From Mr Chips to scarface : an exploration of the mimetic desires of Walter White via narratology

Abstract

Drawing on narratology, hermeneutics and mimetic theory, this research elucidates those desires of Walter White, the protagonist of hit AMC show Breaking Bad, that affect his story arc and influence his character transformation from protagonist to antagonist. The research shows how Walter follows Bordwell’s ‘canonical story format’, which sees a protagonist set out to achieve goals and inevitably be faced with obstacles and conflicts along the way. It reveals how these obstacles and conflicts are inherently tied to Ren Girard’s conception of the ‘mimetic mechanism’. By the climax and final resolution of the story arc, Walter exemplifies how a protagonist grows and changes through his experiences, even forgoing his original goals. This research shares with Heywood and Sandywell an interest in the relationship between our visual world and human perception that serves to help us better understand the human condition. This interest is also considered to further elucidate Walter’s metamorphosis from protagonist to antagonist or, more aptly, from Mr Chips to Scarface. This is neatly summarised in a statement uttered by Walter: “Well that’s all of life, right? I mean, it’s just the constant, it’s the cycle. It’s solution, dissolution, just over and over and over. It is growth, then decay, then transformation.”