Why "The Circle"

Knowing that everything Dave Eggers puts in his book is there for a reason, I began analyzing every detail in his writing. I was looking for symbolism in every choice of words, names and descriptions. This brought me back to the title, "The Circle" and I realized that I hadn't analyzed the title as much as I could have. I did note the connection to Dante's Inferno and how The Circle could be referring to Dante's depiction of hell in one of my other posts, but thats as far as I went. I think its clear that the company is named this because it represents total connection, but I wanted to see if Eggers intended any connection to Mae with this title. I decided to do some research and see what symbolism and significance lies behind circles, and if this influenced Eggers in any way.

I found that circles in literature symbolize a unity within character. A moment where the character is able to make total sense of events and conflicts within their life. I think it is undisputed that this totally contrasts Mae. To where I have read, she is totally losing herself and can not make sense of anything. She is faced with several conflicts and is no where near resolving them. I also found that a circle often represents closer. This yet again contrasts Mae.

Overall, I think Dave Eggers chose this title to show that it is parallel with the ideas of the company, but not parallel to Mae. This contrasts Mae and the company and suggests that maybe Mae is not meant to be here. Even though she did amazingly at the company when she started, she may be slowly altering herself to conform to their ideas, rather than staying true to herself.