
Antonio Tabucchi’s Pereira Declares and The Lives of Others film directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck are similar stories of revolting a dictatorial power. Each main character did not start an actual fight, but rebelled against their specific leader through the use of literature. The  historical context of each story, concentrates on the power of surveillance and intense governmental forces. Both main characters are in the writers, who due to their circumstances must censor their work to follow the government. Character development greatly influences the direction story arch.  Each character comes into their own and stands up to the powers that be. The relationships they have with others are also similar as they rely heavily on friends. Adding to the development is the communist regime of both dictatorial powers of each time period. The Stassi of Berlin and their strict governmental rules about the press heavily influences the world around the characters.  Portugal had a similar political atmosphere forcing its writers to follow a strict pattern of work. Both main characters pull past their fear and stand up for what they believe in. The extent at which the main characters went to follow what they believed in allowed  for the reader to fully immerse themselves into to the characters and story line. Through analysis of each work, character development and setting of each story 

The seemingly similar character arch of each story allows for the reader to feel the same human emotions when responding to the work. The Lives of Others shows what it means to be human.  Stasi Captain Gerd Wiesler is assigned by his superior, to spy on popular  playwright Georg Dreyman. What he uncovers is he is guilty of going against the German Democratic Republic. Through character development, Wiesler ends up saving Dreyman from his death. This cost him his career, and this speaks the human condition. He shows compassion vastly different form the cold hearted man who was only after what he thought was best for Germany.  This film is does not focus on the positives and negatives of communism but rather how people grow struggle to develop and do what they think is right. The story shows the power of politics as it “evokes a vindictive society that exists by turning citizens against each other in the interests of national unity and collective security” (French). Without the character development and the human condition the world would be full of people constantly wronging each other. This movie acts as a way to show the power of fighting for one’s beliefs. Pereira Declares also offers the same insight into the world of coming into your own. 

Comparatively Pereira Declares and The Lives of Others deal with the grey area of picking sides; each main protagonist was faced with the momentous decision of either choosing black or white. Their decisions came after exposure to the censored social and political ideas that fascism and communism hid from their societies. Both Pereira of Pereira Declares, and Dreyman of the Lives of Others, were involved in the literary aspects of society. They were forced due to the nature of the time period to attach themselves to one side, given that it was no longer an option to leave politics out of their writing. For years, the GDR had been very good to the playwright Dreyman, provided that he write by the rules. He’s had no problems with accommodating their requests, since he was free to somewhat write what he wanted. This all changed when he was influenced by his former colleague suicide. Dreyman write’s an article about the covered up suicide rates the GDR. He wants to crack the system that stifled his associates’ need to create, and with little care for his own life, begins the process of his own downfall.  

Similar to Dreyman, Pereira is the unlikely hero. He is the elderly cultural editor of a minor Lisbon paper. Who starts out Initially indifferent to politics. His main focus is to lead a quiet life. This changes when he reads and obituary of the death by a young graduate and on impulse contacts the author, Rossi. Ultimately Rossi is caught up radical political ideas that Pereira wishes to not take part in. But it is Rossi’s death, that is the catalyst of his change of heart and character development. He writes Rossi’s obituary which is seen as a force of resistance. Each piece ultimately leads to both men choosing to join the opposition. Their writing each using an intense amount of courage and character growth, as each men in the beginning did not want to stand up to the political powers. 
