No Country for Old Men Chapter III Summary & Analysis

Chapter III

Summary: Chapter III

Bell reflects on various aspects of law enforcement. He believes that changing technology rarely works to law enforcement’s advantage. Bell thinks that most people who deserve to be on death row don’t end up there and those who do often don’t understand what’s happening. Finally, Bell reflects on being a sheriff, which is a job that holds immense power, has no requirements, and doesn’t have much impact on bad people.

Moss and Carla Jean arrive in Fort Stockton and part ways. Moss says he will call in a few days but is unable to promise that he won’t hurt anybody.

At his house, Bell’s dinner is interrupted by a phone call. A car has been set on fire, and Bell brings his wife, Loretta, to check out the scene. The next morning, Bell and Wendell ride horses out there. They explore the area and recognize Moss’s truck, but they don’t think he is a dope dealer. The two officers then come across the men that Chigurh killed and finally the shootout scene itself, with its evidence of drugs and numerous weapons. Bell believes that the dead men shot each other and that the driver walked away with the money. When they find his dead body, Bell can tell that someone else was there before them. He wants to find Moss.

Bell then picks up Torbert, who has the report on the dead man they found in the trunk. He was shot, but the police don’t know with what. They count nine dead bodies in all. Bell says dope dealers are worse than the cattle rustlers of the past.

Chigurh arrives at Moss’s trailer, shooting off the lock to enter. He takes some pieces of mail and then goes to the trailer park’s office to ask about Moss. The woman won’t tell him where Moss works. Chigurh goes to the café and opens Moss’s phone bill, which he uses to get a number in Odessa. He makes a call and asks for Moss, but a woman says he is not there. Next, Chigurh goes to the garage where Moss works in an attempt to find him.

Moss’s bus pulls into Del Rio, and he takes a cab to a cheap motel. He hides the bag of money deep in the air duct. That night, Moss crosses the border to Mexico, where he buys bandages and has a good dinner. When the cab takes him back, he sees a gap in the curtains, so he has the driver take him to another motel. The next morning Moss makes plans. He will return to the room and see if the money is still there. Moss figures two groups of people are looking for him, and he will have to kill somebody. He goes into town to buy a shotgun and other equipment. In the second hotel room, Moss saws off his gun, disposes of the barrel in a lake, and then watches the sunset.

Analysis: Chapter III

Chapter III opens with Bell’s seemingly disconnected musings. While his thoughts all surround law enforcement, they work together to greater effect, showing how Bell has felt increasingly out of step with his profession. He prefers old guns and police cars, doesn’t believe that the death penalty works, and understands that law enforcement officers like him are helpless to stop truly evil people—people like Chigurh. Becoming increasingly clear with each of Bell’s monologues is the impact that his encounter with Chigurh—which has yet to happen in person—has on him, his profession, his responsibilities, and his life overall. This is a theme that his monologues will continue to develop throughout the novel. Bell’s other appearances in the chapter demonstrate his deep capacity to be a law enforcement officer. He pays careful attention at crime scenes, noting details that lead him to conclusions that readers already know are correct. Bell’s skill and thoughtful manner show that his disillusion with his profession will truly be a loss to his community.

The chapter also focuses on Moss’s efforts to escape with the money. His actions demonstrate his ability to think through a problem and devise methods to solve them, whether that be hiding millions of dollars or preparing himself for what he believes will be an inevitable confrontation with the men who are out to reclaim the money. Moss’s responses to his own actions take him far from his current life and thrust him back into his days as a soldier in Vietnam. To ensure his survival, he must operate without emotion. When Moss thinks that he probably will have to kill, he provides no clue as to how he feels about that idea. He also must think carefully and use all his senses to note the danger that is following him. Moss seems uniquely suited to this role, even if he did not expect to have to play it.

Meanwhile, as Chigurh tracks Moss, his behavior shows his brazen, confident manner. He addresses people as if they will give him what he wants, knowing that he has the power and capability to kill them if he, or fate, determines that must happen. As in the first two chapters, McCarthy does not provide all the details that connect the events. For instance, Chigurh goes to Moss’s workplace to look for him, but readers don’t know how knew about that location. This technique of the author works twofold. On one level, it elevates Chigurh’s status, making him appear more powerful, almost omniscient, and mysterious. Chigurh is indeed a mystery that Bell, the protagonist of the novel, must solve. However, McCarthy’s deliberate omission also makes the reader pause and think about the details that he has provided. For instance, was there something in the mail that led Chigurh to the garage? Readers must read carefully and sometimes even provide the connectors themselves. At the same time, however, readers need to accept that they will not fully understand everything. The idea that some things are unknowable is in keeping with the experience of many of the characters in the novel. In a sense, readers become partners with Bell as he struggles to find Chigurh and save Moss.