Character Analysis
Eamon Bailey is one of the Circle's Three Wise Men, and he's by far the most prolific and the best loved of the three. Hired by Ty Gospodinov in the very early days of the company, Bailey is the public face of the Circle's apparently progressive, allegedly social justice-oriented politics.
Bailey—or "Uncle Eamon," as he likes people to call him (1.3.65)—prefers to keep things casual. The first time Mae sees him give a major presentation at the Circle, he's wearing "jeans and a blue V-neck sweater" (1.8.3). When Mae meets with him for the serious talk that decides her fate at the company, he's wearing "khakis and a white button-down" (1.44.12). Bailey is a middle-aged surfer dude, a devoted husband, a proud father, and a modern-day Teddy Roosevelt—or so the Circlers see him (1.3.65). No wonder they cast Tom Hanks to play him in the film.
As if to make his role at the Circle as obvious as possible, Bailey's personal appearance stands in stark contrast to that of Tom Stenton—a man who wears his wealth, not to mention his hunger for profit, on his impeccably tailored sleeve. Compared to Stenton, Bailey may as well be Santa Claus: he's "grey-haired, ruddy-faced, twinkly-eyed, happy and earnest" and "when he smiled, which was near-constantly, his mouth smiled, his eyes smiled, his shoulders even seemed to smile" (1.3.64). That's not too far a cry from a belly that jiggles like a bowlful of jelly.
Reverend Richard Bailey Gary Bailey
That subtitle is a little Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt shout-out, for those of you wondering if we've lost our marbles all of a sudden.
If you choose to read The Circle as a cult narrative—that is, as a story that explores the kinds of groupthink and psychological programming that are often associated with cult mentalities—then it won't be hard to see that Eamon Bailey is The Circle's version of the charismatic cult leader whose powerful personality and persuasive doctrines make it possible for him to convince young fans like Mae Holland to abandon their previous opinions and beliefs in order to adopt his own.
Although most of the Circlers see Bailey as a trustworthy father figure—in his presence, Mae wants little more than "to be subsumed by his wisdom and generosity" (1.44.160)—Ty Gospodinov offers a remarkably different perspective when he tells Mae:
"Bailey believes that life will be better, will be perfect, when everyone has unfettered access to everyone and everything they know. He genuinely believes that the answers to every life question can be found among other people. He truly believes that openness, that complete and uninterrupted access among all humans will help the world. That this is what the world's been waiting for, the moment when every soul is connected. This is his rapture, Mae! Don't you see how extreme that view is?" (2.27.55)
And Ty doesn't stop there. As he tells Mae: "His idea is radical, and in another era would have been a fringe notion espoused by an eccentric adjunct professor somewhere: that all information, personal or not, should be known by all. Knowledge is property and no one can own it. Infocommunism. And he's entitled to that opinion. But paired with ruthless capitalistic ambition—" (2.27.55).
To be clear, Ty isn't suggesting that Eamon Bailey himself is ruthlessly capitalistic. What terrifies Ty is the fact that Bailey has used a capitalistic corporation—the privately owned Circle—as the vehicle for his apparently progressive values, with apparently no concern about the terrible monster that might be unleashed when ideas like his are used to generate profits. The fact that Bailey either hasn't thought about the possibilities or doesn't really care is a major strike against his supposed interest in achieving social justice.
Eamon Bailey is idealistic and kind, and he's a generous, loving man in many ways. Unfortunately, he isn't nearly as wise, penetrative, or thoughtful as his true believers take him to be. The transparent octopus from the Mariana Trench is The Circle'snot-so-subtle symbol for Bailey and all that he represents, and it comes as no surprise when that loving octopus—a creature that simply wants to know and touch and measure everything that cohabits within his world (2.25.37)—is ripped to shreds by a shark.
When it comes right down to it, not only will Bailey's idealism not guarantee that the Circle will be a force for good in the world, but it will actually continue to enable and validate the ever-increasing power and control that people like Tom Stenton crave and will stop at nothing to get.