Wool

Juliette is the heroine of Wool. She is 34 years old and described as beautiful with “olive skin,” a long brown braid, and a body that is “well defined with muscle” (85). As a skilled and passionate mechanic, she strongly believes that any situation can be fixed with the right tools, planning, and persistence, a defining conviction that helps her survive throughout the story. Her childhood experience of her baby brother dying in a faulty incubator has left her with a hatred for the state of disrepair. Having been living without her parents from an early age, she is also highly independent. She has a strong sense of integrity and inner direction that leads her to disregard the rules of the silo that she does not agree with, a quality that leads Bernard to regard her as dangerous. Juliette is progressive and liberal, in favor of change and optimistic about the possibility of enacting reforms for the better. Her actions reveal her to be curious, logical, and brave.

Deputy Marnes sees Juliette’s talent for detail-oriented observation and reasoning and taps her for the role of sheriff. Marnes describes her as “sharp as a tack,” and a “down-deeper for sure” (46).