In the age of social media, people are more defenseless than ever, as their information becomes readily available for various organizations and applications. Eggers’s The Circle, a short story written in 2013 when the issue was already burning, reflects that defenselessness. The author reveals the devastating effects of social media on people and their relationships. This essay will analyze how the POV, the characters, and the theme strengthen and help relay the message.
The author uses effective third-person narration to drive the story and present the issue. The POV character is Mae, who is at the point of dating her co-worker, Francis. The story’s scope limits her perspective to the place where the presentation occurs, but it is sufficient to expose all three relevant characters, including Gus. Mae’s changing feelings reflect her development: at first, she “felt happy,” then Mae “laughed out loud” with everyone, and further progression sees her “dizzy and terrified” (Eggers, 2013, para. 1, 9, 25). Her characterization is that of a victim whose private information is on display, and the other two characters, Francis and Gus, seem unfazed because they were “transformed” by the stage (Eggers, 2013, para. 25). Mae hates that version of her would-be boyfriend to the point that she “wanted to kill” him (Eggers, 2013, para. 45). Their relationship is likely ruined by the incident, although Francis will probably not realize what he did wrong. The characters exemplify real-life archetypes: profit-driven social media creators, those who benefit from using them, and unfortunate victims of both.
As mentioned, the story’s message is about the negative impact of social media on people, and it exists within the general theme of human relationships. Gus wanted the application to be a positive force in helping pairs, but the intent backfires as the presentation proceeds to spoil Mae’s affection toward Francis. Perhaps, the “high-powered and very surgical search machinery” is not the right way to develop relationships (Eggers, 2013, para. 13). The author could imply that the slower but surer centuries-old way to become familiar with a person is superior.
In conclusion, The Circle reflects the topic issue of how social media can affect human relationships. On the one hand, the characters are real – people suffer after oversharing their information online, which later can be used against them. On the other hand, the theme is ever-relevant – building relationships with people, and the application in question is not the way.
Reference
Eggers, D. (2013). The Circle (excerpt). In M. Grønvold & H. Ohland-Andersen (Eds.), Footprints (p. 148). Gyldendal.