No Country For Old Men Analysis

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Sheriff Bell’s beliefs, understanding, and desire for justice for the victims of Anton Chigurh's murderous rampage throughout the Southwest (specifically Mexican-Texan border)is relatively static in the novel no Country For Old Men. Bell’s chase is motivated by how he desired to see society shape into his vision, as well as his discontent with not only the dynamic nature of crime but also his past regrettable decisions. Bell’s understanding of justice, is often skewed by the haunting war memory of leaving his comrades. The overwhelming self questioning of whether or not he could have done more, leads the main protagonist on a quest to make up for that past decision. He begins by, after leaving the military, Bell returns, and at the age of 25 he becomes a sheriff; during his episode of sheriff Bell is met with one of his many attempts to counteract the bad memory, and to possibly clear his conscience by sending a 19 year old young man who murdered a 14 year old girl to the gas chamber. The 19 year old stated…show more content…
He does not capture Chigurh, nor does he bring about justice for the murdered. Throughout the novel Chigurh spasmodically evades Bell’s attempts to be caught. Even towards the end when Bell does have the chance to capture Chigurh, it’s in vain, Chigurh is caught by karma. Bell though, is defeated and retreats to a world of self doubt, self pity, and just a sense of loss within as well as of himself. Bell falls into a mentality almost of a acosmist except when it pertains to Loretta, his wife who he mentions is what makes him a spiritual person unlike anything else in the world has done. He seems to dwale, compared to his previous state or outlook on not only justice, but life as well. In his defeat he returns to the ideology that society has lost itself by stopping the usage of pleasantries such as yes ma'am and no sir, which ironically enough is something that the antagonist regularly

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