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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/39685
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

It's often been pointed out that Indiana Jones has a minimal impact on the plot in _Raiders of the Lost Ark_. Most if not all of the major plot points would have happened with or without him. Yet hardly anyone thinks _Raiders of the Lost Ark_ is a bad movie or even that it tells a bad story. They don't even notice this quirk about its plot until you point it out to them.

So it's tempting to use Indiana Jones as an example of a reactive protagonist. If you just look at a list of plot points then it seems Indy doesn't do much. But if you look at the story through his eyes, you'll see Indy tries. He makes many choices and risks his life repeatedly, even though his choices don't ultimately have much impact. At almost any point he could say, "Screw this, I'm going home," but he never does. He keeps going, and in so doing, he takes the viewer on a hell of a ride. People go home thinking, "Man, I wish I were Indiana Jones!"

Now suppose the story were a bit different and most of the same things happen but Indy never actually makes any choices. Maybe the Nazis kidnap him early on and he just watches as things unfold from there. Then he might as well not even be in the story. Nobody fantasizes about being a guy like that.

Original score: 2