maze runner thesis statement

The Maze Runner

By james dashner, the maze runner essay questions.

Examine the slang used by the Gladers. Why do you think Dashner invented such terminology for them to use? How does it affect the manner in which the story is told?

Dashner's own comments on the particular lexicon of the Gladers reveals that the author had two intentions when creating it. As posted by the author on his blog, jamesdashner.blogspot.com, the Glader slang allows the reader to understand that the story takes place in a time very different from our own. Post apocalyptic dystopian novels and films tend to take place in the near or distant future as a sort of warning of what may befall humanity if we maintain the course we are on.

Second, the author notes that the slang allowed the book to be read by young adults and teens without being banned by schools for offensive language. The slang matches the harshness of the world the Gladers inhabit. By allowing the Gladers to employ "adult" language without themselves being adults or risking censorship, Dashner is able to place these teenagers in perilous situations for which they are otherwise ill-prepared. It adds to the horror of their situation: these children never got a chance to be children.

At numerous times in the novel, the importance of order in the Glade is spoken of. At various times, Thomas becomes tired of hearing about it. Why is order so important for the Glader community? When the true nature of WICKED and the Glade are revealed at the end, what does it say about the children who were chosen for the Maze?

Order comes to symbolize hope, but also allows the Gladers to overlay a sense of normalcy in their otherwise abnormal lives. Without order and organization they would be more likely to compete with each other instead of cooperate. The Creators have chosen them with the express intention that these children are smart enough to understand the need for cooperation to ensure their mutual survival.

The Glade comes to be place of order, while the Maze is pure chaos. It gives this community a place of respite. If they are allowed to succumb to their fears and paranoia, the Glade would not survive and the test of the Maze would be largely wasted. Order allows the Gladers to retain a sense of purpose.

Examine the link between Thomas and Teresa. Besides sharing a literal telepathic link, what other similarities can we discern? Is Teresa the only person who can really understand Thomas's situation?

Dashner appears to want the reader to draw an association between these two characters. He even gives the alliterative names, beginning with the same letter. As it is revealed that the two characters were involved in the creation of the Maze we begin to see that Thomas emerges as a leader within the community, though he is largely driven by guilt and concern over the well-being of his new friends.

By allowing he and Teresa to share a telepathic link, Dashner implies that the two characters are able to know more about each other than would be possible for other characters to do. This link makes it difficult for them to hide things from each other. As such, Teresa is privy to both information the others do not know, as well as Thomas's emotional state. They become confidants for each other, helping each other through a difficult time. Because of this, Teresa has a much greater understanding of the responsibility Thomas feels to the others as well as the emotional weight of the promise he made to Chuck.

Chuck and Alby both sacrifice themselves in the novel, though for differing reasons. Compare these two characters and why they sacrifice themselves.

Alby is portrayed as the leader of the Gladers, though as the story progresses we can see that Alby's leadership skills erode, particularly following the Changing. As he remembers more about the world as it is he is less enthusiastic about leaving the Glade. The Glade has become his home and his sense of a normal life. In the Glade life is hard but simple. He has a clear role and clear responsibilities that come with his title. Leaving the Glade is difficult because he does not believe the real world is a pleasant place to inhabit. There, he has no power or authority. Alby is very much like a prisoner who has been incarcerated for a long time only to learn that he will soon be released. The world outside is unfamiliar and foreign. He would much prefer to stay where he is. He deliberately throws himself onto the Grievers to end his life.

Chuck is something of a social outcast, making him similar to the character of Piggy in William Golding's "The Lord of The Flies", a book Dashner credits as an inspiration in creating the The Maze Runner Trilogy. Like Piggy, Chuck's death is senseless. While Piggy's was a case of murder, Chuck's is a sacrifice to save Thomas, for what he believes is the greater good. Thomas has always been kind to him and promised to do all he can to return Thomas to his loving family. Chuck is naive and portrayed as less worldly or younger than the other Gladers. He is innocence incarnate. In Thomas he sees a savior, someone who can change the world for the better. Though it remains to be seen how this affects Thomas in the other books in the series, Chuck appears to be a sacrificial lamb, a character whose death inspires the main character to take up a cause.

