Ever had a really rough morning where you wake up in a dingy elevator and can’t remember how you got there, or anything else? And then you find yourself in a fight for your life during a dystopian, post-apocalyptic future?
No?
Well, that’s what happens to our protagonist Thomas in The Maze Runner, written by James Dashner and published in 2009.This book has everything: action, adventure, hybrid monsters called Grievers, and even a budding romance.
The Maze Runner is perfect for someone who loves to read but doesn’t like to be reminded by long words and difficult premises that they’re reading. This book will fly through your brain as though your eyeballs have magically discovered a way to project a movie that is directly translated from words on a page. And that’s not bad—not bad at all.
Thomas wakes up in a metal box, a dark elevator it seems. All
Thomas could remember was his name but nothing else. He
doesn’t remember his past, where he came from or his parents
were. A door opens overhead revealing a big group of young boys.
As he finds out, they lived in a type of farm surrounded by high
walls. The boys called it “The Glade”. Beyond the giant walls is a
maze which closes its doors at night, changes its course the and
is filled with huge spider-like creatures the called “Grievers”.
Every month supplies and a new boy is sent up to the Glade. The
new boy is called a “greenie”. On the way, Thomas meets the
leader of the young boys, Alby. He befriends Chuck, the greenie
before Thomas, and Newt, ‘the nice one’, and creates enemies
such a Gally.
Thomas learns that Griever stings create a violent and terrifying
reactions to the victim (known as the changing). He also learns
about runners, people who enter the maze to try to map the maze
and find their way out. Minho is their leader.
The day after Thomas enters the glade, a girl arrives who is the
first one ever. Her name is Teresa and she warns the boys that
everything is about to change and proceeds to go into a comma.
She seemed to be the last one to be sent to the glade. Thomas
also seems to think that she’s is familiar and that he’s seen her
somewhere.
Thomas decides that he wants to be a runner after a boy named
Ben, who experiences the changing, says that he knows who
Thomas really is. Thomas believes that there was a reason why
there were sent to the glade.
Alby then decides to explore the maze with Minho when all of a
sudden, he guts stung by a griever. Minho and a weakened Alby is
unable to reach the door on time before the doors closed. Thomas
then leaps inside the maze causing him to get himself into danger.
All three of them are stuck in the maze, at night. This is the time
when most of the grievers are active. A griever appears right in
front of them and they run. Thomas, for the first time ever, kills a
griever and be the first ones ever to survive a night in the maze.
After they come back to the glade from the maze, Thomas is then
trialed by the gladers for breaking the rule of entering the maze.
Even if some people think that he’s a hero, some like Gally think
that there is a dark side to him. He’s then sent temporarily to the
glade jail. Gally then gets into a fight with Minho concerning who
Thomas is. He then runs away stating that he will take revenge.
Alby recovered from the changing. Now along with Ben, he knows
that he’s seen Thomas before, mainly him being involved in
building the maze.
Teresa is still in a coma while Thomas visits her and starts
communicating telepathically. This scares Thomas but she tells
her that both of them were involved in making the maze. Thomas
then becomes a runner trainee under Minho. They search for
some changes in the maze. Nothing new. Teresa then tells
Thomas that she has triggered some thing at the end.
The next day, the sky turns very grey. Thomas realizes that the
glade is fabricated. Not even the sky is real. Teresa tells Thomas
that the maze is a code.
Teresa awakes from her coma and meets Thomas for the first
time. Thomas is interested in her and seemed to share a hidden
past. Alby and Newt are suspicious of her. The doors of the maze
did not close at night like they usually do. Alby and Newt
imprisoned Teresa. The gladers wait for the grievers to enter the
glade. Gally unexpectedly makes a return and willingly throws
himself to the grievers.
He tells the gladers that he will kill each and every one of them.
They also found that the sketches of the maze over the years has
been burnt by someone unknown. Thomas tries to remember how
the maze works. He found out that those that were burnt were all
fake sketches. Thomas looks at the real sketches with Teresa.
They find some letters which spell out the words: FLOAT, CATCH,
BLEED, DEATH, STIFF, and PUSH.
