Mortality and Ethics Quotes in No Country for Old Men

How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Section.Paragraph)

Quote #4

Here the other day they was a woman put her baby in a trash compactor. Who would think of such a thing? My wife wont read the papers no more. She's probably right. She generally is. (2.1.3)

Bell often looks to his wife, Loretta, for moral guidance, but it seems like she has given up on the world—or at least she has given up trying to know about all the evil in the world. Does this mean Bell will eventually give up, too?

Quote #5

You get stopped with that old boy in the turtle just tell em you dont know nothin about it. Tell em somebody must of put him in there while you was havin coffee. (2.2.47)

This scene is a sketchy little bit of police ethics. When a dead body is found in the trunk of a cop car, Bell and his deputies do what they can to cover it up. Well, consider how much harder it would be for them to do their jobs if there was a ton of media attention. Are they right to do it, then?

Quote #6

I aint makin no promises, he said. That's how you get hurt. (3.2.23)

Llewelyn does what he can to protect his wife because that's what a good husband would do. Sadly, she gets hurt, anyway, despite him not makin no promises. It seems that none of his attempted good deeds work out as he wants them to. He's just up against too much.