A number of Young Adult novels exist now (The Hunger Games, Maximum Ride, as well as the Maze Runner) which present a dystopian worldview. These books have become increasingly popular with Young Adults as well as other demographics. Why do you think that is? Are they purely escapism or is there more to it than that?

These novels tend to share a characteristic: there are no adult characters in them to guide the children. The children or teenagers have to fend for themselves and establish their own order. This can be seen as partially fulfilling a young adult's need for independence and autonomy. They wish to be able to make decisions for themselves and not to be seen as children. There is a fine line to this, as at times in the novel, Thomas and Chuck both dream of living as ordinary children instead of being constantly afraid of monsters.

Some scholars also believe that young adults relate to the themes in these novels because it mirrors the world they are entering. With issues such as a stagnant economy, environmental destruction, and political instability and war inhabiting their everyday lives they are concerned for their own future. A story that presented a more utopian setting would simply not ring true for them.

Some scholars feel that the high school experience can feel like an unending series of tests with a great deal of attention placed on each thing a student does. In this sense, the books simply reflect the growing market of young adult readers. When compared with other young adult novels such as "1984", "A Clockwork Orange", and "A Catcher In The Rye", they reflect the adolescent mindset rather than an actual dystopian world.

These stories also feature an antagonist that is sometimes not a single character, but an entire system, usually headed by adults. This system is therefore older, even antiquated, and must be replaced. It is up to these young adults to fight this system and install one that is fresher, fairer, and more progressive in its place.

Examine Thomas's transformation from frustrated newcomer to a leadership position and eventual savior. How does Dashner use this character arc to invest the reader in Thomas's story?

Dashner allows Thomas to be our guide through the story. As we enter the Glade with Thomas, we know as little as he does about his situation or the setting. As the reader learns more through Thomas's experiences, we become invested in his desire to become a Runner. We come to believe that he can lead the others out of the Maze successfully.

Dashner relies on time-tested methods of storytelling to reveal Thomas's true character. By placing Thomas in situations of conflict we as the reader are able to see how he will react. Will he face his fear or run away from it? Because Thomas sometimes does both, we can see his vulnerability and thus, his humanity. This allows the reader to relate to Thomas and begin to champion his side.

This is reflected in the fact that the other characters around Thomas slowly begin to see that he is different. While they are suspicious at first, he begins to win them over. They come to believe that perhaps he can help them. This additional responsibility upon Thomas also separates him from the others. He becomes a hero and savior, a lonely position in which he alone feels he must shoulder the burden. This burden is not expressed anywhere as strongly as it is when Chuck sacrifices himself for Thomas.

Discuss the character of Ben. Specifically, what does the Banishment scene tell us about the nature of the Glade and the boys who live there?

Ben's character is tragic and, for Thomas, haunting. He feels terrible about the fate that befalls Ben, even though Ben tried to murder him. The lasting image of Ben being removed from the Glade with the collar and the scream he emits as the walls close stay with Thomas for a long time.

Thomas is dismayed by the extremity of the law in the Glade. Clearly, he feels, Ben needs help, not punishment. The Keepers decide that Ben's banishment is a necessity to maintaining the natural order. There is no period of leniency. Ben is not imprisoned to see if he improves.

It is the cold brutality of the punishment that also leaves an impression on Thomas. These are, after all, teenagers sentencing other teenagers to certain death. While the Glade operates on the condition of maintaining order it does not do so with an eye toward civility. The conditions the Gladers have lived under for two years have made them more savage and less tolerant. The collar itself adds another layer of brutality and dehumanizing to Ben's predicament. It is inherently linked with savagery and historical occurrences such as the Slave Trade. As a result, we sympathize with Ben's situation just as Thomas does.