Thomas, desperate for answers, allows himself to be stung by the
grievers to retrieve his memory. After recovery, Thomas
remembers. He and Teresa were forced to help the creators (those who sent them to the glade in the first place). They were forced to help them to design the maze and were also telepathically linked. He also knows the way out of the maze. The way out was over a cliff in the maze where grievers enter and exit. Some of the gladers, lead by Thomas, learn that the cliff was just a illusion. They fight of an army of grievers while Chuck and Teresa jump in the cliff to put the code words in a computer and a door opens nearby. FLOAT, CATCH, BLEED, DEATH, STIFF, and PUSH. The remaining twenty gladers jump in as well that lands them in an underground hallway. They finally meet the creators behind some glass. A pale woman greets them and congratulates them. She came along with a boy. It was Gally. He throws a knife directed at Thomas until Chuck steps in front of the knife instantly killing him. Thomas is devastated. He promised Chuck they would find a way out. Thomas runs to Gally almost beating him to death. A group of rescuers come in and shoot the woman. They go outside where a bus waits for them. A scarred woman tells him that they are here to save them from “The Flare”. A solar flare disease that has affected humanity and turns those affected into zombie-like creatures. He gets away from the woman. A few a hours ride later they are escorted in a building where they have food, take a shower and have bunk beds with bunk beds. They finally feel safe and Thomas sleeps with hope for the future. A woman by the name of Ava Paige, who is a creator, reveals the maze was a trial for the gladers. They have succeeded in this part of the trials and are now moving on to the next stage. This was all part of an experiment. The aim of the experiment is to find intelligent children to help them find a cure for the flare and save humanity.
“Put the words in!” Chuck yelled, slapping Thomas on the shoulder. “Hurry!”. Thomas motioned for
Teresa to do it.
I chose this part because it shows that they found the codes to exit the maze and will soon be out of the
maze. They were trapped in the maze for years and have finally found a way out. It also represents
victory for them after all the hard work the Gladers have done.
“Just trust me. We need wax paper and scissors. And every black marker and pencil you can find” ‘Each time, an obvious letter formed in the center of the crisscrossed mass of lines. After the F was an L, then an O, then an A, and a T. This part when the Gladers start to unravel codes which would help the exit the maze is very puzzling since all the letters are found from the maps of the different sectors of the maze. This presents hope for the Gladers that they would soon be able to be free.
SUMMARY: Thomas fears the Runner may have been stung, so he calls out for help and Alby comes running to meet them. When they reach the Runner, they find that he is conscious but extremely exhausted and barely able to speak. Alby says the Runner’s name is Minho. Minho asks Alby for some water and Alby goes off to get him some. Analysis; The Runners’ lives revolve around sacrifice. Everyday, they enter the Maze knowing that they might not come out. Even Alby, who never takes orders from anyone, carries out Minho’s request, showing his respect for Minho’s willingness to sacrifice himself for the good of the Glade.
SUMMARY: Thomas asks Minho if he found anything out in the Maze. Minho says that although that’s normally the worst question to ask a Runner, today is different. When Thomas asks what he found, Minho says he’ll have to wait till Alby gets back before he says anything else. When Alby returns and gives Minho permission to speak in front of Thomas, Minho says that he found a dead Griever in the Maze. Analyis: Minho’s discovery represents another change in the routine. But, for the first time, this change brings good news: Grievers can die. And if they can die, then the Gladers might be able to learn how to kill them. The change in their routine signifies a bug change in their lifestyle. However, Minho not exposing his sightings until Alby permits shows us the strict routine in the Glade. It shows us the disciplined and well matured community the Glade is.
