The Circle by Dave Eggers

The Circle, published in 2013, depicts the life of a young tech worker named Mae Holland at a fictional San Francisco based technology company called The Circle in the near future. It starts out as an incredibly rewarding experience when then she begins to face doubts about her vocation due to the company's seemingly well-intentioned innovations revealing a more sinister underlying agenda.The time is somewhere in the not-too-distant future, the Three Wise Men who own and rule the Circle are recognizable as individuals living today. The company demands transparency in all things. Anonymity is banished; everyone’s past is revealed; every­one’s present may be broadcast live in video and sound. Nothing recorded will ever be erased. The reader sees as Mae becomes this rank obsessed person and very transparent during her time at the Circle. she allows her every wakign moment to be recorded and become a celebrity. Although, the reader identifies with Mae at the beginning of the book, the reader at the end realizes that she is not a victim but a dull villain. Her motivations are teenage-Internet petty: getting the highest ratings, moving into the center of the Circle, being popular. She presents a plan that will enclose the world within the Circle’s reach, but she exhibits no complex desire for power, only a longing for the approval of the Wise Men. She is more a high school mean girl than an evil opponent. She doesn't believe the serious consequences of her actions and seems to not care at some point about her disconnect with her parents as well as the death of her ex boyfriend. The final scene is chilling, where she seems to not be concerned for Annie's health condition but rather wants to invent a way to hear her thoughts. She ignored Ty, the creators asks for help and warning of problems with is own company and just continued doing what she is doing. I think Eggers is trying to address the problem with social media and how we are losing our privacy in this technological era. We don't have as strong connections with the people present in our lives because we are so engrossed with our social status. Certain things do need to be private and this novel really reminds us of that. At first, this company seems so amazing, especially in the way it is presented with facilities and perks for all the employees. As the story continues and more of the expectations and norms of working at the Circle are revealed, it becomes so revolting to me as a reader that I have a hard time understanding why Mae can learn to be happy with it. To be in constant communication with everyone and having that kind of pressure to always respond is so stressful. Its no wonder that Annie falls into a coma. This dystopia brings up a multitude of issues that have been talked before a fair amount before (especially in media classes) involving privacy and publicly presenting yourself on social media. I absolutely loved this book and hope to read more things like it.