Color Impacts the View of “Breaking Bad”

Cole Tarrant, Broadcasting Editor

Colors can define the personality of a human. Certain colors can bring out specific emotions in people. This is known as Color Psychology. 

A great example of how Color psychology works is through the AMC show, Breaking Bad. Breaking Bad revolves around chemistry teacher Walter White and his former student Jesse Pinkman. Color is a re-occurring theme in Breaking Bad. The color each character wears represents the emotion and theme of an event. 

In the beginning, Walter White was known as a very boring person. He commonly wore the color beige, indicating that Walter White was simple and not a threat. 

Throughout the story, Walter White’s color changes. For instance, Walter White started wearing more yellow after he progressed in the drug business. 

Another example of this is the color green. Green symbolizes money as well as change. As White’s drug business evolved, his income increased to a point where he had to hide it. He had to figure out other ways to add it to his bank account.

Throughout the series, Jesse Pinkman was known as Walter White’s partner in the drug business. Throughout the show, Pinkman was known for his childlike presence and innocence. In the show, Pink stands for a childlike innocence, which relates to Pinkman.

In Breaking Bad orange represents danger or anything that’s a threat to Walter White. For instance, Hank Schrader, Walter White’s brother-in-law, is known for wearing orange shirts throughout the season. As the show progressed Hank Schrader was White’s main threat in being charged for his selling crimes.

Blue stands for loyalty. Walter White’s wife, Skyler usually wore blue expressing her loyalty to him. However as Skyler learned more and more about Walter’s drug business, she wore less and less blue. 

In the show, purple is associated with more of a royalty color. Walt’s sister n’ law Marie surrounded herself in purple in which to express her wealth and her need for the finer things in life.

White symbolizes purity in Breaking Bad. At the beginning of the show, Walter White was known as a more pure and innocent man. As the show progressed however he lost his purity and started to dress in pure black.

Walter White’s transition from white to black symbolized darkness, power, secrecy, and death.