The Grapes of Wrath main character Tom Joad could not be more different than No Country for Old Men’sSheriff Bell. Tom Joad is not the perfect citizen. The book opens with the reader learning he just got out of prison for murder: “ ‘Homicide,’ he said quickly. ‘That’s a big word – means I killed a guy’ ” (18-19). On the contrary, Sheriff Bell could be seen as a model citizen. He is a sheriff and was awarded in the army: “I was just back from the war. I had some medals and stuff” (50). Even though Sheriff Bell appears good on the surface and Tom Joad appears bad, they qualities they possess says otherwise. While Sheriff Bell is by no means a “bad guy”, he does not actively try to do good, while Tom Joad works to better himself and the world around him. For example, Sheriff Bell did not get his war medal for a very heroic reason: “I was supposed to be a war hero and I lost a whole squad of men. Got decorated for it” (116). Sheriff Bell also gives up in the end of the novel. He retires before he could get the problem under control: “It was defeat. It was being beaten” (183). On the contrary, Tom Joad tried to spark change: “Wherever they’s a fight so hungry people can eat, I’ll be there” (572).
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Great American Novels 2020 
This was a very interesting analysis that I never would have considered, but I completely agree with it. Tom Joad changes for the better throughout the novel, whereas Sheriff Bell does not seem to change at all during the novel, and remains a surface character.
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Thank you for comparing these two characters. I also find their differences to be very interesting and I think you were spot on with Sheriff Bell does not change and clutches to his pessimistic views throughout the novel, much like McCarthy and his other novels.
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This was a very thought-provoking blog post. It kind of reminds me of the cliché to “never judge a book by its cover” and to never categorize someone as a “good person” only based off of their previous accomplishments like you referenced with Sherrif Bell not actively seeking justice and giving up in the end compared to Tom Joad in “Grapes of Wrath” and “No Country for Old Men.”
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I completely agree with you and I loved this comparison, I myself would never have thought to compare the two. I think the Sheriff not improving or worsening but instead carrying guilt of no justice to the end of the book whereas Tom Joad seeks justice and improves as a person.
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