I perceive Ed Tom Bell as a rather stereotypical small town sheriff. He has pre-conceived notions about both “his people” and “outsiders” and different methods and rules of engagement for dealing with each. This is evident when he describes Moss as a good old boy, even though he’s a prime suspect in the investigation, and as he constantly refers to the dead people in the desert as drug runners and Mexicans
The primary reason for the inclusion of the soliloquies is give a depth to Ed Tom Bell’s experience by providing specific examples and to further highlight that the crimes and killings he’s dealing with are something he’s never seen before. Ed is aware of how out of his depth he is when attempting to investigate the ‘doperunners’ as he remarks to Tobert “I ain’t sure we’ve seen these people before. Their kind.” (79)
Great American Novels 