On Passive Characters

There is something about stories in which characters say little and make little or no progress that happens to say more about a theme than stories in which characters experience a profound change. It seems to be that when there is no dialogue the focus that would be directed on it is transferred to setting and action. It also appears that in stories where this is the case, there is far more monologue, in which the reader or viewer can hear or read a character's thoughts, or the character speaks directly to them. These characters also often seem to drift through scenarios, whether they are in the center of them or play little to no part in them, because of the way more attention is put on their thoughts of the situation as opposed to the actual action.

Teju Cole's novel Open City features a character that makes these attributes of a "passive character" even more exaggerated, for his past time is walking through Manhattan without a specific destination just to observe the city around him. In his walks, certain interactions between strangers that he just so happens to see and meetings with various characters often are connected to the larger theme of the story, as well as often brought back memories of Julius', the main character's, childhood. Each of these moments is greatly occupied by Julius' reflection.

Jim Jarmusch's film Dead Man focuses on a relatively laconic character who drifts through a situation he seemingly just happened to fall into. However, where Open City makes up for the passivity of Julius' actions with monologue and dialogue to create a better understanding of the novel's themes, Dead Man makes up for the passivity of William Blake with the effect of an old black and white film on the audience  and the film's soundtrack to create mood.