George Carlin said: “When fascism comes to America, it will not be in brown and black shirts. It won't be with boots. It will be Nike sneakers and Smiley shirts.” This quote could not be more apt in Dave Eggers' novel The Circle, in which the corporation of the same name is able to usher in capitalist totalitarianism not by force, but by the consent of the masses in the form of zings and smileys. This consent is manufactured through the Circle's hegemonic control over the superstructure of society where, as gatekeepers of information, they are able to control the narrative and birth a false consciousness in which people enthusiastically participate. to their own exploitation. In this way, The Circle can be seen as a parable of the dangers of neoliberalism left to its own devices and its need to justify the contradictions and absurdities inherent in it. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Historically, one of the most important ways that leaders and corporations have justified systems of exploitation is through religious ideology, which Marx called the opiate of the people. It is therefore not surprising that Eggers systematically associates religion with the Circle. Rather than praying daily prayers to get to heaven, Circle users must send zings and smileys in order to get their dopamine fix and, hopefully, climb the ladder of internet stardom. Instead of worshiping God, they worship the mysterious triumvirate of wise men and instead of being watched over by God, there is mass surveillance and a big brother. Perhaps one of the most direct connections can be seen in the first line: “My God, Mae thought. This is heaven” (Eggers 1). These connections are not coincidental and serve primarily to draw attention to the fact that Circle worship and religion are forms of what Gramsci would call cultural hegemonic control. These ideologies exist to justify and naturalize the absurdity of the system and make exploitation not only the norm but hidden in plain sight. A major aspect of Gramsci's definition of cultural hegemony was the ability of institutions to change the fundamental beliefs, values, and morals of a society. This is something The Circle does all the time. The Circle is not only a dominant and powerful company in monetary terms, but also in terms of media dominance. By having almost complete control over the Internet and the media, they are able to become the gatekeepers who control the information disseminated. As a result, they are able to define dominant narratives and control what is defined as moral and immoral. This becomes more than evident when The Circle offers the 1984 set of mantras “SECRETS ARE LIES SHARING IS CARING PRIVACY IS THEFT” (Eggers 350). These ideas about morality that The Circle preaches are strikingly similar to the moral code of almost all religions. These moral imperatives that The Circle preaches are strikingly similar to the moral code that almost all religions state, and both exist to justify exploitation. In The Circle, their mantras are considered objective moral truths that should be followed by every honest citizen. This means that the Circle's constant expansion and its systems of mass surveillance are seen as an extension of morality rather than an exercise in oppression. A religious parallel would be the idea of ​​holy wars and more particularly the crusades. Those who were in power at the timewanted to increase their territory and wealth, so they simply presented imperial wars as the will of God and brutal acts of violence were therefore seen as moral. So because The Circle has control over what is defined as moral, they can essentially shape their own reality and justify any of their exploitative actions and reframe them as progress. Another important aspect of the company's moral ideology is the inherent missionary aspect of loyalty.The Circle users. If those around you do not participate and adhere to the Circle, then they are an obstacle to progress and morality itself. This is unsettling for the Circlers and so they embark on what is essentially an evangelistic mission aimed at converting those who have not yet seen the light. Mae constantly tries to convert Mercer, but he remains vehemently opposed no matter how she presents her argument. This reaches its conclusion in the chase scene where Mae proclaims "something about her inability to give in, to admit defeat, or at least recognize the incredible power of the technology at Mae's disposal...she knew that she could not give up until she had received some sense of acquiescence” (Eggers 464). Mae goes so far in her attempt to convert Mercer that he ends up dead at the bottom of a ditch because he felt he had no other choice. But this evangelism is not limited to the individual characters in the book but also applies to the masses. When Mae and Francis are at a bar celebrating DeMoxie, a man sits with them. He explains how he believes Demoxie is the final step in bringing God's will to the people and bringing about universal morality. He states that "this has been the work of missionaries for millennia" (Eggers 398) and that the Circle will enable everyone to reject God's wrath, judgment, and forgiveness. But just like in Christianity and other religions, this will of God is nothing more than an amalgamation of the ideology of the ruling class. But the Circle not only controls the narrative by positively reinforcing the notions that support their ideology, but also, just as importantly, by silencing them. of any opposing ideology. The first opposition we see in the novel is that of a member of parliament who declares that the Circle is a monopoly that should be dismantled. She goes further to say that “the Circle’s dominance stifles competition and is dangerous to our system of free market capitalism” (Eggers 174). A few weeks later, authorities discovered child pornography on her computer, which had clearly been planted there by The Circle to discredit her. This is the ultimate ad hominem attack in the modern era and completely discredits everything she has previously said. This is not an isolated incident either and towards the end of the book, Ty even says in reference to Williamson, "That's about the hundredth person Stenton has done this to" (Eggers 488). Additionally, they are also capable of mentoring those who do not. I do not subscribe to their ideology of social pariahs who are sadly mistaken due to lack of direct action on their part. This is most clearly illustrated in the character of Mercer who is characterized as a backslidden Luddite. When Mae reads her letter which explains her opposition in principle to the Circle and her withdrawal from society. As the image is broadcast via his camera, the audience immediately reacts to berate him. One of them says "Now the Sasquatch will return to its natural habitat!" ” (Eggers 437) while it is also noted that four Mercer hate clubs form almost instantly. Mercer's position is.