The Power of Family

Family is an underlying theme woven into the plot of The Circle. It is a dynamic aspect of many Circlers lives, particularly Annie and Mae. As the plot unfolds, Mae's relationship with her family dissolves, a contrast is developed between her work and home life, and a family failure leads to a key break in Mae's career.

For Mae, privacy and family go hand-in-hand for the first part of the novel. She escapes from the intense open world and relishes in the safety of her own home. They live a quiet life, although her father suffers from MS. The relationship with her family shifts after her parents are added to the Circle health plan. Privacy is relinquished and her parents begin to resent Mae, going so far as to cover up the SeeChange cameras in their house. All the while Mae becomes uncomfortable with her parents relying on her and fights to connect the circle within her own home.

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Ultimately the divide within her family is only deepened as her father's condition worsens. After he has an accident on the couch, their relationship is never the same. Mae dislikes the lack of control and power that she has over her father's condition. His life and disease is a contrast to the ordered and strict life at the Circle. As time progresses she begins to live at the Circle in effort to avoid the "chaos of the unordered world" (pg. 373) and her family.  She is ashamed of her family life and longs for a family just like her best friend Annie.

Annie has a strange relationship with her family. For her, family is power. As a descendant of the good blood,  she views herself as royalty. Annie comes from money, and her position at the Circle reflects that. A key transition in the novel occurs when Annie discovers disturbing things about her ancestors. The finding that her ancestors had slaves shakes her self confidence, laying the perfect soil for Mae to grow in the company. Mae used to be jealous of Annie and her powerful family, but it is that exact family that leads to the downfall of her best friend.

Family is a driving force of change in Mae's life. Technology distances her from her family, and work ultimately replaces them as a perfect storm in Annie's family boosts Mae to new positions. In our society, technology is trending towards an eerie future. Instead of talking with our family, we sit on couches entranced by our screens. Instead of going on a family trip, we stay home to go to the movies. Instead of enjoying the moment, we live within the worlds of our screens. Since when did we prioritize our phones over our parents, siblings, grandparents, etc? The power of family is exemplified by Mae's experiences in the Circle,  and we need to take warning so that we too don't follow the same path.