Mersault, Raskolnikov….Walter White: Nihilism and Utilitarianism to Justify Heinous Acts

Last year, I read Albert Camus’ The Stranger. It’s a haunting novel demonstrating the philosophies of absurdism and nihilism through its main character Meursault. Meursault begins as a law-abiding citizen, but when his mother dies we witness his transformation into a man who kills, steals and lies with no second thoughts. However, he’s not a hardened criminal. In fact, far from it: he simply does as he pleases, with no second thoughts. By the climax of the novel, he sees no point or purpose in the world- he solely exists to exist.

I have witnessed many parallels between The Stranger and “Breaking Bad”, namely in Walt’s evolution from a passive high school chemistry teacher to a hardened meth kingpin. In both The Stranger and “Breaking Bad”, a singular event triggered this change. In Camus’ novel, Meursault’s mother died, leading him to question the purpose of his existence in the world. And in “Breaking Bad”, Walt is diagnosed with cancer and immediately begins cooking meth. But while Meursault’s evolution is fueled primarily by nihilistic sentiments- he feels that the laws of society are absurd, and simply fails to follow them- Walter White’s actions are driven by pragmatism, as he begins his drug operation to provide money for his family.

Still, both White and Meursault do exhibit nihilistic tendencies. In one instance Walt agrees when his coworker states that there are two types of crimes, those that break the law and those that hurt someone. Because cooking meth doesn’t directly hurt someone- though that could certainly be argued against- it’s not really breaking the law. He employs a utilitarian technique by reasoning that by “breaking” one law, he’s helping his entire family with financial support. With that justification, he finds himself above the law.

Similarly, in Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment, the protagonist, Raskolnikov, warrants slaying his pawnbroker for a similar reason: she was unpopular, and thus he committed the murder for the greater good. Therefore, like the great literary heroes before him, Walter White demonstrates both nihilistic and utilitarian propensities in order to rationalize his highly illegal acts.

5 thoughts on “Mersault, Raskolnikov….Walter White: Nihilism and Utilitarianism to Justify Heinous Acts

  1. As a Breaking Bad fan, I love this blog. As Crime and Punishment is one of my all-time favorite books, I love this entry. Really great job. I’ll look forward to the weeks to come!

  2. I’ve never actually watched the show, but I keep on hearing a lot about it and specifically about Walter White. Given these parallels between White’s actions with respect to these philosophies and the actions of characters like Raskolnikov and Meursault, my question is this: does White’s adoption of nihilistic/utilitarian philosophies lead him to commit ever more egregious crimes? In short, does it stop at cooking meth, or does White begin to consider himself exempt from other laws as well?
    From what I know of literature, and what I’ve heard of the show, it seems that when a character considers themselves above one law, they tend to start sliding down a slippery slope as they commit worse and worse crimes while using that rationalization. I think White follows that pattern, which is another interesting parallel.

  3. This is an awesome idea for a passion blog. I actually was really close to dedicating my life to the challenge of getting caught up on Breaking Bad, but instead I am watching Friday Night Lights. Actually I’m at a halt on everything now because my roommate got GTA5. Anyways, You don’t just give a blow by blow of what is going on in this show, but instead you get into your own matter related to the show, which I admire. Looking forward to reading up on this.

  4. You bring up good counter arguments for Walter White. Having him compared to literary novels is a good way to see him in a new light, showing a different side of the story. The comparison helps me understand his character since I haven’t seen the show. It’s interesting how you made the connection between the novel and the show with the similarities of absurdism and nihilism. In a way, both characters relate through that connection but you could take it a step further to justify their heinous acts using their similar histories. Good comparison and analysis.

  5. This is definitely an interesting analysis of the repetition of general logic. Good points with how the ideas continually reappear across various works of literature. The fact that the justifications of the protagonists use similar logic for self justification or for the sake of self preservation is an interesting interpretation of the human ideologies of existentialism, nihilism, and utilitarianism as you mentioned. I am able to understand exactly what you mean without being familiar with either the show or the literary works. Good post!

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