The setting here has been described in a general perspective as the will description gave an idea of what the actual place looked like. ‘thick ivy’ ‘Gray stone’ these phrases gives an eerie atmosphere making the readers confused on what it might be
the detailed description of the maze makes the readers have an idea of how the maze works, ‘led to passages and long corridors beyond’ this shows the exact image of how the whole place they are on looks like giving a tense atmosphere in the readers mind
page 7
‘floor of the courtyard’ this shows that the place Thomas is in right now looks like a football field as they describe it with grass and weeds
the buildings that Thomas sees and the description like ‘odd, dilapidated wooden buildings’ show that the place looked very old and everything was built by them using materials
the forest that is described gives a nature like atmosphere keeping the readers interested that there is a lot in a place including the giant walls of the maze
the dash there indicated the things that’s Thomas could see in the garden, it gives a vivid image of each place in the Glade
the semi colon describes the condition of the forest giving strange atmosphere as Thomas has no idea of the place around him which makes the readers feel connected with the main character
the uses of connective ‘but’ shows thomas’ feeling of the day which makes him feel very unusual. The thought about sign of the sun gives a confused atmosphere in the readers mind
the dash showing the writers informative tone about the time of the day gives us an idea of how it makes the maze look like. ‘Creeping shadows’ gives a visual imagery of the place that Thomas has no idea of.
page 11
the long sentence about the garden gives us a visual imagery of how Thomas saw it as an comparing it with the creepy walls makes the readers engaged in the story line
page 16
the extended use of noun phrase is used to show a clear description of the wooden building that heightens the tension in the scene that gives a mysterious atmosphere of the scene taking place.
the comma there is used to emphasize at the state of the picture frames to show that the boys are not professionals. It keeps the readers engaged to know the more on what Thomas will be doing.
page 17
the thought of the place looking like a haunted house gives a strange atmosphere which helps the readers understand thomas’ feelings.
the dash shows a comparison of how the place smelt in a bad way which was compared to the outside atmosphere. It shows the readers that most of the places were really old and dusty
Using the north south east west signs it shows the readers, it shows the glade works and also gives a hint of the closed walls of the maze showing the things that most occupied the glade.
the triads are used to describe thomas’ feelings of the abnormal place on how he wanted to get out. It keeps the readers intact with the setting through thomas’ feelings
page 22
the triads best describe the location of the building and the maze “wedged…patch” Gives an idea of the forest where Thomas was which makes the reader interested in the visual imagery
page 23
it describes of what the walls of the maze is made of it gives an ancient look in the readers mind which shows his uncomfortable situation of Thomas being stuck in the glade
page 24
the description of the maze walls show how the author describes the character’s feelings through which it helps the readers understand the difficulty of the characters
page 25
the detailed explanation of each of the doors around the glade give a good visual imagery of what the maze is like,the author tries to detail the whole area where Thomas is which brings out the idea if uncertainty as he is stuck in a place with his memory lost, when he figures out about the place the author gives description about the place where he is also his feelings
page 28
the dash indicates how the maze connects with his memories it helps the readers feel relieved about Thomas as he gets flashes of his memories back through the maze
chapter 6
James dashner shows every detail by describing the place like ‘glimmers… colours’ or ‘the lights was dim…shadows’. this helps the readers understand the scene that takes place that author brings out a character who has been in the maze for more than two years which brings the imagery of the scene where Newt shows Thomas the maze around. This way Tomas builds a relationship with Newt like ‘he for wanted to talk you that Newt guy’
chapter 7
the purpose of the author putting the idea of the tour in the glade helps the readers get a vivid picture of how things work there. It keeps the readers engaged as they learn more about the maze, Thomas being the main character who is confused about the place he is in like what is this place? or where am i? this way the readers also stay confused on what the place is. As the story leads to the tour that their leader Alby gives Thomas gets to know more so as the readers
page 64-65
as Thomas was left alone by himself he goes to exploring the place a bit more “get a better look and feel for the place” this sentence shows Thomas wants to get used to the place around him. While he goes around exploring more he feels relieved that he could be safe as he had said “maybe this place won’t be bad after all”
page 67
‘trees were tall with sturdy trunks, packed rightly together’ the alliteration is used to emphasize on the deadheads more which gives a disturbing atmosphere that builds the readers interest
the shirt sentence gives a contrast from what Thomas thought about the place before when he said that it was a trap or prison . As he goes around he finds more things about the maze like the beetle blades. this keeps the readers convinced that it is not a bad place
