Did Walter White use Jesse Pinkman as a proxy conscience? If so, in which instances, and what were the effects on Walt and Jesse?
To be more specific, throughout BB, Jesse learns of Walt's heinous acts - through witness, discovery, or Walt's admission - and this "education" seems to take a toll on Jesse, but never Walt. Is there a "type" of sin that hurts Jesse most deeply? Is there a group of people for whom Jesse suffers most deeply? How is Jesse's spiritual and physical suffering manifested? Finally, can someone who murdered Gale Boetticher and Todd Alquist be a character of conscience? – Tigey8 years ago
Juxtaposing Dorian Gray and Breaking Bad is quite genius! Wow, I never really considered that pairing, and I am still having a bit of difficulty doing so, while thoroughly enjoying the task. This is a rare topic because it is the first one I've come across on this site that I feel I need to contemplate a bit before formulating an answer. Ironically, I recently taught a literature class that focused on the series Breaking Bad, and some pieces of literature were juxtaposed with the series, as well as multiple comparisons of numerous aesthetic mediums. You tackle numerous questions, and yes, Jesse always seems to find out about Walt's misdeeds in the worst possible ways. Isn't it odd how such an intelligent, definitive genius, lies so poorly, and has no means of "covering his tracks." Makes one wonder if he didn't care if he got caught doing these "heinous acts,"--I'm not referring to the cooking; he did not want to get caught and was obsessed with making the finest product with the highest monetary profit--or if he overestimated his intelligence and underestimated the aptitude of those around him? Walt's ego, by the close of the series, reaches a monumental level of pure self consumption. He really thinks he's Ozymandias?!
– danielle5778 years ago
Thank you, danielle577, for the compliment. – Tigey8 years ago
Danielle, I think Walt didn't get people, in a sense. It seems he may have seen people as problems to solve, therefore if he wasn't aware of a problem, he was blindsided. Regarding his bad lies, I think that was a subtle "eff you," a way of saying, "You're not even worth a good lie." That's Walt's main problem: He's Walt and we're not. – Tigey8 years ago