Dead Man

In Dead Man the protagonist William Blake has lost everything except a new job he was told was his. When he gets there he finds out the job is not his, now Blake is lost. Wandering with no purpose, he has no family, no home, and no job. Blake's life has always been pretty profane. When William Blake gets shot and is on the run out West he is confronted with a journey to accept his own death. He is shown searching for spiritual meaning in his slow death. When he meets Nobody and is thought to be the poet William Blake, he gains a sense of direction and meaning. He begins to assume the role of the poet and the role of wanted criminal. This outlawed identity is projected onto Blake based on false knowledge. His first kill was not done out of intend to kill the man but out of poor aim and self defense. He did not want to shoot someone but he had been afraid to die and also wanted to bring justice to the woman's death that happened on him. Blake is completely the opposite towards the end of the film, he is no longer afraid to kill people and is actually pretty skilled with the weapon. Throughout the film we see his transition to the William Blake represented on the wanted sign.

The character known as Nobody is used to guide Blake to the acceptance of his death. His name is intentional and used to reinforce how Blake is lost and searching for a meaning in his death. His name is simply a play on words. Blake is wildly unprepared by himself and doesn't listen to the advice of others he meet, until he is injured and realizes how unprepared he was. When injured he accepts Nobody's help.

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