page 69
the description of the graveyard is explained with the forest around like “covered with a thick layer of leafy weeds” this keeps the readers closer in knowing the ones who had died before him. It also gives a strange atmosphere around him as Thomas also hears footsteps near the graveyard like “a twig snapped…direction”
page 113
the personification by comparing the walls to a mammoth gives the readers an idea of the tense atmosphere if how Thomas felt when he’d entered the maze
the simile used gives us a hint of the Grievers that are there. Comparing it to a tombstone shows the dangerous atmosphere that Thomas sees and the clear feat of how the maze looks like Thomas’ actions of how he’d tied Alby to the wall using the vines and how he tried to save himself from the Grievers like “the vines went all the way to the ground and wrapped his hands around it” describes thomas’ struggle of how Alby was his responsibility and Minho running away which showed the theme of survival
page 139
the long sentence describes the scene of the sunrise , that author contrasts the tense atmosphere when Thomas fought the Grievers with the positive atmosphere once they got up
page 152
the homestead was described by showing the author’s disgusted tone which helps the readers get an image of how it looks, it says that no one made an attempt to make it look inviting,it shows that they were not professionals and everything was handmade
Pg191
the comma used is to show more adjectives to make the readers get a vivid picture of the slammer
the simile used is to show how brutal the place looks comparing to the dark ages gives the readers an idea if the uncomfortable atmosphere around Thomas
the dash indicates the terrifying things that lie like the one legged chair which gives a creepy atmosphere making the readers interested
the short sentence gives an effect of the uncomfortable situation of Thomas in the slammer which engages the readers more
Pg218
the triads helps the readers understand the situation of Thomas and how the weather was unusual it makes the story intense. The author has used the triads to intrigue the readers in seeing the problem they face
the short sentences show a pause on the scene that is going on keeping the readers engaged on the tensed atmosphere
Pg251
the personification used is to show how the sky was still gray and how the fast pace of the story grew which keeps the readers interested
Pg285
the intensifier ‘espicially’ heightens the haunted atmosphere in the scene keeping the readers on the incident
Pg342
the description helps the readers understand that it was the Grievers hole as words like ‘damp’ or ‘grimy oil’ give the readers an idea that it sounds exactly like the author had described the Grievers
the simile helps the readers get an idea of the dark hallway that they see giving a strange atmosphere in the readers mind
Pg349
the personification used is to show the pitch black tunnel they go through to give an uncomfortable atmosphere to keep the story in slow pace
Pg363
the use of the semi colon is to add more details to the setting which creates a tense atmosphere keeping them engaged on the writer’s tone
page 365
it helps the readers understand the situation of the place outside the maze showing how different it is by describing the buildings
‘Minho spotted a Griever disappearing around a corner ahead of them; and it didn’t come back. Thirty
minutes later, Thomas saw one do the exact same thing’
Theme of Confusion
The grievers weren’t even attacking Minho and Thomas and it is not like the grievers to not attack
the runners. Both of the grievers going in the same direction could suggest that the creators of these
creatures could have called them all together maybe for a attack plan or something else.
‘My name is Thomas, he thought. That…that was the only thing he could remember about his life.’
Theme of memory and identity
All the characters sent to the Glade lose their memories before being placed in the box suggesting
that the creators of the maze erase their memories. The shock of this memory loss is palpable for
Thomas, as he struggles to remember who he is and why he has been sent to the Glade. This
memory loss is a loss of their identity. Recovering his memories and his true identity becomes one of
Thomas’s main goals in the novel.
“Yeah,but we’re buddies,now,right?” Chuck fully laughed this time, a squeaky sort of snort.
Theme of friendship
The theme of friendship is key throughout the book as Thomas makes relationships with
Chuck,Minho,Newt,Teresa. Friendship is presented as a theme because the Gladers are able to show
the reader that friends are necessary in life to survive because it enables you to have someone to
talk to and support you.
Theme of persistence
It presents that no matter how bad things get you need to keep fighting. The theme is important
because the Gladers wouldn’t have been able to solve the maze without the help of everyone doing
their part to survive in the Glade. The persistence of the Gladers is shown when they finally escape
the maze.
‘Thomas knew he had no choice. He moved. Forward. He squeezed past the connecting rods at the last second and stepped into the Maze’ Theme of bravery Thomas shows ultimate bravery by going into the Maze to help save Alby even though he’s not a runner. The phrase,’ he had no choice’ makes his dreams of being in this weird place before true as well as Teresa saying they were together before since he knew he had to find a way out and hence entered the maze.
