The Circle

Upon learning that her father has suffered a seizure, Mae drives to her hometown to see him at the hospital. By the time she arrives, he has already been sent home. She goes to her parents’ house, where her ex-boyfriend Mercer’s truck is parked in the driveway. She walks into the house and sees “not her parents, but Mercer’s giant shapeless form” (127). Her parents had called Mercer to come over and help, and her dad assures her that Mercer has been a “lifesaver.” Mae is fuming because she rushed home, only to find that her dad is not in danger and that her parents are praising her ex-boyfriend.

After dinner, Mae and Mercer sit in the backyard and talk about their respective jobs. They begin to argue over Mercer’s disdain for social networking and how he doesn’t use it to support his business. Mercer criticizes Mae for using social media to shape her estimation of him. He speaks at length about how social media devalues human relationships. Mae finds his monologue to be obnoxious. He eventually leaves and—to make herself feel better—Mae logs into her Circle account and handles a few dozen queries.