Outline

Thesis statement: The author attempts to display a society that is ridden with evil and violence. Drug trafficking seems as the order of the day. Those who do evil have no fear doing it around street corners. There however people who intend to remain on the right in the society.

1. The first encounter with Carl shows us a loved wife. She is also a loving wife and gets worried when Moss leaves during the night.

However we note that Moss does not hesitate to send her home without an explanation, when trouble sets in

There also seem to be a communication breakdown in the family

• Moss also opts to leave during the night to take water to a survivor of the drug deal ordeal.
• The Sheriffs pursue of Chigurh shows us a part of the community that remains uninfected by the society’s evil.

The sheriff however fails the battle against the evil ones and eventually retires

Does the retirement show a dismissal of law and order?

• Chigurh is like a killing machine. He however, gives Carl a chance at survival. Something we cannot tell is whether he would have honored his promise

Introduction

The author attempts to display a situation of immorality and violence. He also intends to make us see what effects these acts can do to society up to its leadership. The novel also acts as a narrative form in all three aspects of the narrative. The aspect of trauma is displayed by the author through the voice of Bell immediately at the beginning of every chapter.

The influence of moss in the book is enormous. He drives the prose of the novel and only serves to move the story. Without Moss, the novel does not set off. The aspect of Moss being a hunter whom himself becomes the hunted is another aspect that draws eyebrows. It shows the vulnerability of individuals in the society. The fact that even hunters are hunted is a reversal of roles. The other way fails with the attempts of Bell to find Chigurh and every time he slips between his fingers. When Bell is sure that he has nabbed Chigurh, and calls for back-up, he finds out that Chigurh has slipped again from between them. The law fails at every attempt to nab him. He watches from the truck as they look for him.

Moss has a family situation that is very much in control. He and the wife seem to be in love with each other. They give the society a sense that some institutions are still intact. When he is leaving in the middle of the night to go and get the survivor of the drug deal conflict some water, she begs him not to leave. She feels that something bad is going to happen to her. She tells him “Baby I dont want you to go. Where are you goin? I dont want you to go” (pp12). The concern, however, is highly contrasted by what she says to her when things get worse. He says, “Here’s what’s goin on, Carla Jean. You need to get your stuff packed and be ready to roll out of here come daylight. Whatever you leave you aint goin to see it again so if you want it don’t leave it.” This shows a society that is only slightly responsible as to get her out of trouble. He is however dictating and does not see the need for him to explain anything to her.

Bell is the opposite of the society. He is pursuing Chigurh. He however does not fit in this society and hence the title of the novel. The world is too fast for him. He seems to be one step behind chigurh at all times. The author also gives the same implication of speed by barely using any punctuation in the novel. The novel is fast paced as well. The settins change in minutes, and the novel holds the reader to the last minute. The resignation of bell from his position shows a total collapse of the old values. He leaves the new society to deal with its problems. He thinks that the entire society is rotten and needs someone else with more strength to lead them. He is not comfortable with anything about it. He says, “It starts when you begin to overlook bad manners. Any time you quit hearin Sir and Mam the end is pretty much in sight.” All the morals have gone with the system. The simple things such as courtesy are long gone.

Chigurh is the psychotic killing machine, the villain of the novel. He seems to kill everyone along the way. He even makes jokes after a murder. He seems to have a close bonding with death. Bell says about him, “Somewhere out there is a true and living prophet of destruction and I dont want to confront him. I know he’s real. I have seen his work. I walked in front of those eyes once. I wont do it again.” This shows how the society has deteriorated with time. They have no concern for each other. When he kills a man to steal his car, he tells him to move away from the car then shoots him. Immediately the man is dead, he says, “I just didnt want you to get blood on the car.” When he finds Carla Jean, he gives her a chance at survival, something which looks immoral. She however fails and is killed. The fact that he gives her a chance shows that the society has a chance to survive. The means however, will not be through the leadership of the old man.