The Book ‘The Maze Runner’ stood out impressively while everyone compared it to ‘The Hunger Games’ and ‘The Divergent’.
Presenting Horror through the description of the Grievers, rising up the tension by the suspenseful events, Shocking the fans with the surprising information that extends the story to present even more than it already has!
Although the book may take forever to read. It’s something rather fun to do when you’re feeling like you need a bring a little fun and excitement to your life. Or even get a little scared.
And the ending leaves our readers at the edge of a cliff while we wait to read the next book!
James Dashner has amazed us by how he was capable of even extending the story to make another book!
So let’s ready ourselves for the next thrilling events that will take place in ‘The Scorch Trials’.
Thomas is the novel’s protagonist. He is a teenager who enters the story in a Box and finds himself in the Glade, with no memories other than of his first name. Like every other newcomer to the Glade, Thomas arrives scared and confused. Unlike others, however, he feels a strong connection to the Maze. In record time, he demonstrates his bravery and confidence, and even saves the lives of Gladers; Alby and Minho. Thomas also shares a telepathic connection to Teresa, the last teenager and only girl to be sent to the Glade, and someone he thinks he might have known before arriving to the Glade. With her help, Thomas works to recover his memories and find out who he really is in relation to the Maze, with dramatic consequences. Thomas is also one of the first successful people to challenge the Gladers’ rules, therefore changing day-to-day life in the Glade in a short amount of time and proving himself important to understanding the Maze.
Teresa
Teresa is the first and only girl to arrive in the Glade, and strangely, appears only a day after Thomas arrives, setting off a number of events. Though her first few days are spent in a coma, she is ever present in the minds of the Gladers, especially Thomas. Teresa is self-confident and bold, and easily challenges the sexist attitudes of the Gladers. Teresa also stands up to the leaders of the Glade,and is not afraid to speak her mind, and becomes a close friend of Thomas. She can also communicate with Thomas telepathically, which motivates them to learn why they are so uniquely connected. She is sent to the Glade as a trigger/ warning for the Gladers and, as she has no memories of her past except for the few things she tells Thomas, she aids him in trying to figure out their past and their strange relation to the Maze.
Chuck
Chuck is one of the youngest Gladers and was the newest addition to the Glade before Thomas arrived. He is assigned to take care of Thomas, and becomes Thomas’s first friend in the Glade. Chuck enjoys jokes, and is very talkative, sometimes annoying Thomas with his continuous and terrible jokes childish antics. In time, however, Chuck becomes a loyal and caring friend to Thomas, so much so that Thomas views him like a brother by the end of the novel. Thomas promises Chuck that he will help Chuck find his parents once they escape from the Maze. Chuck eventually sacrifices his own life to save Thomas. Through this act, Chuck is revealed to be a symbol for Thomas, a symbol of a peaceful and hopeful life.
“You know, I’m really not all that scared. I mean, last few nights, sitting in the Homestead, just waiting for a Griever to come in and steal one of us was the worst thing I’ve ever done. At least now we’re taking it to them, trying something.” (54)
Alby
Alby is the first person that Thomas sees when he leaves the lift. He is the leader of the Gladers, and is the oldest and most trusted teenager in the Glade. Alby initially appears to have a bad temper, and he enforces the strict laws of the Glade. He is, however, an extremely confident leader, and is capable of inspiring loyalty and bravery in the other Gladers. Alby is stung by a Griever in the Maze and goes through the Changing, in which he learns about the devastating state of the world outside. As a result, he becomes withdrawn and depressed and loses his will to lead the Gladers. At the novel’s end, Alby cannot live with what the Gladers might be returning to in the real world, so he sacrifices himself to the Grievers in an attempt to protect his fellow Gladers.
Newt
Newt is Alby’s second-in-command in the Glade and he is an immediately likeable teenager. Thomas sees him as kinder, smarter and actually more level-headed than Alby. Newt constantly references the need for order in the Glade, just like Alby does, but he gets his message across through work and labor, rather than punishment. Newt was a Runner at one time, though he was injured and now walks with a limp. Though he is a leader himself, Newt is one of the first Gladers to befriend Thomas. When Alby goes through the Changing and is unable to command the boys, Newt takes over his role as leader of the Glade.
