No+Country+for+Old+Men+by+Cormac+McCarthy

__//**No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy**//__



Week 1:

Julian Sison-Job A Jim Horvath-Job B Joe Satkowski-Job C Mike Niego-Job D

B: The main characters in __No Country for Old Men__ are named Llewelyn Moss and Anton Chigurh. Moss is the protagonist, while Chigurh is the antagonist. Both live in a rural setting in Texas along the Mexican border. These characters are similar to each other in their lifestyles; they both are well experienced when it comes to handling a gun and are able to take care of themselves in dangerous situations. These characters are interesting because of their ability to remain cool in intense situations; while Moss is being hunted down by Chigurh, who himself is being hunted down by the sheriff, they both are able to deal with the situations at hand calmly and make decisions that most normal people would be unable to make because of their inexperience with such moments in life. I am drawn to Moss because of his attitude on life: he takes everything in life as if they are "no big deal", and never seems surprised by anything. Moss always seems prepared with a clever comment, no matter what one may say and heavily uses sarcasm. However, I despise Chigurh because of his cruel attitude: he is ruthless and does not spare the lives of anyone. He is tough, but easily intimidates those around him. Moss and Chigurh, though similar in structure and physical features, are varied in terms of morality and ethics.

C: Our meeting started out with all four of us eating munchkins and drinking apple juice. After eating for several minutes, we began our discussion. Our discussion began and was led by Mike, as he posed the first question. The question asked us why the main character would go back to the crime scene which he fled earlier in the book. After some discussion, we all came to the same opinion about the question. We think that the only reason Moss would come back to the scene was out of curiosity, and being that he came during the day and was disappointed about not killing anything while he was hunting, we think he was able to properly address the situation when he was in a clearer state of mind. Secondly, Mike with the help of Jim, led us into the next question. Mike asked us who was chasing the main character through the desert. We were a bit divided about a definite answer to this question, but after considering who it could be so early in the story, we decided that Chigurh was chasing Moss through the desert in order to get the stolen money back.

Thirdly, Mike asked us why and how Chigurh was involved with Moss. Our group pondered the answer for a little while, which led to a short discussion about his actual motives. We finally concluded that the only reason Chigurh is interested in Moss is simply because he stole his money, which Chigurh killed about twenty people to get. After this brief discussion Mike asked us why Chigurh chose to not kill the shop owner that he encountered. We had mixed opinion about this question, but I personally believe that Chigurh is the kind of person that enjoys tormenting and torturing people on a psychological level. He would walk away with satisfaction in knowing that he damaged the man psychologically rather than murdering him in cold blood. Our final question, which was posed by Jim, asked us how and why the sheriff is involved with the story so far. This was somewhat obvious, being that Chigurh killed a police officer in the beginning of the book (along with other crimes). The sheriff is interested in upholding justice and apprehending Chigurh. Looking back on our first book club meeting, I realize that I gained insight and opinions about the book that I would not have gotten otherwise.

D:

1. Why did Moss go back to the crime scene at night? 2. Who was chasing Moss through the desert? Why? 3. How was Chigurh involved with Moss? 4. Why didn't Chigurh kill the shop owner? 5. How is the sheriff involved in the story in the first place?

Week 2: Mike Niego-Job A Julian Sison-Job B Jim Horvath-Job C Joe Satkowski-Job D

B:

No Country for Old Men takes place along the Mexican border and thus utilizes southern slang and mainly informal terms. Most of the words I don’t understand are words that are used in different parts of the country, and are not actual dictionary terms. This type of language is particularly effective because it provides a sense of welcoming, where the reader can feel more comfortable and relaxed while reading the book. This slang also allows the reader to focus on the viewpoints of the characters themselves, and feel more closely in touch with how the characters live, interact, and react to certain situations. The lack of quotation points in dialogues can sometimes make the book hard to follow, but nonetheless interesting. I think this book is written at a level for young teenagers; while it may not necessarily be classified as a classic or a controversial book, it still provides an intense storyline that provokes thought and the action of each chapter keeps the reader immersed in the novel. No Country for Old Men is certainly a great read.

C:

We began by eating some Munchkins. Afterward, we started right in on our discussion. We talked about how the violence in the book escalated and Joe quoted some of Chigurh's lines from the chapters we read this week in the book.We then began to discuss Joe's questions. We agreed that Chigurh is not necessarily motivated by greed or bloodlust, but that he is a serial killer and kills others because that is his job. We agreed that Chigurh probably does not have any regret or feel guilty in any way killing those he sees or by hunting down Moss, because it seems as if Chigurh kills everyone so easily and without any emotions becoming involved in the event. Joe, however, thought that Moss was unlucky to find the money, and that he should not have taken the money in the first place. He believes that the future looks grim for Moss, and that Moss has become involved in such deep troubles that it would have been better off not taking the money in the first place, because Chigurh is relentless and will not give up on chasing Moss until either he dies or accomplishes this task.

