be censored. Pereira has known this for a long time, therefore he tends to keep his opinions to himself, only really stating how he feels to someone he truly trusts. Once time starts to pass, though, Pereira “becomes more imbued by reality, by a tragic reality” (Pitol 212). This means that Pereira has begun to realize that if he does not say anything, his reality will become even worse than it already is. Towards the end, Pereira loses a friend because of the horrible totalitarian government and extremists in his country that have taken over. This, and events before this one, influenced him to make a difference and it also prompted him to become more focused on the concept of life, rather than his original obsession with death. Pitol describes Pereira as “a good man immersed in a world that every day repulses him more” (213). Pereira has been stuck in a country that goes against almost everything he believes in, and he decides that sitting back and letting things get worse will only make the hate in his country stronger. Totalitarianism was spreading to multiple places, too, not just Portugal, and Pereira’s stand against this oppressive government made him into a symbol in more places than just Portugal. The way Tabucchi uses the phrases “he declares”, and “Pereira declares”, is an important stylistic choice that highlights Pereira’s gradual change. The way Pereira feels is much different from the things he says. Especially when he is speaking to Monteiro Rossi, who is a friend of his that is in opposition of the totalitarian government and is not afraid to let his voice be heard. While Pereira says to Rossi that he opposes his ideas and his writing, he actually appreciates Rossi’s willingness to stand up and make a difference. He only begins to realize these feelings later in the story, especially when he loses Rossi and decides that it was time for him to honor the innocent people who were lost to an oppressive and relentless government.

The Lives of Others shows how a totalitarian government affected men on each side of the spectrum, including Georg Dreyman and Gerd Wiesler. Dreyman was a man who, from the beginning, was in opposition to the oppressive government growing in East Germany. He was a playwright, but for the most part, kept his opinions on the government out of his artistic works. Dreyman is also a caring person, too, and usually keeps his mind open and looks at everyone as having good in them to some degree. Wiesler, on the other hand, just wanted to get his job done and that involved putting people away, even if they were innocent. Bernstein sums up their differences well, saying, “Where Dreyman’s generous spirit enables him, often to his own detriment, to recognize that everyone has their reasons, Wiesler simply spies on them and manipulates suspects into confessing their crimes” (30). As time passes, we see a deep change in both Dreyman and Wiesler. Dreyman has friends in the world of art who are intent on putting something out to the public that will call attention to the oppressive government that prevents people from living their lives in privacy. This also includes his girlfriend, Christa-Maria. She does not approve of the government and the effect it might have on the future of theatre. She is afraid that she may lose her position as an actress, or she might get stuck in plays that do not reflect things that she believes in. Dreyman then loses a friend, which prompts him to write an article against the government and how it hides the suicide rates in East Germany. This is actually when we really start to see a change in Wiesler as well. Wiesler has spent the majority of the film spying on Dreyman and not feeling remorse for what he is doing. Over time, though, after spending so much time involved in Dreyman and Christa-Maria’s lives, he begins to understand who they are and why they are opposed to this government. Wiesler even lies to his superiors for Dreyman, going “so far as to cover for Dreyman, refusing to report that the playwright is writing his article” (Bernstein 32). The similarities between these two men who come from opposite sides of a coin are portrayed well in the film’s artistic aspects. Bernstein points out how “Von Donnersmarck constantly crosscuts between them with parallel camera movements or even graphic matches to visualize their similarities” (32). This is important because some might not see the connection between Dreyman and Wiesler, but they will slowly piece it together, especially in the end when both of them were protecting people they believed deserved to be protected.

If we put both Pereira Declares and The Lives of Others together, we notice an extensive amount of similarities. Dreyman and Pereira both lose people they care about, a friend they had grown to appreciate. They both are prompted to take a stand when these unfortunate events happen to them; it is somewhat of a stimulus for the both of them. Pereira and Dreyman both use the medium of writing to get their point across, since they both published articles that would be seen by many people. Another similarity, although they both had different circumstances, is Pereira and Dreyman both lose their significant others. Pereira had already lost his wife before the story began, while Dreyman lost his girlfriend at the end of the movie when she attempted to escape her issues. One of the major differences between Pereira Declares and The Lives of Others is how The Lives of Others brings in two perspectives instead of just one. In Pereira Declares, we mostly only get to see Pereira’s point of view, whereas in The Lives of Others, we see both Dreyman, a playwright who is opposed to the oppressive government in East Germany, and Wiesler, who is a part of this government. Dreyman and Wiesler both have differing views on government, but they both end up on a similar path. Wiesler loses his job to protect Dreyman because he believes the man to be good and innocent, even though the government refuses to think so. They both sacrifice a lot to do what they feel is right, and both of them get different endings but both feel at peace. Pereira Declares is mostly seen through the eyes of a man who is similar to Dreyman in the sense that he has always been opposed to the totalitarian government, but never acted on it until much later in their lives. Both Pereira Declares and The Lives of Others bring interesting perspectives on people’s reaction to oppressive governments and how it affects people’s family, friends, and futures.

Both Pereira and Dreyman have similarities that show that people can make a difference in oppressive governments when they put their mind to it. They both wrote an article to express their dislike of the government that had taken over their countries. Pereira and Dreyman have lost people that matter to them because of the totalitarian governments they finally decide in the end to speak against. These men are passionate and loving people who want what is best for their country, and they find out in the end that they can only give what is best for their people by speaking out. Most people are afraid to do anything because of the possible repercussions, which includes being put in prison, being hurt, or having someone they care about be hurt or killed. The importance of Pereira and Dreyman speaking out is to say that anyone is capable of becoming a symbol of hope if they are passionate and put their heart into it.
