The Circle by Dave Eggers is a metaphor for the increasing role of technology and social media in today’s society. Readers are encouraged to view the effects of technology through the eyes of Mae Holland, a young woman who has just managed to get a job at The Circle. Initially, The Circle is a utopia of young individuals who work to further the goals of TruYou, a giant social networking site that connects all individuals by removing privacy from the internet. However, like all things in life The Circle seems too good to be true. SeeChange, tiny cameras that are hidden all over, prevent Mae from keeping anything in her life private. When Mae agrees to have all of her actions captured on the SeeChange she becomes an instant success. She fails to acknowledge the harm in a world without privacy, and watches as those around her are destroyed by the invasion of The Circle.
Egger’s novel is a testimony to the dangers of a world without privacy, especially in an age that is increasingly dependent on technology and social media. Mae is a representation of our generation, and the ways that we only see the good of technology. Mae, like today’s youth, puts her private life on display for the public and slowly begins to adopt the ideals of The Circle. Eggers novel can be a bit preachy at time, using extreme situations to emphasize its point, but overall the book works to successfully critique today’s youth and society’s obsession with putting our lives on the internet. Mae is the perfect protagonist for the novel because her naivety and eagerness allow us to follow her success in the company in a way that we readers can relate to. Overall, The Circle is a perfect novel that not only warns of the dangers of the digital age, but presents them in a way that is easily relatable to society.
Justine Martinez 