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Manipulation In Dave Egger's The Circle

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Manipulation In Dave Egger's The Circle
We live in the twentieth century and the ever-evolving technology available to us is playing a large role in how we communicate with others, more than any other generation in history. We now have the ability to call someone instantly and it doesn’t matter if they are 10 feet away or 10,000 feet away. There are many advantages to having a cell phone. For example, if you get into a car accident you can call 911 immediately and get help. And with the recent invention of smartphones we can hold all of the world’s knowledge in the palm of our hand. With internet so accessible, you can Google things instantly and find answers to an infinite amount of questions. The Internet also makes applications like social media and e-mail possible, and we …show more content…
First, technology can be used to manipulate people by toying with their emotions. As described in his novel, “We are not meant to know everything, Mae. Did you ever think that perhaps our minds are delicately calibrated between the known and the unknown? That our souls need the mysteries of the night and the clarity of the day? Young people are creating ever-present daylight, and I think it will burn us all alive. There will be no time to reflect, to sleep, too cool.” (Eggers, 2013) He is explaining how although we are all knowledgeable, too much knowledge can be damaging to our emotions and self worth. By knowing too much we destroy our delicate psyche. Mae Holland shows emotions because she loses herself as a person. She completely breaks her bond with people on the outside of ‘the circle’, and begins to act more like an android. Mercer and Mae were a serious couple at one point in high school and throughout college, but when she decided to go work for the company in ‘the circle’ with her best friend, Annie, everything changed. Her parents were interested in Mercer because he enjoyed the wilderness. Mercer introduced her to kayaking, and when they became a couple, it became and activity they did together all the time. Mae goes behind Mercer’s back and post pictures of his artwork online. In the end, Mae makes a promise to Mercer that she will keep her distance from him

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