Have you ever gotten in a fight with someone (who, may I add, was definitely at fault during the argument) that refuses to take the blame for his/her actions? Sometimes these people will even distort the situation and somehow miraculously spin the blame back on you; they always think they are the victims.
In The Circle, Mae often "plays the victim" in situations where other people suffer from her actions. She is completely convinced that what she is contributing to the Circle will help with completion, and that completion will help society as a whole. Therefore, Mae is unable to see that she is more a villain than a victim during disagreements regarding her involvement in the Circle. Mae completely shifts from being a victim to a villain when she is given the opportunity to end the Circle, yet doesn't.
In the beginning of the novel, Mae is viewed as the protagonist. Readers can relate to her struggles in her new job as she tries to assimilate herself in her new workplace environment. Mae is originally a victim of the Circle; she inadvertently offends people and isn't quick to accept her newfound reliability on social media. The readers feel for her and her difficulty adjusting to her new situation.
As the book progresses, however, Mae begins to distance herself from the reader. She causes distress to those closest to her, including her family, Mercer, and best friend, Annie. Not only does she not understand why these people will not agree with her, but she also never stops to listen to their perspective. As soon as she makes decisions that differ from our own opinions as readers, Mae begins to drift off out of our comfort zone; this disconnected feeling shifts our perspective of Mae from a victim to a villain nearly unconsciously.
One example of how Mae detaches herself from her friends and the reader is shown when she visits her parents for dinner. Mercer is there, as well, and he had given her parents one of his chandeliers prior to Mae's arrival. Upon seeing this gift, Mae compliments Mercer's craftsmanship profusely, and takes a picture of the chandelier to post online. However, she does not ask Mercer's permission first and ends up disturbing his desire to have a small, private practice. He becomes infuriated with her, saying, "'I don't want to get loud in here, in your parents' home, but either you stop or I have to walk out" (Eggers 259), which proves Mercer's disgust with who Mae has become. Making matters worse, Mae never apologizes for going behind Mercer's back; instead, she insults Mercer and defends herself, claiming she was only trying to help him. By the end of the scene, Mae loses Mercer entirely from her selfish actions. He is now viewed as the victim, and Mae the villain.
Eggers's ending strays from conventional book endings to show Mae's full transformation from a victim to a villain. She is given the opportunity to halt the Circle in its tracks and reverse its advancements. However, instead of listening to Ty, she completely disregards his warning and chooses to make the Circle stronger. There is no normal happy ending because she is no longer an innocent victim. The Circle becomes so powerful that it converts Mae into the antihero.
Work Cited:
Eggers, Dave. The Circle. New York: Vintage, 2013. Print.
I like how you go through the chronological characterization of Mae. I never thought about how Mae's newbie position in an intimidating place really made her a favorite for readers. "Mae is unable to see that she is more a villain than a victim", this is a great point. As time went on, she becomes less likable and that is obviously on purpose to demonstrate negative effects of "closing the circle". Also, your hook will get readers interested!
ReplyDeleteThis is a great analysis of Mae throughout the text; she really becomes clueless at the end. I really love the way you grabbed your readers attention at the begining, we all have been there and know the feeling. This really sets up the tone nicely for the rest of your post.
ReplyDeleteI like your interpretation of Mae playing a victim. I hadnt thought about her in that context and this definetly shed some light on a new perspective of her chronological development throughout the novel. I enjoyed your new interpretation and I think it was well thought out and well organized.
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