The classic villain and hero story is one that has been told countless times throughout all of literature. The story often starts with the hero currently struggling to save the town, people, or even themselves from the dangers of the villain. Only to be able to overcome everything and save everyone at the very end of the story where he or she then assumes his or her hero role. Or on the rare occasions, the hero is unable to defeat the villain and instead suffers a devastating loss in the story. Either way, in novels the main characters are typically already seen as either a hero or a villain, never both.

But how is this so? The terms villain and hero can be very broad and to define a complex character by these vague groups seems unfair. So then what makes a person a hero or a villain? Is it their their actions or words? How much comes from inner predisposition? Is someone obliged to become a hero or villain by virtue of their existence, or are heroes and villains molded over time? These in depth questions were taking into consideration by the The New York Times when they reviewed the novel The Circle. In their review, The New York Times contends that, in the end, “Mae, then, is not a victim but a dull villain.” Thus, implying that the evils that the Circle were doing throughout the book had such an effect on Mae, that she, herself, starting becoming corrupt. This complete transition The New York Times is referring to can be seen in the last few pages of the novel when Mae makes the claim that “the world deserve[s] nothing less” than complete transparency.

Many, like myself, were unhappy with the way The Circle ended. Mae completely succumbing to the Circle’s advancements with information and data collection was completely shocking. Up until that point, even though Mae had made drastic changes in her life with social media, there was still a slight chance she could go back on everything she ever did. She could have stopped using social media and begin to repair the relationships with her family and friends she once had. Even more so, after Ty had given her a message to read to her viewers that could have potentially slowed down Completion. However, Egger’s surprising ending doesn’t allow that to happen. The ending differed because rather than Mae seeing the severity of the situation at hand she instead thinks about how Completion promises unity and the end of all uncertainty. What is most disturbing about the ending is Mae’s final thoughts. The novel ends with Mae viewing Annie’s private thoughts and feelings as a selfish annoyance, despite the fact that Annie is in a coma after participating in that experiment. These final thoughts in the clinic betray how far her Circle mentality has been ingrained within her. It showcases that Mae is and can no longer be the hero of the story, but rather a dull villain.