Minho
Minho is the Keeper/ leader of the Runners, which means he is in charge of leading the Runners who go into the Maze on a daily basis. He is also one of the very first boys to have arrived in the Maze. He is sarcastic and confrontational, and his leadership style is intuitive, rather than strategic, which can have explosive consequences, especially during the Gatherings. Minho is strong and strong-willed as well, and makes it a point to own up to his mistakes. He eventually becomes a trustworthy ally and friend to Thomas.
Gally
Gally is cruel, ignorant, hotheaded and arrogant throughout the novel and is antagonistic to Thomas from the start. He threatens many of the Gladers and holds a personal hatred for Thomas. Gally has gone through the Changing and knows that Thomas is not exactly who they think he is. Gally is determined to expose Thomas, even if he has to kill him. Gally does, however, sacrifice his own life in the novel so that other boys are not taken by the Grievers.
Ben
Ben is a former Runner who goes through the Changing on the day Thomas arrives in the Glade. Ben sees Thomas through the filter of memories that resurface during the Changing and, in a fit of rage, Ben almost kills Thomas. As punishment for attempted murder, Alby banishes Ben into the Maze, which is a death sentence. Ben apologizes for his actions, and pleads for mercy, but is forced into the Maze nonetheless, an event that haunts Thomas in the novel.
the maze;
In the case of our story, the Maze serves as a physical representation of what it’s like to
be a teenager, and more specifically to be a teenager in the Glade. What makes this
Maze particularly difficult is that the walls are constantly changing overnight. In our
extended metaphor, this is like trying to follow a difficult path in life and then having the
rules you are following abruptly changed. This shows the problems and hardships that
show up suddenly.
By showing the Gladers how to view the Maze as a symbol, and by extracting the code,
Thomas ultimately shows them a new way of looking at life, and how things and events
can seem futile and chaotic at the outset, but if a different perspective is applied, chaos
can be transformed into order.
the glade;
The Maze also represents the trials and tribulations associated with adolescence. Like
the Maze, adolescence can appear chaotic and confusing to teenagers, filled with
wrong turns and regrettable choices. The Glade is symbolic of order and society, and
through hard work and observance of the Glade’s laws, the Gladers can participate in a
sense of self that ultimately offers them hope for the future. This hope for better days
outside of the Maze is symbolic of the hope that teenagers can make it through
adolescence.
the changing; The act of getting stung by a Griever and going through the Changing is symbolic of growing up. The Changing is also symbolic of a rite-of-passage, a transition to a different outlook on life.
So we all know how the book ends right? well what if the book had a different ending one perhaps completely opposite to the finale we are given by James Dashner :0
In the original book, our remaining characters, Thomas, Newt, Minho, Teresa, Chuck and Frypan discover that a mysterious woman named Ava Paige is trying to save the world from a disease known as the Flare that came from the sun. They were kept in the maze because they were test subjects in an experiment by WICKED (World In Catastrophe: Killzone Experiment Department), lead by Ava Paige herself, and were kept in there until they found a cure for it. Gally returns however and attempts to throw a knife at Thomas until Chuck steps right in front of him and dies. Thomas is heart broken but Minho immediately stabs Gally through the heart with a spear. They immediately get picked up by a bus out of the maze on to a new life. To a safe haven. Although admittedly the book ended with a very hopeful note, a lot of people, including me, thought a lot of emotion was derived from the hopeful ending of story because of the death of Chuck. If the story were to go my way, Chuck would have never have to die. Teresa would. For the most part Teresa was in the book, she was very knowledgeable. Similar to Thomas, she played a key role in helping the others in escaping the maze and also shared a telepathic link. If Theresa were to die at the end of the book, it would be very beneficial, especially for the character of Thomas. It would give him a good character arc at the end of the book. Thomas, as well as the rest of the team, would learn how to survive without the second source of information. It would also give Thomas a motivation to find a safe haven or find a cure for the spreading flare disease. It would give an interesting close for this story.
THE GRIEVERS 