Why do you think the Glade was only populated by boys until Teresa was introduced? What was the purpose of this?

Although this topic is not explicitly discussed in the book, Teresa's appearance in the Glade is a catalyst for change. Everything about her is different: She is the first female to come to the Glade, she arrives unannounced and off-schedule, and she is comatose when she arrives after delivering a cryptic but frightening message. She upsets the natural order of the Glade. Her introduction was meant to trigger the Ending, something the Creators explicitly planned. As part of the larger experimental nature of the Glade, it may have also been to see how the Glader population would react to her.

The male-only makeup of the Glade resembles a prison. In prisons men and women are generally kept separate to ensure order for the same reason. This also prevents any type of sexual contact between the men and women and ensures there are no unplanned pregnancies or assaults. However, Teresa's femininity is not a major plot point in the novel. Although Dashner makes reference to the potential dangers when some of the boys call "first dibs" on Teresa, her safety is not a major issue. This may have been a decision by Dashner to avoid the topic in a young adult novel.

Why do you believe the Runners were unable to decipher the Maze even after spending two years running and mapping it? What does this say about their attitude toward it?

When Thomas first learns that the Runners have been attempting to find their way out of the Maze for two years he is disheartened. If they haven't been successful for all this time, how could he possibly be? However, when Thomas first suggests that the Runners have been going about solving the Maze in the wrong way, that they have been comparing each section only to itself over time, does the first clue reveal itself.

Minho's defense of their strategy demonstrates the ongoing need for the Gladers to stick to their routine to retain order. The downside of this is that routines become rote and static instead of flexible and adaptive. Only when the order is disturbed by the introduction of Thomas and Teresa do other possibilities begin to emerge. The Runners know that mapping the Maze daily is important, but they have forgotten why. For them the importance is not so much in escaping but in having something to do each day so that they do not lose hope. As is explained to Thomas, working keeps their minds engaged instead of thinking about the dire situation they find themselves in.

How is the novel a coming-of-age tale? What elements in the story can be seen to support such an interpretation?

The novel features characters in their teens dealing with the awkward years between childhood and adulthood. While their situation is far more dire and dangerous than the average teenager's, many of their struggles mirror the everyday struggles that teens face everywhere. The Maze itself can be seen as a metaphor for the confusion young adults face as they begin to navigate their own lives and the real worlds. The Maze has no solution and no seeming way out until Thomas shows the Gladers a different way of looking at the Maze. The way out is one they may have all suspected for quite some time. The Griever Hole is the most frightening way out. The Gladers are forced to face their own doubts and fears to move past it, just as teenagers have to get past their own fears to achieve real growth.

The novel also thematically deals with the issue of authority and how to overcome it one must frequently create their own order and authority. Well-meaning adults use authority to control their children and keep them safe. It is only when that child is able to maintain control and discipline in their own lives that they can throw off the shackles of an outside authority. In this manner, Thomas also struggles with his own issues with becoming an authority figure. The responsibility on him frightens him but he rises to accept it.

Romantic feelings are also a common trope in coming of age stories. Thomas begins to develop romantic feelings for Teresa, though he is unsure of how to handle these feelings. He and Teresa come to be seen as a couple, and Thomas starts to see Chuck as a younger brother. This family structure demonstrates growth on Thomas's part as well. He goes from wanting to escape the Glade and its inhabitants to becoming a surrogate father figure.

The Maze Runner Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for The Maze Runner is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

How do the graders ask the creators for something that they need

They wrote a note and put it in the box.

Thomas was surprised. "You mean, you can make requests? Supplies you want?" Why would the people who'd sent them there help so much? "Of course we can. Just drop a note in the Box, and there she goes....

There ends up being a twist with who the boy in the hooded sweatshirt is. Who is the boy and what do you think that the boy will do? Explain why your prediction makes sense.

