How we cite our quotes: (Book.Section.Paragraph)
Quote #1
He paused briefly, allowing Mae to catch her breath. She'd seen these talks online, but being here, in person, seeing Bailey's mind at work, hearing his off-the-cuff eloquence—it was better than she thought possible. What would it be like, she thought, to be someone like that, eloquent and inspirational, so at ease in front of thousands? (1.8.9)
Throughout The Circle, does Mae Holland encounter any women who inspire her with as much admiration and respect as Eamon Bailey does? In other words, what female role models does Mae have to look up to when she joins the Circle?
Quote #2
"You have a glow."
"You do."
"I do not have a glow."
"Like you're with child."
"I know what you meant. Stop." (1.9.5-9)
After Mae Holland's first week of work at the Circle, her parents can't get over how happy she looks. Notice how they compare her sense of professional achievement and contentment to the "glow" that some women get when they're pregnant?
Quote #3
And then Mae found herself sobbing. Her father was a mess. […] And there was nothing she could do for him. No, there was too much to do for him. She could quit her job. She could quit and help make the phone calls, fight the many fights to keep him well. This is what a good daughter would do. What a good child, an only child, would do. (1.10.18)
The backtracking that we see in this passage is really interesting. At first, Mae Holland beats herself up because she isn't stepping into the caregiving role that a good daughter would be willing to take on. After having that thought, though, she corrects herself (the narrator is speaking in free indirect discourse here) and says that it's what any child would do, regardless of gender. Why does Mae choose not to make this about gender?