Llewelyn Moss Character Analysis

In every novel or series, the important characters will have a rite of passage. This is an event that will mark an important time in someone’s life. In the novel No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy one of the main characters, Llewelyn Moss, experiences his rite of passage. Through his choices, mistakes and adventures within the novel Llewelyn Moss proves himself as an all American outlaw hero. One of the most important characters in No Country for Old Men is Llewelyn Moss. Moss is a thirty-six year old Vietnam veteran and welder. He is married to a nineteen year old woman named Carla Jean. The two live in a beaten up trailer together. Llewelyn can best be described as a typical military man. He is hard-headed, hardworking and dedicated. Throughout …show more content…
However, he’s the American veteran architype that readers enjoy to read about and root for him in his fight and adventure. He can best be described as the rugged “not so helpful” hero that is known in American cultural history, according to Scott Covell in a 2016 lecture. His actions and personality are what lead to his rite of passage and the many decisions he makes in the novel. After reading the novel and seeing all the things Llewelyn Moss did, readers are able to elucidate what his rite of passage was. Llewelyn had his right of passage the second he decided to go and investigate the crime scene. Up until that point he lived normal, low income lifestyle. He was a welder that didn’t make much money, from what readers can interpret. He lived with Carla Jean in their beaten up trailer and hunted in his free time. The moment Moss decided to go down and investigate the scene and took the money, his life changed completely. According to Scott Covell, he states that Moss wanted to live out “The American Dream” of having riches and living a lavish life, because it was not a life he knew. He may be an American, but he was the one that was reliable for making the dream happen. He wanted the same