The boy im the hooded shirt was Gally. We can predict that he will try to kill Thomas. My prediction makes sense because he tried to kill Thomas in the glade.

IF Thomas is correct about his suggestion at the end of chapter 50, what does it tell you about the Creators?

Thomas says that inside the Griever Hole is a computer and that plugging the code into the computer will disarm the Grievers and open an exit.

Study Guide for The Maze Runner

The Maze Runner study guide contains a biography of James Dashner, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About The Maze Runner
• The Maze Runner Summary
• Character List

Lesson Plan for The Maze Runner

• About the Author
• Study Objectives
• Common Core Standards
• Introduction to The Maze Runner
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Related Links
• The Maze Runner Bibliography

Wikipedia Entries for The Maze Runner

• Introduction
• Development

Home — Essay Samples — Entertainment — The Maze Runner — Literature review: The Maze Runner

Literature Review: The Maze Runner

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About this sample

Words: 544 |

Published: Jan 4, 2019

Words: 544 | Page: 1 | 3 min read

Works Cited

• Dashner, J. (2009). The Maze Runner. Delacorte Press.
• The Maze Runner. (n.d.). In Goodreads. Retrieved from https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6186357-the-maze-runner
• The Maze Runner Summary. (n.d.). In SparkNotes. Retrieved from https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/maze-runner/summary/
• Campbell, J., & Moyers, B. D. (2018). The Power of Myth. Anchor.
• Hero's Journey. (n.d.). In The Hero's Journey. Retrieved from http://www.thewritersjourney.com/hero's_journey.htm
• Vogler, C. (2007). The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers (3rd ed.). Michael Wiese Productions.
• Foster-Harris, W. (1993). The Basic Patterns of Plot. University of Oklahoma Press.
• Propp, V. (1984). Morphology of the Folktale (2nd ed.). University of Texas Press.
• Hero's Journey: The 12 Steps. (n.d.). In Mythcreants. Retrieved from https://mythcreants.com/blog/the-heros-journey-the-12-steps/
• The Hero's Journey in Film: The Maze Runner. (n.d.). In Prezi. Retrieved from https://prezi.com/tadnnfmyg0l3/the-heros-journey-in-film-the-maze-runner/

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The Maze Runner The Maze Runner is a 2014 American dystopian science fiction film directed by Wes Ball, in his directorial debut. It is based on James Dashner's 2009 novel of the same name. The film is a complex and intense thriller that's sure to keep viewers on their toes. Thomas Thomas the...

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The Maze Runner

James dashner, everything you need for every book you read..

And yet he didn’t know where he came from, or how he’d gotten inside the dark lift, or who his parents were. He didn’t even know his last name. Images of people flashed across his mind, but there was no recognition, their faces replaced with haunted smears of color. He couldn’t think of one person he knew, or recall a single conversation.

His memory loss was strange. He mostly remembered the workings of the world—but emptied of specifics, faces, names. Like a book completely intact but missing one word in every dozen, making it a miserable and confusing read. He didn’t even know his age.

“Out there’s the Maze,” Newt whispered, eyes wide as if in a trance. “Everything we do—our whole life, Greenie—revolves around the Maze . Every lovin’ second of every lovin’ day we spend in honor of the Maze, tryin’ to solve somethin’ that’s not shown us it has a bloody solution, ya know? And we want to show ya why it’s not to be messed with. Show ya why them buggin’ walls close shut every night. Show ya why you should never, never find your butt out there.”

Newt looked down in the Box one more time, then faced the crowd, gravely. “It’s a girl,” he said. Everyone started talking at once; Thomas only caught pieces here and there. “A girl?” “I got dibs!” “What’s she look like?” “How old is she?”

“Think about it. Our memories are wiped. We live inside a place that seems to have no way out, surrounded by bloodthirsty monster-guards. Doesn’t that sound like a prison to you?” As he said it out loud, it sounded more and more possible. Nausea trickled into his chest.

