In The Circle, those who subscribe to the corporation's ideologies believe that human beings have a basic human right to access every piece of information that exists in the world. Secrets are lies and privacy is theft in the world of The Circle, where nosy knowledge is prized above all.
That said, knowledge doesn't always lead to wisdom. Although Eggers' characters gain increasingly more access to facts, figures, and streams of data that will supposedly help them to live better, happier lives, none of that new knowledge helps them to step back and examine their choices from a wise, clear-sighted perspective.
Questions About Wisdom and Knowledge
- According to Mae Holland, who is the wisest person in her life?
- According to the novel itself (we're talking about the novel's authorial perspective here, not the perspective of the novel's narrator), who is the wisest and most clear-sighted person in Mae Holland's life?
- Throughout The Circle, when does Mae Holland make her wisest decisions? When does she make her worst choices?
Chew on This
Wisdom and knowledge definitely don't go hand in hand in The Circle. Given all of the biblical shout-outs that Dave Eggers weaves into the novel, it's not a stretch to argue that the Circle's main campus in San Vincenzo, California, is a modern-day Garden of Eden. By choosing to grab the forbidden fruit and see the world with godly eyes, the Circlers bring their paradise to ruin.
A person can have access to all of the data in the world, but that won't make that person wise. According to the novel, true wisdom requires the ability to select, interpret, and contextualize information. It also requires the ability to think forward to probable outcomes.