The Circle

For most of the novel, Annie is Mae’s close friend. Annie got Mae the job at The Circle and is Mae’s support system during her beginnings on campus. Early in the narrative, Annie is cheerful, sarcastic, and driven. However, as Mae’s status rises at The Circle, Annie becomes envious and stressed. To reassert her position above Mae, Annie volunteers as the guinea pig for PastPerfect. Soon, the PastPerfect project discovers distressing information about Annie’s family, which will be shared with the world. This drives her to a nervous breakdown that leaves her comatose.

Annie’s plight symbolizes The Circle’s invasive pursuits. After dedicating herself to The Circle community, they quickly ostracize her and—as the novel’s closing image suggests—use her as an experiment to access people’s thoughts. In the end, though she is unaware, Annie continues to work on behalf of The Circle.

Mercer is Mae’s ex-boyfriend who still lives in their hometown until he attempts to escape The Circle’s reach by relocating to rural Oregon. He has remained close to Mae’s parents, and they adore him, which frustrates Mae in a seemingly jealous fashion. His purpose in the novel is to serve as a counterweight to The Circle and to try to make Mae aware of the ramifications of her employment. As the novel’s most consistent and vocal critic of The Circle, there is symbolism in his suicide, which is provoked by Circlers, especially Mae.

He also helps to reveal Mae’s increasing inhumanity. She is not devastated by his death and carries on with The Circle’s ambitions. As she tells Ty, “During any major human turning point, there’s upheaval. Some get left behind, some choose to be left behind” (489).

Through her father’s illness, Mae’s parents play an important role in revealing her character development. Early on, Mae prioritizes ways she can help alleviate her father’s MS symptoms. When she gets them on Circle insurance, her adulthood seems fully formed. However, there is a catch to this arrangement: The Circle wants to document her father’s health journey via broadcasts through Mae and SeeChange. Her parents grow tired of this intrusion, which upsets Mae. Their relationship is severed when she accidentally films them having oral sex, and then cannot delete the footage. Rather than try to repair her relationship with her parents, Mae remains focused on her Circle ambitions. This once-meaningful relationship is another one that has been supplanted by superficial support through social media.

Ty is a founder of The Circle and one of the Wise Men. He doubles as Kalden, a mysterious figure who charms Mae into romantic involvement. Kalden warns her of the dangers of The Circle’s ambitions. He tries to convince her to sabotage Completion, but she instead reports him to Bailey and Stenton. Other than Mercer, he is the only person who warns of The Circle’s looming tyrannical rule. He provides Mae an opportunity to change the course of history, but she will not surrender her power or compromise Stenton and Bailey’s vision.

Bailey is one of the Wise Men. Of them, he is the most visible and approachable; Circlers love his laid-back, friendly personality. After Mae’s encounter with the police, he sees a way to use her to advance The Circle’s march toward global transparency. Although he is affable, he’s also gently manipulative and is willing to do whatever it takes to execute his vision.

Stenton is one of the Wise Men. He is a cutthroat capitalist with a stern demeanor. His ruthless personality is displayed when he enjoys watching his shark devour the octopus and seahorses. He has no reservations about requiring all citizens to have a Circle account. He is motivated by power and will stop at nothing to gain it.