Sheriff Bell's Bad Faith: A Sartrean Perspective on Freedom and Anguish in McCarthy's No Country for Old Men

Abstract

Much critical discussion of Cormac McCarthy’s No Country for Old Men centers on Sheriff Ed Tom Bell’s crisis. The varied interpretations of the nature of Bell’s struggle leads some critics to view him as a hero or figure of transcendence, while others read him as a confused, impotent failure. This study re-frames the conversation in new language and analyzes his thoughts and actions in light of Jean-Paul Sartre’s concept of bad faith. Reconceptualizing Bell’s conflicts in terms of Sartrean philosophy allows us to see the ways this central character denies human freedom and responsibility.