"Secrets are lies. Sharing is caring. Privacy is theft". Surveillance and the Illusion of Transparency in Dave Eggers' "The Circle"

Seminar paper from the year 2025 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Literature, grade: 1,7, University of Hildesheim (Institut für englische Sprache und Literatur), course: Big Brother (and Sister too) is Watching You: Surveillance Society, language: English, abstract: This essay explores the themes of surveillance, control, and the loss of privacy in Dave Eggers' dystopian novel "The Circle". Through literary analysis, it examines how the novel critiques the growing influence of technology companies and the societal shift toward constant visibility and data collection. Drawing on concepts like panopticism and digital authoritarianism, the paper highlights the dangers of a world where transparency becomes a tool of oppression.
In a world increasingly dominated by technology, the line between progress and control has become critically thin. Dave Eggers' novel "The Circle" vividly illustrates this tension through the rise of a tech giant advocating radical transparency. Set in a future that feels quite familiar, the story follows Mae Holland as she navigates the captivating promises of an interconnected world, where "SECRETS ARE LIES" (Eggers) and "PRIVACY IS THEFT" (Eggers). The novel warns against society's unquestioning acceptance of surveillance disguised as social progress. This term paper argues that "The Circle" reveals the dangers of a surveillance-driven culture, where transparency becomes a tool of manipulation rather than enlightenment, affecting individual freedom and reshaping social dynamics.