No Country for Old Men - 1600 Words

Filled with a plethora of themes and convictions, Cormac McCarthy’s No Country for Old Men excels in its endeavor to maintain the reader’s mind racing from cover to cover. The setting is the Texas-Mexico boarder; the story embodying a modernized western-themed Greek tragedy filled with drug runners and automatic weapons. Llewelyn Moss, a Vietnam veteran, finds himself on the run from forces that seem to be an instrument of karmic consequence. While on the run, Llewelyn is given the opportunity to end the madness that has arisen so immediately in his life. But he doesn’t. Instead he braves on, defying his own advice, and persistent on luck, only leaving him a misfortunate ending. To fully recognize the circumstance the novel†¦show more content†¦Diverging from his (moral) path to put the animal out of its misery, Llewelyn shifts towards the site and begins to diagnose what clearly is the reminiscence of a shootout. While making sense of the scene, Llewelyn stumbles across a dying man begging him for water. Because Llewelyn doesn’t have any water with him (strange as he has been out in the desert all day hunting), he just leaves him there as he goes on to discover a dead man safeguarding a briefcase filled with $2 million dollars in cash. Almost as if the dead body holding onto that case would be a foreshadow for what is to come for Llewelyn if he takes the money, he grabs it, returning home without contacting the police or even endeavoring to save the dying man. Later his guilt will reconcile while sleeping, bringing him back to the scene with the water only to find more trouble ahead as he begins on his fateful run. Though just a short segment in the story, these scenes deliver a considerable amount of evidence to insinuate Llewelyn is a man flexible of principle. As he continues to be morally tested evading the inexplicable force that pursues him, the reader gains a sense that Llewelyn will do what ever it tak es to survive and escape the consequences of his actions. So what is the unstoppable force that haunts all the characters in the novel? Anton Chigurh, the most amoral character in the story, represents a roll much like the grim reaper as he kills across the Texan landscape.Show MoreRelatedNo Country For Old Men1365 Words   |  6 PagesSelman Kara VISM 2001 – Introduction to Film Studies October 28th, 2015 Short Essay 2: Comparative Essay No Country For Old Men (2007) is a neo-Western thriller written, directed and edited by Joel and Ethan Coen. The film, based on the 2005 novel by Cormac McCarthy is set in Texas, USA and concerns an illegal drug deal gone awry in the deserted backcountry. No Country for Old Men features Josh Brolin as protagonist Lewellyn Moss, Tommy Lee Jones as protagonist Sheriff Ed Tom Bell, and JavierRead MoreNo Country For Old Men1103 Words   |  5 PagesEthan and Joel Coen’s No Country for Old Men (2007), the Western thriller film based off Cormac McCarthy’s novel written in 2005, implements narratives that reflect the criminal justice system in modern society. The film offers an interpretation on the criminal justice system through text and subtext. The text of the film argues for fate, predestination, and luck while the subtext serves as a support beam through lighting, imagery, and in this film’s case, a lack of music. Further support of theRead MoreNo Country For Old Men1745 Words   |  7 Pagesfilm No Country for Old Men is a Western, a viewer may develop some preconceived notions on what the narrative will include: ten-g allon hats, shiny law-enforcer badges, and a clock struck at high noon. While the former two may technically be included in the film, said viewer will likely be shocked at how far off their assumptions were. The Coen Brothers used some aspects of the traditional Western when making this film, but turned the rest of the genre on its head. No Country for Old Men exists inRead MoreNo Country For Old Men2051 Words   |  9 PagesCormac McCarthy’s No Country for Old Men has created controversial views on the significance of this novel. This piece involves a drug deal gone wrong when Llewelyn Moss, a veteran, happens to stumble upon three dead bodies, heroine, and a briefcase full of 2 million dollars. Told in different perspectives, the story continues with Moss on the run from a psychopathic killer Anton Chigurh in search of the money while also being tracked down by Sheriff Bell. Critics like James Wood from The New YorkerRead MoreNo Country For Old Men1465 Words   |  6 Pag esIn the film No Country for Old Men, directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, two main themes that were communicated were changing times and the idea of right and wrong. In this film: a drug deal gone results in Llewelyn Moss finding a briefcase full of money and running away with it. Chigurh (a cold blooded murderer) tracks Llewelyn to try and find the money, resulting in guns fired and people killed. The themes of changing times and right and wrong were sufficiently portrayed through the techniques ofRead MoreAnalysis Of No Country For Old Men1014 Words   |  5 PagesIn the film â€Å"No Country for Old Men,† there are many aspects that make it a fantastic piece of work. The authors A.O. Scott, Anthony Lane, and Christopher Orr all write brilliant reviews that praise the film as well as pick apart its shortcomings. However, none of the authors touched on the one seemingly obvious piece to the puzzle, which is the title. â€Å"No Country for Old Men† is a title that stands out among many others, and it does not speak for itself the way that many movie titles do. The titleRead MoreEssay on No Country for Old Men1619 Words   |  7 PagesBitter about the evolution of the corruption of society, Sheriff Ed Tom Bell plays the official hero clinging to old traditions and reminiscing about the old days in No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy. Delusions of a peaceful utopia during the time his grandpa Jack was a sheriff has left Bell looking at the world through hopeless eyes; a world on its knees with only one explanation for its demise: Satan. Not necessarily a religious man, Sheriff Bell, when asked if he believes in Satan, remarks:Read MoreAnalysis Of `` No Country For Old Men ``1247 Words   |  5 PagesIn Cormac McCarthy’s â€Å"No Country For Old Men,† fate plays a significant role in the novel and is present in the lives of each of the characters he portrays. Fate, as def ined in the dictionary, is â€Å"the will or principle or determining cause by which things in general are believed to come to be as they are or events to happen as they do.† The theme of fate is demonstrated in all of the characters in the novel, but most evidently in Llewellyn Moss, Ed Tom Bell, Carla Jean, Carson Wells, and Anton ChigurhRead MoreNo Country for Old Men Essay2186 Words   |  9 PagesNitish Bali Mrs. Caporiccio ENG4U1 – 05 7 June 2013 The Attainment of Individuation in No Country for Old Men Society is built upon a foundation of norms, but not all individuals adhere to said norms, some are outliers. If the actions of an individual causes pain onto another, society defines that the normal reaction for that individual would be to exhibit a state of empathy, but this is not always the case, as there are those who do not feel or exhibit the normal psychological reactions toRead MoreHunting For Men And Meaning : No Country For Old Men1233 Words   |  5 PagesHunting for Men and Meaning in No Country for Old Men This movie is one of many classic movies that have the ultimate understanding of life and the human physiological behavior. This movie entitles three mechanisms of hunting to describe critical aspects of life, hunting for animals, hunting for men and hunting for meaning. Hunting is the act of tracking and taking a life; this act differs from hunting an animal to a human. This particle can teach a lot of principles like being patient, good timing