When
Stenton, the business savvy, ruthless, executive takes the Circle submersible
down into the Marianas trench he emerges with some very distinct animals: a
shark, an octopus, and a father seahorse with countless tiny offspring. These
creatures are not only interested and described with great detail, but provide
some of the most potent symbols in the text.
The Shark
The
shark is a terrifying specimen. Transparent, angular, and bloodthirsty, it
devours everything put in a tank with it before digesting it with unnatural
speed and efficiency.
The
shark represents the company itself.
The
Circle is somehow strange, terrifying, beautiful, mysterious, austere, and
efficient all at the same time. It astounds people with its new innovations and
keeps the world on its toes. It eats up the competition and it destroys any
political opposition. People love it, but people really should fear it. Its
power makes it as interesting as it is unnerving.
The Octopus
The
octopus is constantly changing to fit its surroundings. It can be small enough
to fit in ones hand in one moment, and in the next fill the whole tank. It is
curious, it is smart, and it is powerful.
The
octopus represents the human race.
We,
as humans, are always looking for the next frontier, the next venture, the next
invention that will change the way the world works. We adapt to our environment
readily and change as the need arises. We are curious, we are smart, and we are
more powerful than most people would believe.
The Seahorses
The
seahorses are tiny transparent creatures that seem too weak to survive. They
are slow swimmers whose only real skill is hiding, yet somehow they continue to
survive.
The
seahorses represent our dreams.
Each
and every person in the world has dreams. Unfortunately most dreams are just
that, and will never come to fruition. Yet somehow, dreams live on. No matter
how unlikely or even impossible they are, one dream creates a thousand more,
which live on and change the world in which we live in new and unexpected ways.
The Ecosystem
Eventually
Stenton decides to combine the three types of creatures in the same tank. The
scene that ensues perfectly symbolizes the interaction of the three separate
symbols, and paints scarily accurate picture of the new order of things.
When
the creatures are put together the shark finds and eats every single other
living creature in the tank without mercy.
In
this way, the circle consumes everything. It consumes the humanity and the
dreams of the humans it is meant to serve. It dehumanizes as it brings the
world closer together. It consumes everything that is not a part of it, and
uses the resources of the outside world to continue growing stronger, till it
is the only thing that remains.
The symbolism you gave to each of the sea creatures is really fascinating. I too saw the same symbolism in the shark and the octopus as you did, but my interpretation of the seahorses was a bit different. I thought of them more as a symbol of individuality or uniqueness, rather than dreams. Seahorses are so different from all other sea creatures, both in the way they look, and how they act. I saw this as a parallel to humans who have unique characteristics, or don't conform to society. While they can always find their niche in the greater scheme of things, in the world of The Circle, there is no place for individuality or non-conformism. I loved your connection to the seahorses as dreams, and I think it's interesting how different people will read these symbols in different ways.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with what you've written, Emerson. The shark most definitely represents the Circle. Stenton as a character kind of annoys me; he's incredibly harsh. His urge to have the shark eat the other sea animals parallels his urge to have the Circle consume all of society, viciously and mercilessly just as it consumes the freedom of Mercer.
ReplyDeleteSanjukta, I agree that there is no place for individuality in The Circle. After all, a circle is perfect and there can be no outliers, no questions asked.