
Nearly every human being is accustom to occasionally hearing a voice in their head.  However, not every person on earth is suffering from some sort of mental disorder.  The voice most hear is their conscience.  One’s conscience acts as a moral compass directing and urging him to do what he knows to be right. The voice is usually heard when one is in a decision making position.  Pereira, in Pereira Declares by Antonio Tabucchi, and Dreyman, in The Lives of Others, find their consciences constantly nagging at them to take action.  Both protagonists live in totalitarian societies that enforce power over the people by seeing and knowing all; knowledge enables power.  Total surveillance is ideal when aspiring to keep an omnipresent watch.  When one knows he is being watched, every decision is made considering full transparency and therefore, forces one to make decisions against his conscience.  Pereira knows the words he publishes will be edited by the government. On the contrary, Dreyman is unaware that he is always being listened to in his own home.  By analyzing the actions of Pereira and Dreyman throughout their different but similar situations, the reader/viewer is enlightened to the truth that surveillance suppresses the voice of one’s conscience.

Strong governmental power shapes all aspects of societies.  A totalitarian government is a “form of government that theoretically permits no individual freedom and that seeks to subordinate all aspects of the individual’s life to the authority of the government” (Britannica Editors 1).  The people who live in totalitarian societies nearly police themselves due to the fear of punishment from those in power.  Tabucchi enlightens the reader to totalitarianism throughout his work.  

The setting of Tabucchi’s work in, Pereira Declares, is the “sparkling” and aesthetically pleasing city of Lisbon, Portugal in 1938 (Tabucchi 1). It is a tense time Portugal due to raging civil war in the neighboring country of Spain.  Dictator Antonio Salazar rules the fascist totalitarian society that Pereira regretfully lives in (Rogow 2). Pereira writes for a newly founded newspaper, the Lisboa, where he is the head of the cultural page and which supports Salazar.  The Lisboa tends to stray away from writing on politics or sensitive current events which is initially pleasing to Pereira.  However, Pereira formerly wrote for a much larger newspaper, when the government of Spain was not as oppressive, and reported on criminal activity.  Pereira used to enjoy his job because he felt society needed to be aware of crimes committed by individuals, as well as controversial actions made by the state.  But, for now Pereira is not interested in informing the public; even considering how the desperately the people need to see the truth now more than ever.  Writers, press, and artists all must use their craft to give a voice to the unspoken general consensus of the people especially when the society can no longer hear its conscience.  The protagonist in the foreign film, The Lives of Others, is one artist who aspires to change the totalitarian society he lives in.  

The life of Georg Dreyman is displayed throughout the drama film, The Lives of Others.  The film takes place in East Berlin, in 1983, when the communist party controls the government.  In order to dominate the German people, the government implements total surveillance.  The Stazie, an organization of secret police and informants employed by the German Democratic Republic, conducts the omnipresent surveillance (Cameron 1).  When living in East Germany, one must not only be weary of his actions in public, but also must abstain from using incriminating language in his own home; you never know who is listening.  Georg Dreyman is a famous play writer who is immensely supported by the government.  Consequently, he feels omitted from the oppression felt by those around him.  Still, Dreyman does not support the government’s actions and decides to do something about it.  Artists, in similar fields as Dreyman, team up and hold meetings at Dreyman’s dwelling because they believe they are invisible to the government at Dreyman’s apartment.  In reality, each word said is recorded.  The team manages to release an article describing the governments covering up of suicides, in order to make the West aware of the inhumane world of East Berlin.  The article receives the desired attention from the outside world.  By some means, Dreyman’s action was a success. 

By seeing the message portrayed through Pereira and Dreyman, one is able to answer this question: Why do some take action and others do not?  Pereira and Dreyman both live in oppressive societies ruled by totalitarian governments.  Furthermore, they are both have the ability, and are in the position, to make a difference by taking action against their worlds.  Fortunately, when placing Pereira’s and Dreyman’s situations side by side, one can see the most significant difference is how surveillance directly plays a role in their lives. Pereira knows and wants to act, but he is aware of the watchful eye of the government and knows he could be punished. Dreyman feels he is safe to speak and act on his conscience in his own home, consequently, he attempts to expose his government. Once the reader/viewer identifies that difference, the truth that surveillance suppresses moral values is easily recognized.  

One is able to understand the evil suppression power of mass surveillance by comparing Pereira, in Pereira Declares by Antonio Tabucchi, and Dreyman, in The Lives of Others. The theme of mass surveillance, shown throughout the works, is relevant to modern society.  The United States government currently uses modern technology to watch over its citizens. The government justifies its actions by believing surveillance makes the nation safer.  However, Society must remember that Antonio Salazar, in the 1930s, and the government of East Berlin, in the 1980s, felt they were protecting their nations too.  The people of the United States must not hide what they believe because they fear repercussions from the government.  If people do not take action against oppression, some could find themselves living in worlds similar to Pereira’s and Dreyman’s.
