The Wolves: A Play

#11 is 17 and described as “brainy, morbid, [a] budding elitist, [and] thoughtful” (11). She plays the position of midfielder, which requires taking on a variety of roles throughout the game, vacillating between defense and offense, intercepting the ball from the opposing team, and often scoring goals or passing the ball to teammates so they can score goals. This versatility appears in #11’s personality in her ability to see both sides of an argument from a neutral stance. For instance, #11 leads the debate about whether the aging Cambodian war criminal in his 90s ought to face justice for participating in genocide in the 1970s.

She mentions the complexity of someone committing atrocities while believing their actions aren’t atrocities but necessary for the good of their country, which is more open-minded but perhaps more dispassionate than her teammates’ arguments. #11 is educated and informed, and she corrects the other girls’ misinformation, although they rarely bother to apply her corrections. However, #11 does defer to #00 as being even smarter and more academically accomplished. #11’s parents are both therapists, which perhaps explains her tendency toward analysis over emotion. She mentions the “tyranny of Sunday night dinners” (100), implying she has a stable home life with regular traditions.