Walter White cutting crust off the bread

Question

I am re-watching Breaking Bad for 2nd time and I observed that the first time in whole series when Walter makes sandwich is to feed Krazy-8 in basement. At this instance, he gives sandwich with breads having crust. When he sees Krazy-8 tearing off the crust, next time onward, Walter himself cuts off the crust before giving it to Krazy-8.

Later on in series, when he separates from Skyler, he is again shown making sandwiches for lunch while working for Gustavo. At this point, the scene is focused on Walter's sandwich making. Thus, showing him cutting the crust as he used to do for Krazy-8.

Usually a person also serves a person food in a way himself likes it. For example, Walter likes to eat bread with crust. That's why he serves Krazy-8 with sandwich with bread crust. So is the change in Walter White's bread eating habit related to Krazy-8? Can this whole thing make sense?

Answer 1

Throughout the series Walter picks up habits from the people that he kills.

The first of this is Krazy-8. Krazy-8 takes the crust off of his sandwich and from then on Walter removes the crust off of his sandwich even though he used to eat his sandwiches with the crust. His sandwiches are an homage to Krazy-8.

Before Walter kills Mike he drinks his whiskey neat but after Mike dies he drinks his on the rock as seen in Gliding Over after the prison murders and when he is drinking in the bar in Granite State.

I believe that this comments on how "Bad" Walter is breaking. He recognizes subconsciously that these are people with who are just like him, they enjoy different things different ways. Even though Walter kills them ruthlessly and without concious regret he still carries pieces of their life and their personal oddities with him the rest of his life.

Answer 2

Here's how I interpreted that particular scene:

For me, cutting off the crust of the bread is something that is primarily done by parents when they make sandwiches for their children.

Considering how Krazy-8 was portrayed up to the sandwich scene, it would be weird for Walter to remove the crust when initially preparing the sandwich, even if that was how he himself preferred it. Adults just don't eat sandwiches like that and Krazy might even be offended if Walter offered him a child's sandwich.

When Krazy-8 asks Walter to remove the crust, this is done to emphasize that Krazy-8 is not the hard-boiled gangster Walter initially suspected him to be. This is an important change in how both we and Walter perceive the character.

It is a major factor in what makes it so hard for Walter to kill him in the first place. Walter might have been able to justify for himself to kill a ruthless drug dealer, but from the moment Krazy-8 asks him to remove the bread crust, Walter starts to see a different side of him, that of a vulnerable child. It humanizes a character that was up to this point not much more than a cliché.

I'm not sure how to interpret the fact that Walter himself also likes to remove the crust. It could be that this is indeed done in reminiscence of the Krazy-8 plot. It might also be done to show how Walter himself is not yet a ruthless gangster, but still has a childish side to him.

Answer 3

I assumed that Walter had, at some point, made a sandwich for both himself and Krazy-8 and decided to try it without the crust. At that point, he must have determined that it tasted better and began making his own sandwiches without the crust.

Sometimes, you have to try something before determining you don't like it. Growing up in my house, this was referred to as a "No-Thank-You Helping".

Answer 4

All of these are great answers, I have only one thing to add about a small detail in this scene: Walter makes himself the sandwich, but only after checking his phone and seeing a new "Pollos" message does he go back and cut off the crust. He was already nervous about a lot - his gradual transformation, his newfound longevity, his crumbling relationship with Skyler - but also his relationship with Gus and his cartel. When the text came in, it exacerbated these feelings, and cutting off the crust was a comforting act in reminding him that he killed Krazy-8, and is capable of being as ruthless as them.