Write a reaction paper on “The Circle”
Summary: What is the author trying to achieve?
(i.e., What is the overall theme of the book? Why, in your opinion, did the author write this book? Is he trying to convince you of something? Get you to do something? Change the way you think about something? What is the big shape that the author wants every reader to “take home”?)
Analysis: How successful is the author in achieving the goal(s) you’ve identified? If this is a cautionary tale, as many suggest it is, what kind of evidence does he present to convince you? How would you describe the society that is created by this novel. Do you find a work of fiction more convincing than the companion article I assigned for this week (entitled “Delete Your Account”)? Do you see parallels between the society in the novel and our present day society, especially as it is described in the article? What is the same and what is different? If you had a chance to work at the Circle, would you? Is there anything you would change about the company to make it better? If you knew Mae Holland, and this whole situation was a reality, would you follow her? Why or why not? Are there any of the programs that you would have volunteered to be a part of, such as SeeChange or PastPerfect? Why or why not? What is most memorable in the book? How did you feel about the end of the story? Could it have ended differently? If yes, explain. If no, explain why you liked (or at least appreciated) that ending. What are the book’s strengths? weaknesses? At the very end of it all, do you agree with Bailey’s quote? By not telling all…”You’re depriving them of something they have a right to. Knowledge is a basic human right. Equal access to all possible human experiences is a basic human right” (301). Would you or would you not recommend this book to your classmates?
