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Harrison Shields Professor Kate Kimball ENC1101 3 December, 2013 The Power of Dialogue in Breaking Bad The power of ethos, pathos, and logos in speech can be found in the AMC series Breaking Bad directed by Vince Gilligan. Gilligan and his writing staff use dialogue to progress the series and develop their characters more distinctly than a typical television show. Characters are distinguished from one another based on traits or actions, but individual word choice makes every character more realistic and relatable to modern America. Breaking Bad is unusual compared to other shows because the writing staff used techniques like ethos, pathos, and logos to create unique, iconic, and memorable characters. The writers of Breaking Bad correctly used ethos, pathos, and logos when scripting many of the scenesthey will be analyzed later in the essay. Pilot occurred on Walter Whites 50th birthday. He came home from his second job washing cars to a surprise party organized by his wife Skyler. Among the people invited were Skylers sister Marie and her husband Hank Schrader a DEA agent. While it was Walts birthday they were celebrating, Hank was the center of the attention; his commanding voice drew peoples attention. The writers used ethos scripting the honorable officers words. Walt tried to converse with the guests around him, but when Hank pulled out his service weapon, everyone was too busy watching and listening with great interest. This included Walts son Flynn (Pilot). Walt did not effectively use pathos while talking to his party guests like Officer Schrader did with his strong voice. If he had used more passion and allure in his voice then many

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of the guest would be celebrating with him. Additionally, a DEA agent is traditionally a trustworthy person. By telling courageous stories from the line of duty, he effectively used ethos to get the guests focus. The writers wanted to establish Hank as a trustworthy person early in the series so that viewers know his morals. The crowd he drew at the party is also more inclined to listen to more of his heroic duties. One of Hanks latest accounts was busting a methamphetamine laboratory. In an interview they watch at Walts party, he says that busting meth labs are a regular occurrence and begins to give insight to the drug industry of Albuquerque, NM. 700 grand. Thats a pretty big haul Hank states unimpressed, its easy money (Pilot). Schrader continues by telling how much monetary potential there is in the drug industry. While the authors do not directly use rhetorical devices, we can see Walts thought process by his facial expressions and that he actually is contemplating the illegitimate operation. His intentions can be interpreted as if he were saying what was going through his head. Hank inadvertently had been convincing Walt to join the drug industry by using logos in his speech. Ironically, Walter and the viewers soon find out that he was diagnosed with terminal cancer. The logos in Hanks words are used convincingly to persuade Walter to get into the business of selling drugs. Any treatment will be too expensive to manage on a chemistry teachers salary alone, and debt will plague his wife and son for long after he dies. With one laboratory being able to get $700,000 at any moment, it was illogical for Walt to overlook the possibility. It is a pivotal point in his life when he agrees to join Hank on a meth lab bust the following day (Pilot). Officer Schrader says the meth cook is someone going under the alias Capn Cook who uses chili powder in his formula. Viewers soon watch Jesse Pinkman, one of Mr. Whites old, apathetic students, narrowly escape the DEA bust. The only character to notice was Walter. That

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night, he went to Jesses house to make a deal (Pilot). Using logos, he begins by stating the fact that Jesse and himself need to be a partnership: Jesse is lacking a cook to make the drugs and Walt needs a connection into the drug industry. After some fighting and dismissal by Jesse, Walt continues his persuasion attempt by using ethos. He again states the importance of a partnership in which there needs to be a level of trust. They can have successful cooks of meth and make thousands of dollars if they can get past their differences. Just to sweeten the deal, Mr. White finishes the conversation by scaring Jesse with threats of turning him into the DEA. By using pathos at this point, Pinkman has no choice but to work with his former chemistry teacher (Pilot). The misfit partnership continues on and off for five seasons. In this time, Walt and Jesse become an almost father and son figure to each other, developing bonds to one another and the people they come to work with. Walt no longer sees class as something defined by actions, but by the goals you intend to achieve with those actions. His actions, though illegal, are justified in his mind. Throughout the five seasons, Walt says everything he does is for his family. It is not until the last conversation between Walt and his wife that he admits ulterior motives. Walters most dramatic change is first becomes evident from the dialogue between him and Skylar in the series finale FeLiNa. During the couples last minutes together, Walter needs to convince his wife to accept him for his actions and trust him that he can help his family out of the crisis. Walt takes the truthful approach, which is very uncharacteristic of him when talking to Skyler. This is one of the few times throughout the series that he uses ethos while talking to her. This is the only time in the entire series, however, that he admits his true feelings toward cooking. I did it for me. I liked it. I was good at it. And I was really I was alive(FeLiNa). The abruptness took Skylar by surprise, but she began to listen to his requests. Walt gave the

