This motif is evident as soon as you open the novel, as two murders occur in the first 5 pages.
What is violence or lack of conscience
The theme of a generational switch, the idea that the old cannot keep up with the new, is best expressed through this character.
Who is Ed Tom Bell
number of tours of duty that Moss mentions to border guard
What is two
This sin is so common throughout the novel it could be a motif in itself.
What is murder
Ed Tom Bell's dreams at the conclusion of the novel symbolizes this.
What is Bell's realization he will never live up to his father's ideal
The best examples of this motif are the coin tosses that Anton Chigurh does with both the gas station attendant, and Carla Jean Moss.
What is fate
"The pale orange dust that hung in the windless morning light grew faint and then it too was gone. The barrial stood silent and empty in the sun" (McCarthy 10).
What is personification
What happens to the figurehead of the "Employer" in the book?
Shot in the throat.
Some people could argue that there was nothing Llewelyn Moss could have done after taking the money to avoid getting murdered. However, others may argue that the actions Moss took led to his downfall. This debate is caused by this theme.
What is Fate Vs. Free Will
"He stepped back into the doorway and looked at her. What if I was to not come back? Is them your last words?"
What is foreshadowing
Provide the line after this quote: "Your Mother's Dead Llewelyn".
"Well then I'll tell her myself."