Walter White and the Construct of 'Family Man'

The prevalence of the antihero in American television dramas of late can be traced to the era of film noir. At its core, noir focused on social and economic inequalities as seen through the identity crises of male protagonists who succumbed to their dark urges because the American Dream had failed them. Breaking Bad’s Walter White is unquestionably one of the more complex characters to dissect in this regard through his paradigmatic role as father, husband, and provider within the confines of his hero-turned-villain story arc.