Genre
Science Fiction, Dystopia, Post-Apocalyptic
Setting and Context
"Wool" is set in a futuristic underground silo that protects humanity from the toxic, post-apocalyptic conditions outside
Narrator and Point of View
"Wool" is written in the third-person omniscient perspective, following Sheriff Holston
Tone and Mood
Bleak, Claustrophobic, Tense
Protagonist and Antagonist
The protagonist is Sheriff Holston and the silo leadership is the antagonist
Major Conflict
Prompted by Allison's discovery of overwritten documents, Holston suspects that the silo's leadership is hiding the truth that the earth's surface is habitable. Thus, the central conflict is Sheriff Holston's need to discover what exists beyond the silo, which he discovers by intentionally getting sentenced to "cleaning," a form of execution.
Climax
The story reaches its climax when Holston reaches the earth's surface and chooses to perform the cleaning.
Foreshadowing
Allison promises that she and Holston will "go over" the hill together, foreshadowing their deaths on the hill.
Allison uncovers computer programs that the IT department uses to manipulate images of the outside world. This discovery foreshadows how Holston's visor projects an image of a habitable earth.
Understatement
“Was he asphyxiating? Being poisoned by his own exhalations? Of course! Why would they give him more air than he needed for the cleaning?”
In this quotation, Holston believes he is experiencing a lack of oxygen from his suit when in reality, the earth's toxic surface poisons him.
Allusions
N/A
Imagery
The text uses imagery of advanced technology and a destroyed natural environment to demonstrate humanity's role in climate collapse. The industrial imagery within the silo creates a sense of grim disconnection from nature.
Paradox
The "view" projected on the screen depicts an unpleasant, destroyed world, and the process of cleaning the screen through executions creates a pervasive tension and sense of mistrust within the silo. Paradoxically, preserving this view, which reminds the silo's residents of what humanity has lost, is necessary for the community's health and happiness.
Parallelism
N/A
Metonymy and Synecdoche
N/A
Personification
“An argon torrent hissed through the gap, dulling to a roar as the space grew.”
"Holston’s deputy closed a metal drawer on the filing cabinet, a lifeless cry singing from its ancient joints."
