Carson Wells Character Analysis in No Country for Old Men

A Vietnam veteran and hit man, Carson Wells is hired to track down Chigurh and find the missing briefcase. Wells has worked with Chigurh in the past and understands the danger Moss is in. He finds Moss in the hospital in Mexico, and attempts to convince Moss to work with him to return the money to its rightful owner. Wells is a confident man, which ultimately leads to his demise. He does not take into consideration the role of chance and bad luck in an individual’s fate, elements of life that Chigurh is very aware of, and is overpowered by Chigurh. In the end, before Chigurh kills him, he struggles to accept his fate. Ultimately, his oversights and false sense of self-confidence lead to his death.

Carson Wells Quotes in No Country for Old Men

The No Country for Old Men quotes below are all either spoken by Carson Wells or refer to Carson Wells. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

Philosophy, Morality, and Ethics Theme Icon

). Note: all page numbers and citation info for the quotes below refer to the Vintage edition of No Country for Old Men published in 2006.

You can’t make a deal with him. Let me say it again. Even if you gave him the money he’d still kill you. There’s no one alive on this planet that’s ever had even a cross word with him. They’re all dead. These are not good odds. He’s a peculiar man. You could even say that he has principals. Principals that transcend money or drugs or anything like that.

Related Characters: (speaker),

Page Number and Citation: 153

Explanation and Analysis:

If the rule you followed led you to this of what use was the rule?

Related Characters: (speaker),

Page Number and Citation: 175

Explanation and Analysis:

You’ve been giving up things for years to get here. I dont think I even understood that. How does a man decide in what order to abandon his life? We’re in the same line of work. Up to a point. Did you hold me in such contempt? Why would you do that? How did you let yourself get in this situation?

Related Characters: (speaker),

Page Number and Citation: 177

Explanation and Analysis:

Carson Wells Character Timeline in No Country for Old Men

The timeline below shows where the character Carson Wells appears in No Country for Old Men. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

The narrative shifts to Carson Wells, a Vietnam veteran and hit man, as he goes up to the Matacumbe Petroleum Group... (full context)

He gives Wells a credit card to cover his expenses. The man asks for Wells’ opinion of Chigurh.... (full context)

Before Wells leaves, he tells the man that he counted the floors from the street, and there... (full context)

Wells goes to the hotel in Eagle Pass and asks for a room. While he fills... (full context)

Wells goes to his room and falls asleep with his gun beside him. He wakes at... (full context)

The next morning, Wells walks through the center of Eagle Pass taking mental notes of the crime scene, noticing... (full context)

Moss wakes up in a Mexican hospital and finds Wells sitting beside his bed holding a bouquet of flowers. Moss asks who he is, and... (full context)

Moss tells Wells he looks like an idiot sitting there with the flowers. Wells puts them on the... (full context)

Wells asks Moss how he knows Chigurh is not on his way to Odessa to Kill... (full context)

Moss tells Wells he may just disappear. Wells tells him it only took three hours to find him,... (full context)

Moss asks Wells why he would even tell him about Chigurh. Wells says that he is hoping to... (full context)

Wells asks Moss what he does for a living. Moss tells him he is retired, but... (full context)

Wells tells Moss that he works for people who won’t give up on finding the money.... (full context)

The narrative moves to Wells as he examines the bridge that crosses the river into Mexico. He studies Moss’s blood... (full context)

...unit on the windowsill. He then he goes back to the lobby to wait for Wells. (full context)

Wells comes in at 11:13. Chigurh wraps his shotgun in a newspaper, and follows him upstairs.... (full context)

Chigurh tells Wells getting shot by Moss changed his perspective. He speaks about an experience he had in... (full context)

Wells asks Chigurh if he knows how crazy he is. Chigurh doesn’t answer, but asks Wells... (full context)

Wells stares Chigurh down, and Chigurh asks if he thinks he can stall his death with... (full context)

Wells asks Chigurh what time it is. Chigurh tells him it is 11:57, and Wells tells... (full context)

From Mexico, Moss calls Carla Jean before calling Wells’ phone. Carla Jean’s grandmother answers, telling him she doesn’t want to talk to him. Carla... (full context)

Moss calls Wells’ phone and Chigurh picks up. He tells Moss he needs to come see him. Chigurh... (full context)

...the hotel and see the tracking unit on the windowsill. They examine the scene, noting Wells’ death. The sheriff asks if there is something Bell isn’t telling him, but Bell says... (full context)

...as he goes to the Matacumbe Petroleum Group office to kill the man who sent Wells after him. He climbs the steps to the seventeenth floor, and walks down the hallway,... (full context)