The Circle

Mae is the novel’s protagonist. Prior to transparency, she appears to be genuinely sympathetic toward the plight of others. She wants to help ease her father’s pain and cares deeply for Annie. At the Circle, she innocently aims to do her job well, while also trying to find romantic chemistry. As the story progresses through its early stages, the reader is led to believe that Mae is a reliable narrator. 

However, after Mae’s encounter with the police, conversation with Bailey, and subsequent conversion to transparency, she becomes increasingly disconnected from loved ones. Instead of pursuing deep, authentic relationships, she seeks perfunctory affirmation from her viewers. This shift toward the superficial raises questions about Mae’s reliability as a narrator.

Her central role in Mercer’s suicide raises more red flags about her reliability and capacity to sympathize. At this point, Mae becomes a villain whose characteristics are more in line with senior Circlers than her former self. Throughout the novel, Mae is more inclined to simply follow the Wise Men’s orders than to take strong moral positions.   

Typically, in a coming-of-age story, the protagonist overcomes obstacles to demonstrate growth. However, in this dystopian novel, Mae’s growth is toward evil, even if she is not aware of how her actions are creating a tyrannical empire.