Mike says he would have taken the money, because he is confident that Moss will be able to outsmart Chigurh and eventually prevail. Mike says he would take the money despite the risks. Julian believed that Chigurh would have killed Moss by this point if Moss was incapable of outsmarting Chigurh, but also believes that Moss will eventually use a cleverly formed plan to kill Chigurh and be safe once more with his wife. Mike says the sheriff is involved more in the book than he was in the movie because it is easier to portray the sheriff and include his journals than it was in the movie, and the book relies on the information given by the sheriff and his journals, whereas the movie didn't.

D: 1. Do you think Chigurh is motivated purely by greed or a desire to kill Llewellyn? 2. Is Moss lucky or unlucky for finding the money? 3. If you had stumbled upon the same amount of money that Moss had in the desert, what would you have done? 4. Do you think that Moss has any way to get out of what he has gotten himself into? 5. Do you think that Moss is smart enough to outrun Chigurh? 6. Why was the sheriff more involved in the book than he was in the movie?

Week 3:

Jim Horvath-A Joe Satkowski-B Julian Sison-C Mike Neigo-D

B:

The overriding emotion of the book seems to be one of fear. Throughout the book, Moss is forced to react quickly and think at a rapid race in order to survive, because Chigurh always seems to know what Moss is planning to do next. Although Chigurh is physically falling behind Moss, it seems as if in every chapter he becomes one step closer to killing Moss, and this type of pressure seems to be taking its toll on Moss. Moss is having great difficulty staying away from Chigurh and is even becoming wounded in the process. This leads to serious unrest for the reader, as the suspense keeps he or she on the edge of the seat, wondering what will occur next. The book truly depicts Darwin's theory of the "survival of the fittest", as Chigurh and Moss battle it out, going to extreme measures just to stay alive. Some examples that back up my claim are that Moss actually was shot during the chapters we read this week, and this caused an extreme feeling of fear for me, because I was confused as to whether or not Moss would actually die or not. The book also has a serious tone, as each chapter seems to be taken very carefully, and although there is a lack of humor from most chapters, the plot still remains interesting.

C:

After eating our pop'ems and drinks we decided that we would start our discussion. Joe began by asking a question "What is the mood and tone of the book?" Mike and Joe, having already seen the movie, decided that the mood and tone were not as prominent as they were during the movie. We agreed that the book was very intense as far as action and moved at a very fast pace. Mike thought the book had a dark tone. Mike thought Chigurh deserved to be shot in the leg. He thought that after all that Chigurh had done, he deserved to be shot. He wanted to see Moss fighting back and defending himself from Chigurh. We also thought that the mood and tone may have appeared violent, yet effective. Each chapter is interesting because each person has their own perspective on the occurring events. Mike thought that the tone was more rural than we were used to, but we liked the book nonetheless.

Joe stated that in the book, Chigurh and Moss continued chasing each other. While Moss was injured, he continued to move on because he had to escape from Chigurh to avoid death. We agreed that throughout the book the action continues to leave us all surprised. We enjoy each chapter because each is unique in events yet similar in writing style. We also agreed that it was cool that Chigurh took a bullet yet was still able to continue moving on; he did treat himself fairly quickly, but to survive a Mexican shootout like that and still be able to move on was surprising to us. We thought that although Chigurh may have done some bad things and killed many people, he was still an interesting character that we had partly grown attached to, and we felt the same way towards Moss.

D:

1. Have your beliefs on Moss' survival changed over the past few weeks? 2. How do you think Moss will deal with his injuries while still trying to escape Chigurh? 3. Do you think if Moss or Chigurh kills each other, that the reward of "winning" the money will be enough to justify the guilt of killing someone? 4. What are your beliefs on the way Moss and Chigurh behave and their actions and killings? 5. Who do you think is currently winning the "battle", and why?

Week 4:

Joe Satkowski-A Jim Horvath-B Mike Neigo-C Julian Sison-D

B:

The majority of the themes and images portrayed throughout the book are violent and gory. So far, there have been many scenes involving bloodshed and death, and the images portrayed by these events are very graphic, and sometimes even slightly disturbing due to the high amount of violence. These types of scenes create a totally different overall feeling for the reader, who is now confronted with a new set of morals, such as if the killing of Moss could be justified in any way, seeing as he did steal the money from Chigurh. These images seem to represent the ongoing struggles occurring near the Mexican border and seem to convey a message from the author about border patrol and drug trade. The author seems to want to provide awareness of the dangers occurring in our own country, with violent struggles going on between Mexicans and Americans, and how drug use is prevalent in that section of our country. As read throughout the book, Carla Jean, who is only nineteen, even is shown using tobacco and drinking around the sheriff although technically underage, and not much is seen wrong with that image. I believe that Cormac McCarthy is trying to prove a point about our declining morals and the declining protection of Americans near the Mexican border.

