Analyzing David Eggers 'The Circle'

Nancy Cecilia Montes

English 101 Section 23392

Professor Grace Lee

Outline Essay

23 April 2018

Outline

I. Paragraph Intro

A. Hook

1. How is it related to the Circle and today?

a) Sentence: For years, the advance of technology has created the internet to help humans but as well collecting information from the people if they wanted to share with the world

B. Introduction of the Book

1. Summary of 2-4 Sentences: In a fictional novel, The Circle by David Eggers, he wrote about a company called the Circle that helps people find any information they need in the social media page, but as well watching every motivated they make. The protagonist, Mae, who works at the company must share personal information about herself, but Mae does not want to. Then Mae was caught stealing a kayak and was

unaware, which causes the Circle to act viciously on her and for not posting on their social media. Finally, the company forced Mae to change her personality.
C. Article
1. Are is the Circle related to the Articles?
a) Transition to McMullan Article
b) What is a Panopticon?
c) Transition to Smith Article
D. Thesis Structure
1. How is the Circle a panopticon? Do you agree?
a) Yes
(1) Why or Why not?
(a) Reason 1:t took away privacy
(b) Reason 2: disciplines behavior
(c) Reason 3: changing human personalities
2. Combined the Thesis Structure: Likewise, the Circle is a panopticon because the company took away privacy, disciplines behavior, and changing personalities.
II. Body Paragraph for Reason 1:
A. Create a Thesis in great details of reason 1: The first reason of how the Circle is a panopticon, the company took away people’s privacy by consulting watching them on social media, and when that is being taken away, people feel like an object of information only.
1. An example: Circle truly believes if they were to stop people from having privacy, it will stop the unknowing of unfortunate events to people or loved ones. The Circle forced Mae for not sharing her activities on their social media page in the after-hours of her work, which caused Mae to feel guilty and she had to put on an act of a “tremendous worker” in the fear of being fired.
a) Who is going it say it?
(1) Mae
(a) Quote: “Well, it’s not something I’m proud of… I really understand that… We’re obligated, as humans, to share what we see and know. And that all knowledge must be democratically accessible… Privacy is theft” (Eggers 304-305)
(i) Explain the quote
B. Transition to the Article of McMullan
1. Give an example
a) Quote: “He describes the prisoner of a panopticon as being at the receiving end of asymmetrical surveillance…He is seen, but he does not see; he is an object of information, never a subject in communication” (McMullan).
(1) Explain the quote
C. Rewrite the thesis: Ultimately, the Circle believes if privacy was no longer a problem, it would a thing of a past, which proves more of how the company is a panopticon.
III. Body Paragraph for Reason 2
A. Create a Thesis in great details of reason 2: The second reason is after the Circle took away privacy from Mae, they began to discipline her behavior to change the way she thinks before taking actions.
1. Give an Example
a) Who is going to say the quote?
(1) Mae
(a) Quote: “I committed a crime… I borrowed a kayak without the knowledge of the owner… We behave worse when we’re not accountable.” (Eggers 297-299).
(i) Explain the Quote: McMullan quote shows the dread of the prisoner of not knowing the unknown onlooker’s identity as if they were not human beings with feelings.

It also shows how Foucault the idea of being watched for long periods of time of no privacy, it will cause them to feel insane since there are no communications being exchanged as if they are an object only being observed for information.

2. Transition to the next example:

a) Give an example

(1) Who is going to say the quote?

(a) Mae

(i) Quote: “She began to think harder about the clothes she wore at work… But it was good kind of thinking… And knowing she was being watched” (Eggers 243).

(a) Explain the Quote: The quote is showing Mae not being able to be herself because she strongly believes her actions represent herself, and the Circle will deem her again.

3. Rewrite the thesis: Thus, only proving the Circle is a panopticon, by disciplining their behavior to change their personalities.

IV. Body Paragraph for Reason 3

A. Create a Thesis in great details of reason 3: The last reason of how the Circle is a panopticon is changing the human behavior permanently

1. Given an Example

a) Who is going to say the quote?

(1)

Mae
(a) Quote: “She needed to breathe… to think. But there was too much in her head… There was pain… That valued of information, of data, of judgments… was too much…having all of it constantly… collected… added… aggregated… If only she could return to the life before” (Eggers 413-414).
(i) Explain the quote: The quote is showing the aftermath of being watched for endless hours can change a person’s personality, because they can no longer feel happiness and it can sometimes lead them to depression or to become insane.
B. Transition to Smith Article
1. Give an example
a) Quote: “he judges of normality are present everywhere. We are in the society… judge… it is on them that the universal reign of the normative is based; and each individual, wherever he may find himself, subjects to it his body, his gestures, his behavior, his aptitudes, his achievements” (Smith).
(1) Explain the quote: Foucault quote represents how easy it is for a person to put on an act of well-manner characteristic in front of an audience, to gain a positive impression on them.
C. Rewrite Thesis: Overall, the Circle tricks Mae into thinking if she is well behaved, it will save her from being fired by leaving an enormous effect on her, only proving more the Circle is a panopticon
V. Conclusion
A. Rewrite Thesis Structure
B. Thoughts on the Circle is a panopticon.