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only evidence he had to his wife so that she could have immunity and closure: the coordinates of the deceased bodies of Officer Schrader and his partner. He commands her to use this for her own protection. This is not only logical in Skylers mind, as it ensures her freedom, but is also taken as Walts true concern for her wellbeing. She finally believes him. The ethos and logos Walt used by telling her this ultimately convinces her to take the information to the police. The two say their final farewells as Walt leaves to face his death (FeLiNa). The series finale ended with Mr. Whites death. Walter was a wanted fugitive on the run through multiple states with a great deal of felony charges against him, but he still had a sense of duty to provide for his family. In doing this, however, he tore his family apart, got his brother-inlaw killed, and ultimately lost his own life. The directors never told viewers any events after Walts body was found by the police. What will happen to his family? How will they be viewed by the public, and how will Walter be viewed by the public? Can they move on from learning that Walter was a methamphetamine cook and distributor? The White familys success is dependent on whether or not the Schwartz couple gave Walters drug money to his son Flynn. They agreed to give him the money in the form of a birthday gift in the months following Walts death, but were never shown this actually happen (FeLiNa). Vince Gilligan and his writing staff matched different characters thoughts and words to stereotypes in modern American society. Jesse and his peers in the drug industry are seen as the scum of Albuquerque throughout the show. They have little or no means of income besides dealing drugs, putting them in the lower class. The White family above Jesse in wealth and social class look down on people like him. This negative view is shared by most of the population in the middle and upper classes in America. Walt eventually changes his views on selling drugs when he begins to experience the money flowing through the drug industry first

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hand. Walt projects the innocent, dying ex-chemistry teacher to hide his lucrative actions throughout the remainder of the series. He justifies breaking the law by saving the money to provide for his family after his death, but does that justify his actions enough to everyone else? A characters gender limits the characters actions as well ("FeLiNa" and Pilot). Similar to the notion that males have better job opportunities in America today, the women of Breaking Bad are primarily housewives. Characters including Walter White, Tio Salamanca, Gustavo Fring, and Uncle Jack are just some of the men in the show that have a tremendous amount of power, money, and influence over people. The majority of the time, when a female character opposes the male character, the male ends up winning the confrontation. The most apparent example is Walters relationship with his wife; he hides his actions from her and lies when confronted. The very real class and gender stereotypes projected in Breaking Bad are used so that viewers can see the parallels with their day to day life; what they watch can really happen. The main message that the directors and writers want to get across is that everyone is capable of undergoing metamorphosis during their lifetime and how that evolution can be for better or worse. While not as physical of a change as Gregors transformation in Franz Kafkas The Metamorphosis, Walt does undergo a change in personality just as extreme. He begins the series as a frail man, depressed over the news of terminal cancer, but eventually gains courage and strength from an inevitable death. Red with anger, Walt ends the series taking the lives of much more powerful men to ensure the safety of his family and Jesse. With Walts help, Jesse was able to escape from his captors and finally escape the drug industry. Jesse Pinkman was a lost adolescent who was nearly abandoned by his own family, but, with Walters help, was able to

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find happiness and inner peace. Situations very similar to Walt and Jesses can occur in everyones life, and the adjustments we make end up defining us. Everyone involved in the scripting of the Breaking Bad series understood the influence of ethos, pathos, and logos in conversations. Not only did the characters use these speech techniques to influence one another, but it also had an influence on viewers as well. Characters were persuaded to act irrationally, develop distinct personalities, and interact with people of different classes or gender. Gilligan and his staff changed his viewers attitudes with the same techniques. By making realistic characters, his audience was able to parallel the storys challenges to real life scenarios. People who watched Walter White evolve into a loving and courageous father could relate, learn, and become better people themselves.

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Works Cited Gilligan, Vince. "FeLiNa." Breaking Bad. AMC. 29 Sept. 2013. Television. Gilligan, Vince. "Pilot." Breaking Bad. AMc. 20 Jan. 2008. Television.