Strapping on a heavy gas mask, fiercely falling victim to frequent cough attacks and slowly growing immune to the immorality present in the line of drug work, Walter White, in the TV series "Breaking Bad," exhibits all of these characteristics in his attempts to make money cooking meth to leave behind for his family when he succumbs to lung cancer. Although White seems like an ordinary, middle aged high school chemistry teacher on the surface, his actions and intentions evolve over the course of the show as his involvement in the drug kingdom deepens. Although White’s motives seem to be family-orientated, as time progresses his motives darken. What can we make of Walter White?
Two phones, a difficult to track RV and a convenient front as a chemistry teacher, Walter White is the epitome of secrecy. His life becomes engulfed with lies and the meth he is manufacturing becomes more than just a drug. The audience is frequently in on Walt’s fabrications and testy actions, such as when he tells Skyler he is flying home to spend a weekend with his mom, but in reality, he spends the weekend in the desert making meth with his Pinkman.
White’s guilt about his secrecy slowly starts to wither away while his lies bubble to the rim. Despite White’s secrecy, Skyler is still dependent on him for money, shelter and maybe even companionship, therefore once again giving White the upper hand -- a classic case of the yearning for stability overriding suspicion. White disregards his secrecy as he believes that his family should be appreciative of his work and role in the family regardless of how it is acquired. He shouldn’t have to explain himself, being the high in demand meth producer he is, as long as money is still coming in to provide for the well-being of the family. The money, not his secrecy, is the main concern for White.
His secrecy originally stemmed from his efforts to shelter or dissociate his family from the dangers of the drug business, but this soon progressed into something more complex. Keeping the drug part of his life a secret from his family gave White a strong sense of empowerment and control by creating both a secret and a business. Falling victim to cancer was nothing compared to the invincibility he felt as his power over the drug business grew.
Not only does White act as the dominant figure within his own household, but we see his attempt to become a father figure to his younger partner Jesse Pinkman. Whether this figure is genuine with good intentions or merely manipulative and selfish is left up to the interpretation of the audience. (Which, like most other issues in the show, is not an easy decision to make.) White asserted his power over Pinkman from the very first episode when he caught Pinkman sneaking out of a meth house and used this as blackmail to recruit him as a cooking partner. This power soon developed into leadership, as White took on many characteristics of a father figure for Pinkman.
Pinkman had troubles with his own parents due to his excessive drug use, therefore enforcing the need for a relatable father presence in his life. Pinkman was always searching for a father figure and White’s interest in Pinkman from the first season filled this void. We observe as White’s persistence in making sure that Jesse is on time for work, his teaching of the safe and proper production of meth and his ability to act as reference point when Jesse has problems. As this relationship became more personal and less professional, White’s influence over Pinkman deepened.
Despite the arguments that Jesse and White faced, their mutual experiences created a deep loyalty to one another. The two characters went through a lot together, ranging from escaping from Tuco and avoiding the suspicions of White’s brother Hank. Because these situations are forced to remain secret due to the involvement of murder and illegal activity, Pinkman can only turn to White when he feels the need to express his thoughts and emotions, almost as though he is trapped with White for a lifetime. Because White is the only person Jesse can turn to, his influence and power over Pinkman is something that Jesse needs, whether he embraces it or not. White is the pseudo father Jesse has been forced to rely on, something that later turns to resentment. This reliance gives more power to White, as Jesse gradually grows to be loyal to Walt and his requests as their relationship deepens.
Although, on several occasions, White referred to Pinkman as family, his actions opposed this statement with the many ways in which he manipulated Pinkman. One form of this manipulation is how Walt created competition between himself and the other leaders of the meth industry, such as Gus and Mike, in order to maintain Jesse’s loyalty to him, and only him. Walt had no problem taking advantage of his deep relationship with Pinkman to advance his business and drive out competition. Walt was dependent upon Pinkman’s loyalty to maintain his power because without having Pinkman as a follower, White had no true power or influence over anyone and his business would suffer. White helps Jesse to get through rough times in his life, but he also uses his power and influence over Jesse to attend to his selfish needs, therefore challenging the morality of their relationship.
If you are a fan of "Breaking Bad," it is no secret that White craves power, despite the consequences. To enforce this control, he transformed his identity from Walt to “Heisenberg” to solidify his presence in the drug community. The newly created Heisenberg was a source of empowerment that was utilized to manipulate the people and the environment surrounding him and to enhance his position of leadership, therefore regaining control over his life. The Heisenberg persona played a large role in Walt’s power structure by marking his transformation from an innocent school teacher to a corrupt drug lord. Heisenberg symbolizes power, influence and even danger. His drug empire became more than a way to earn money. Instead it was a way to give Heisenberg purpose. He becomes less of Walter White and more of Heisenberg. The Heisenberg persona symbolizes Walt’s presence in the show transforming from being a figure of security to a figure of fear, immorality and corruption.
The completion of the series does not provide many answers, as epic as the season finale was. The audience is still conflicted in determining if Walt was truly a family man that took on the drug business to provide for his family, or if his investment in Heisenberg and the meth business was a way to get what he wanted and defy the rules of society, ultimately leading to total corruption. Do we like Walter White? Do we not? Is what he is doing right? Do we feel bad for him? The questions are endless and almost all are subjective; this makes the series more intriguing and suspenseful. Walt can be explained as a villain, an anti hero or even evil, but the question of whether you would do the same for your family continues lingers. You never know who to trust and who to like, making "Breaking Bad" one of the most interesting and complex TV series to air.
