Point of View

Dave Eggers tells his novel “The Circle” from the third-person semi-omniscient perspective, which follows the thoughts and actions of Mae throughout the course of the story. This is done for several reasons, at least. First, it allows the author to impart important information to the reader without interrupting the flow of the story itself. For example, Mae arrives on campus believing it to be Heaven-like, and the narrator goes on to explain not just why Mae finds it to be Heaven-like, but gives background information to the company and its founding. Second, the narrator presents an unbiased point of view, simply describing things as they occur, rather than taking a side. This allows the reader to be objective and to consider things from their own point of view, rather than being forced to only consider things from Mae’s point of view. As Mae turns...