Vinnie Holland (Mae’s father) Character Analysis in The Circle

Vinnie Holland, Mae’s father, is a loving parent who suffers from MS and is unable to get good healthcare. To help her father, Mae arranges for him to receive high-end healthcare from the Circle. However, Vinnie quickly becomes exasperated with the constant surveillance that the Circle demands in exchange for healthcare. As the novel goes on, Vinnie becomes an increasingly minor character, reflecting Mae’s alienation from her family and friends, and her growing commitment to the Circle’s mission.

Vinnie Holland (Mae’s father) Character Timeline in The Circle

The timeline below shows where the character Vinnie Holland (Mae’s father) appears in The Circle. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...Mae to her new desk. As she walks with Renata, Mae thinks of how proud her father was when he found out she was going to work for the Circle. Mae is... (full context)

Social Networking and the Internet Theme Icon

...Mae is eating dinner with her parents to celebrate her first week at the Circle. Mae’s father used to be a building manager in Fresno, and her mother used to work at... (full context)

...asks her parents about their insurance, and they tell her that things aren’t going well. Her father was diagnosed with MS while she was still in high school. Recently, he’s been in... (full context)

...parents’ house and they go to a diner for lunch. Mae’s father—whom her mother calls Vinnie—says that he’s feeling stiff, and he goes to recline in the car. Mae and her... (full context)

...kayaking, savoring the feeling of being alone. Suddenly, she begins to sob. The sight of her father in so much pain is almost impossible for her to bear. She spends nearly an... (full context)

...drives home as fast as she can, and she is surprised to find her mother, her father , and her old boyfriend Mercer sitting in the living room. Mercer explains that, “they... (full context)

At dinner, Mae learns that her father had been experiencing blurred vision all day and he collapsed later in the afternoon. After... (full context)

Totalitarianism and Indoctrination Theme Icon

Mae wakes up on Saturday and spends the day with her father . On Sunday, she wakes up to find him sitting on the couch watching sports.... (full context)

...is good, Mae, in spite of herself, begins to cry. She tells Dr. Villalobos about her father ’s MS and his recent accident. Villalobos nods and suggests that Mae add her parents... (full context)

...low. Condescendingly, he asks Mae if he’s “driving her away” somehow. Mae reluctantly explains that her father had a stroke recently—she’s been spending time with her family. Dan tells Mae that it’s... (full context)

...with MS.” She asks Mae why, in the last three weeks, she hasn’t posted about her father ’s MS. Posting about her experience could have put her in touch with other Circle... (full context)

A few nights after her meeting with Gina, Mae drives out to see her father , who’s now using Circle insurance. When she greets her father, she notices that he... (full context)

At dinner, Mae’s mother raises a toast to Mae, thanking her for providing her father with health insurance. Mae checks her phone and sees that, in mere minutes, she’s built... (full context)

...has received thousands of messages since Mae went transparent—far too many for her to answer. Mae’s father points out that some “neurotic” watchers have begun complaining that he and his wife aren’t... (full context)

...see her parents. Upstairs, she walks into their bedroom, where she sees her mother holding her father ’s penis in her hand. Mae turns away, but it’s too late—people around the world... (full context)