‘Breaking Bad‘ is one of the shows that perfectly shed light on the gray nature of humans as a species. Walter White, the main protagonist of the show, grapples with bad circumstances and turns into a seasoned criminal as he enters the world of the drug trade.
At the beginning of the show, Walter White is a law-abiding citizen who believes in his noble profession of teaching. His family, comprising his wife and a physically challenged young boy, is his top priority. However, tragedy hits him, and he confronts it head-on by choosing evil means to fight back.
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Walter White’s Journey From A Teacher To Drug Lord
While it’s possible to pinpoint when and why Walter White gets into the drug business, his reasons to stay and dominate the meth world evolve over time as the show progresses. His motivations are also among the many factors that make his character iconic.
Walter White receives the news about being diagnosed with stage 3 lung cancer on his 50th birthday, and his world suddenly turns upside down. Employed as a chemistry teacher in a high school in a small town in the US, Walter finds himself facing a bleak future with barely any money to save his life or leave anything for his wife and child.
Like any middle-class common man would do, Walter White tries all possible legal means to seek help. But being the protagonist that he is, his self-respect and pride do not allow him to accept charity from his friends and relatives.
Fortunately or unfortunately, White stumbles upon one of his old students, Jesse Pinkman, who completely changes the scenario. Pinkman is a minor drug dealer who approaches White asking him to buy some meth from him.
After their initial few odd meetings, Walter White realizes that the meth Pinkman produces could be of much better quality if cooked with more sophistication.
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Walter’s Partnership With Jesse Pinkman
After careful thought, Walter proposes a partnership in the meth business with Jesse Pinkman, suggesting that his expertise in chemistry could help them produce supreme-quality meth. He also emphasizes the amount of money they could make if the meth produced is of high quality.
Pinkman, although initially reluctant to partner with White, eventually agrees to the plan. From there, the show takes many darker turns, transforming Walter White into an entirely different man.
He gradually becomes ‘Heisenberg,’ the man who produces the best quality meth in the country. His associations with people from the drug world, the killings he encounters on his way, and the complexities of his own mind make his greed grow.
Walter becomes drawn to the power and control that this new world, entirely different from his own, offers him. His ego and sense of self-worth become entwined with his business, and he finds himself entangled in the evils of his own drug empire.
By the end of the show, Walter White is wealthy and comparatively in better health. However, his mind, much like his drug empire, is a breeding ground for conventional evils.
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