How we cite our quotes: (Book.Section.Paragraph)
Quote #7
And there was a wonderful thing that tended to happen, something that felt like poetic justice: every time someone started shouting about the supposed monopoly of the Circle, or the Circle's unfair monetization of the personal data of its users, or some other paranoid and demonstrably false claim, soon enough it was revealed that that person was a criminal or deviant of the highest order. One was connected to a terror network in Iran. One was a buyer of child porn. (1.33.6)
Although Mae Holland doesn't realize it, the Circle is fully capable of acting as an oppressive force in the world. By destroying the lives of the people who speak out against it, the company puts very clear and very severe limitations on the kinds of speech and behavior that it considers acceptable.
Quote #8
"You think it's just a coincidence that every time some congresswoman or blogger talks about monopoly, they suddenly become ensnared in some terrible sex-porn-witchcraft controversy? For twenty years, the internet was capable of ruining anyone in minutes, but not until your Three Wise Men, or at least one of them, was anyone willing to do it. You're saying this is news to you?" (1.40.77)
When Mercer Medeiros confronts Mae Holland about the Circle's oppressive potential, she thinks he's just being paranoid. Why? In Mae's view, what basic rights, freedoms, and safeguards will help to prevent the Circle from turning into an oppressive force?
Quote #9
"And so what? You don't want Charmin to know how much of their toilet paper you're using? Is Charmin oppressing you in some significant way?"
"No, Mae, it's different. That would be easier to understand. Here, though, there are no oppressors. No one's forcing you to do this. You willingly tie yourself to these leashes." (1.40.81-82)
As Mercer Medeiros sees it, people like Mae Holland aren't just being confined by the Circle—they're stepping into the cages and turning the locks themselves.