Soft Power In The Maze Runner

Soft power in modern day dystopian films and novels often reflect similar tactics used in public diplomacy. In public diplomacy soft power is used for means of control.The film,The Maze Runner, follows Thomas and other adolescents who unknowingly try to find their way out of a maze designed by WCKD and have simultaneously created a functioning society called Glade. The rules that must be followed are presented as forms of protection but in this society, WCKD uses soft power tactics to create a darwinistic test. In the Dave Egger’s dystopian novel, The Circle, chronicles Mae, a tech worker, and her submersion into the society of the Circle. The Circle’s intent is to tell you more about yourself and connect you to the world. Through their strategic …show more content…
A large part of public diplomacy is promoting an idyllic image of your country and to try appeal to as many other countries as possible. In 1883, France established the Alliance Francaise to repair their image by promoting the language and literature. An important element of French diplomacy became the projection of French culture abroad. In the Circle, the culture of their society is to be as involved as possible. Once someone becomes a part of the Circle, they must enroll in all of their company social accounts to avoid being ostracized. A week after working at the Circle Mae still hadn’t registered for these accounts and was visited by two coworkers who help sent up her account. They told her, “We actually see your profile, and the activity on it, as integral to your participation here. This is how your co workers even those on the other side of campus, know who you are. Communication is certainly not extracurricular, right?” The language used here and throughout the text shows the reader that profiles are essentially mandatory. Frequent activity on your profile is even rewarded, as the involved users get to become apart of the “T2K” or the top 2,000 users. The culture of the Circle is to share and promote as much information as possible. With this soft power tactic, the Circle is able to gain information on all of its users without even trying. Because of this culture, Mae is favored by her bosses when she is willing to go transparent and have her every move watched by viewers all around the world and when she presents the idea of universal mandatory circle accounts. Mae’s embodiment of the Circle’s culture is used as soft power tactic to promote the Circle’s “everything must be known” agenda. The culture created by WCKD in Maze Runner is knowledge is power. Prior to arriving, gladers are sedated and have complete loss of any memory except their