“This ain’t got nothin’ to do with no hate or like or love or friends or anything. All we care about is surviving. Drop your sissy side and start using that shuck brain if you got one.”

Alby spoke in a loud, almost ceremonious voice, looking at no one and everyone at the same time. “ Ben of the Builders, you’ve been sentenced to Banishment for the attempted murder of Thomas the Newbie. The Keepers have spoken, and their word ain’t changing. And you ain’t coming back. Ever.”

“Order,” Newt continued. “Order. You say that bloody word over and over in your shuck head. Reason we’re all sane around here is ’cause we work our butts off and maintain order. Order’s the reason we put Ben out—can’t very well have loonies runnin’ around tryin’ to kill people, now can we? Order. Last thing we need is you screwin’ that up.”

“You don’t understand, shuck-face! You don’t know anything, and you’re just making it worse by trying to have hope! We’re dead, you hear me? Dead!”

Thomas rocked back on his heels, then ran his arm across his forehead, wiping away the sweat. And at that moment, in the space of only a few seconds, he learned a lot about himself. About the Thomas that was before. He couldn’t leave a friend to die.

“Are they changed because they want to go back to their old life, or is it because they’re so depressed at realizing their old life was no better than what we have now?”

“I didn’t do anything wrong. All I know is I saw two people struggling to get inside these walls and they couldn’t make it. To ignore that because of some stupid rule seemed selfish, cowardly, and...well, stupid. If you want to throw me in jail for trying to save someone’s life, then go ahead. Next time I promise I’ll point at them and laugh, then go eat some of Frypan’s dinner.”

Newt’s head appeared at the little glassless window, looking through the bars, a smirk on his face. “Nice reward for breakin’ the rules. You saved some lives, Tommy, but ya still need to learn—”

“Yeah, I know. Order .”

Alby continued. “I hope the Changing doesn’t give us real memories—just plants fake ones. Some suspect it—I can only hope. If the world’s the way I saw it...” He trailed off, leaving an ominous silence.

“I remember remembering,” she muttered, sitting down with a heavy sigh; she pulled her legs up to wrap her arms around her knees. “Feelings. Emotions. Like I have all these shelves in my head, labeled for memories and faces, but they’re empty. As if everything before this is just on the other side of a white curtain. Including you.”

“Congrats, Jeff ,” Newt said. “You’re officially the first guy here to get your butt beat by a girl.”

Teresa didn’t stop. “Keep talking like that and you’ll be next.”

“No one ever understood what I saw, what the Changing did to me! Don’t go back to the real world, Thomas ! You don’t...want...to remember!”

They needed more clues about the code. They needed memories.

So he was going to get stung by a Griever. Go through the Changing . On purpose.

Thomas shook his head. “No, you don’t get it. They’re weeding us out, seeing if we’ll give up, finding the best of us. Throwing variables at us, trying to make us quit. Testing our ability to hope and fight. Sending Teresa here and shutting everything down was only the last part, one more...final analysis. Now it’s time for the last test. To escape.”

“I’m telling you.” Alby sounded like he was begging—near hysterical. “We can’t go back to where we came from. I’ve seen it, remembered awful, awful things. Burned land, a disease—something called the Flare. It was horrible—way worse than we have it here…Better to die than go home.”

“After two years of being treated like mice, tonight we’re making a stand. Tonight we’re taking the fight back to the Creators, no matter what we have to go through to get there. Tonight the Grievers better be scared.”

Minho continued. “ Alby didn’t wanna go back to his old life. He freaking sacrificed himself for us—and they aren’t attacking, so maybe it worked. We’d be heartless if we wasted it.”

“All things happen for a purpose,” she said, any sign of malice now gone from her voice. “You must understand this.”

He died saving you , Teresa said. He made the choice himself. Just don’t ever waste it.

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