C:

We began by discussing the questions. Joe thought that Moss' death was seen through another person because the author writes in an outsider type of view which doesn't allow the reader to get sentimental with the characters. He also believes that the Mexicans killed Llewelyn because it was originally their money and since they didn't know Chigurh was chasing him, they were trying to get their money back. Jim said that Carla Jean would react to Llewelyn's death by being in denial while also being mournful. Julian insisted that Llewelyn's mother-in-law might find the money next since Llewelyn was now dead. We then moved on to discussing the themes of the book.

Probably the most common theme throughout the book was violence. Chigurh and Llewelyn were constantly acting violently towards one another while also having the sheriff and the Mexicans violently involved. Also, the theme of chasing is seen throughout the book. Llewelyn is constantly being chased by Chigurh and the Mexicans, with the Sheriff and law enforcement chasing all three of them the whole time. One image specifically for Chigurh is ominous evil. For instance, you never know what Chigurh is doing exactly until it happens but you always know he is up to something bad and dangerous. Another image is when Llewelyn dies. It marks the end of Llewelyn's fighting and struggle and it also proves as a good cliffhanger for the reader towards the end of the book. The question was then asked, "What was your reaction when you found out Llewelyn had died?" Joe responded by saying he wasn't that surprised, except for the fact that he thought Chigurh would have been the one to kill him instead of the Mexicans.

D:

1. Why do you think Moss' death was portrayed from the perspective of another person? 2. What motives do you think the man had for killing Moss? 3. How do you think Carla Jean will react to Moss' death? 4. Who do you think will be next to find the money and why? 5. Did you think Moss was going to survive and kill Chigurh? Why or why not?

Week 5

Jim Horvath-A Julian Sison-B Joe Satkowski-C Mike Neigo-D

B:

I thought that overall, the book was surprising, but it became dull near the end. It was surprising the way Moss died; the events surrounding his death were vague, and it was expected that either Moss would kill Chigurh or Chigurh would kill Moss, with no third parties involved. It was also slightly unexpected that Chigurh would go to Moss' wife and kill her himself, as I thought she would remain safe, because she was only still a young character. However, towards the ending of the book, there were several unclear sheriff journals that only served to make the plot more confusing, and the last page of the book was not as profound or earth-shattering as I had hoped it to be. There were many confusing moments to the story, with the constant change in perspective and character making it difficult to follow the story, but that also added to the value of the book. I would reccoment this book, for those who are looking for an intense book about killings and social strife. This topic has not been touched upon much other books overall, because it is such a specific topic, although it could be related to the topic of border patrol slightly, and although it is violent, it would be interesting to see this book as part of the school's curriculum, because it is unique and different from the classics and other novels read as part of the curriculum. No Country for Old Men could definitely be considered for the school's curriculum.

C:

This week, being our final week discussing No Country for Old Men, was a solemn week for all of us. Jim provided us with some lovely pumpkin/apple flavored muffins and iced tea. We then proceeded to get to our discussion. Mike asked the first question, which was what we thought about the ending and why was it so vague? Honestly, all four of us were not entirely sure about why No Country for Old Men ended the way it did. With no real prior knowledge about the sheriff's life or his father, it was difficult to interpret his dream properly. The one thing about the dream that none of us really understood or were able interpret was the man on the horse. Some of us thought that it might have been Chigurh. Overall, we were extremely disappointed with the ending.

Secondly, Mike, with the help of Julian asked us who we thought the person was at the end. It was narrowed down to a few people, such as Chigurh and the sheriff, because most of the main characters had been killed off. In the end, Jim decided that it was Chigurh because of his ominous and lurking presence, which was the same as it had been throughout the entire book. Although this was addressed in previous chapters, we never really got to discuss who killed Moss and why. Looking back in the book, we remembered that a group of Mexicans killed Moss, and we also remembered that they were involved with the money in the first place. It was simply revenge. Finally, Julian and Mike asked us why we were disappointed with the ending. We mutually came to the conclusion that the ending was much too vague and irrelevant to the book as a whole. McCarthy was possibly attempting to tie the book together in a confusing fashion, but we think it was neither enjoyable or effective.

D:

1. Why do you think Cormac McCarthy decided to depict the ending of the book in such a vague way? 2. What do you think the ending and the sheriff's journals have to say and explain about the rest of the book and also the world? 3. Who do you think the man referred to as "he" at the end is? 4. Why do you think Cormac McCarthy chose to kill off so many of the main characters? 5. Do you think that Cormac McCarthy wants people of our age group to read this book? What age group and type of people do you think Cormac McCarthy intended __No Country for Old Men__ to be for?