Sheriff Bell of Terrell County, Texas (Sanderson) witnesses evil done by men without souls, as he puts it, and it changes him irrevocably. Sheriff Bell’s investigative sprint to find either Llewelyn or the serial killer leads him into darker places than he could imagine. He comes to doubt his ability to bring justice to, or keep evil under control in, his small community.

His whole life of service to his community as sheriff has been an atonement for what he believes were his cowardly actions during World War II. However, Bell ultimately loses his motivation and quits the field of battle rather than continuing to fight and be killed. Though he does not believe that he has atoned for his past, he knows that he does not have the courage to put his soul at risk by confronting Chigurh or men like him.

Bell’s uncle Ellis reminds him that the world has always been a hard place and that southwest Texas has always tested man’s ability to survive. Bell needed to be reminded of that. Though McCarthy stops short of depicting Bell at peace and reconciled with himself, he does indicate that Bell has hope for his future outside of law work at the end of the novel.