Becoming the One Who Knocks
111
me clue you in. I’m not in danger, Skyler. I am the
danger. A guy opens his door and gets shot. You think
that o f me? No, I am the one who knocks. (“Com ered”)
By focusing Breaking B a d s plot around W alter’s lawless pursuit
o f wealth, Vince Gilligan created a series that advocates the American
dream while simultaneously negating its achievement through
conventional channels. W alter becomes a successfiil man by breaking
free o f institutionalized norms and appropriating his society’s
aspirational references through the distribution o f methamphetamine.
Because o f this, Breaking Bad exposes the motivations that lead many
individuals to venture down a path o f crime and successfully critiques
criminality in America as a response to social strain.
University o f Mary Hardin-Baylor
Patrick Osbome
W orks C ited
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