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The Maze Runner

James dashner.

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Welcome to the LitCharts study guide on James Dashner's The Maze Runner . Created by the original team behind SparkNotes, LitCharts are the world's best literature guides.

The Maze Runner: Introduction

The maze runner: plot summary, the maze runner: detailed summary & analysis, the maze runner: themes, the maze runner: quotes, the maze runner: characters, the maze runner: symbols, the maze runner: theme wheel, brief biography of james dashner.

Historical Context of The Maze Runner

Other books related to the maze runner.

• Full Title: The Maze Runner
• When Written: 2006
• Where Written: USA
• When Published: 2009
• Literary Period: Young Adult Post-Apocalyptic Fiction
• Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction
• Setting: The Glade and the Maze
• Climax: Thomas and other Gladers fight off the Grievers and find the exit to the Maze
• Antagonist: The Grievers and the Creators
• Point of View: Close Third-Person

Extra Credit for The Maze Runner

Blockbuster: The Maze Runner was adapted into a 2014 film of the same name. The popularity of the film has ensured that the book’s sequel, The Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials , will be made into a movie.

Prequel: For those interested in the events leading up to the story in The Maze Runner , Dashner wrote a prequel entitled The Kill Order , which tells the story of the sun flares that hit Earth and threatened to wipe out humanity.

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'The Maze Runner' by James Dashner: Book Club Discussion Questions

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"The Maze Runner," by James Dashner, is a 2009 young adult post-apocalyptic science fiction novel. Set in a dystopian reality where young boys must fight for their lives within a deadly maze, this is a thrilling novel full of plot twists and action sequences. As the first book in a trilogy, "The Maze Runner" ends on a cliffhanger.

Plot Summary

A boy wakes up in an elevator remembering only that his name is Thomas. The elevator brings him to a place called the Glade, a large piece of land surrounded by walls that are several miles high. The Glade does have four openings, but outside of the Glade is an ever-changing maze. The Glade houses a group of boys called the Gladers. Each day, a few members of the group, called the Runners, slip outside of the Glade to try to find a way out of the maze, but they never do—until Thomas helps them escape.

Eventually, 20 Gladers are rescued only to learn that outside of the maze, there has been an apocalyptic world event and that they are part of an elaborate experiment created to help equip them with the skills to save the new world. Presaging the next novel in the trilogy, the reader learns that this was only the first phase of the experiment.

Discussion Questions

Use these questions to work through the novel and discuss what you think James Dashner is trying to say. Spoiler alert: These questions contain details from the novel and talk about the end of the book. Finish reading the book before looking on.

• Why do you think WICKED put the kids in the maze? Do you think it was an effective way to find the smartest and most resilient?
• Where do the characters in this novel get their names? What is the significance of names to the story and to character development?
• Even though Thomas does not remember it, he and Teresa had a role in creating the maze. Do you think that makes him guilty? Does he owe something to the other boys?
• What was the point of sending Teresa into the maze?
• What role does language play in this novel? For example, why do you think the people in the Glade use slang words such as "shank?"
• Was Gally good or bad? Why do you think the scientists used him?
• Throughout the book, Thomas and the other boys have more questions than answers. The reader, too, does not know what is happening. Did you like how this produced suspense? Were you satisfied with the answers provided in the end?
• In the final memo from WICKED, they refer to "Group B." Who do you think that is?
• If the world is truly in catastrophe, do you think the means can justify the ends of saving the human race? Even if it means enslaving or killing children? Is it possible, as Teresa thinks, that WICKED could be good?
• Did you guess that the maze could be a code? Do you think the kids ever would have tried to escape through the Griever Hole if the end had not been triggered?
• Do you think the author, James Dashner, intended to draw any parallels to society as a whole with this novel? In what ways?
• Do you think you will read the next two books in the series to find out what happens?
• Rate "The Maze Runner" on a scale of 1 to 5.
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The Maze Runner - Free Essay Examples And Topic Ideas

The Maze Runner by James Dashner, a dystopian science fiction novel, explores themes of identity, survival, and the human instinct to solve complex problems under dire circumstances. Essays could delve into the analysis of the novel’s dystopian setting, the Maze, as a metaphor for adolescence or societal constraints. Discussions might extend to the character dynamics, the portrayal of leadership, teamwork, and the moral dilemmas faced by the characters in their quest for survival and truth. The narrative’s engagement with memory, identity, and the ethics of scientific experimentation could also be explored. Furthermore, essays could discuss the novel within the broader context of dystopian and young adult literature, exploring how “The Maze Runner” reflects or subverts the conventions of the genre. They might also examine the novel’s adaptation into a film series and the comparative analysis of the narrative across different mediums. A substantial compilation of free essay instances related to The Maze Runner you can find at PapersOwl Website. You can use our samples for inspiration to write your own essay, research paper, or just to explore a new topic for yourself.

The Maze Runner as a Thrilling Dystopian Anecdote

The Maze Runner by James Dashner is a thrilling dystopian anecdote of trapped adolescents fighting to get out of a treacherous maze. This inexplicable maze is filled with teenage boys who have no recollection of their life before the maze. The boys have to figure out a way to escape the maze while being hit with fatal life challenges. The Maze Runner is a post-apocalyptic dystopian thriller that involves the unity of juvenile boys to escape the maze. The Maze […]

Comparing the Book and Movie – the Maze Runner

?Have you ever noticed when you are watching a film, based on a book, it never seems quite the same? Well, directors actually do this for a reason. They do this to make the movie flow faster and make it easier for the audience to understand. When comparing the book "The Maze Runner", by James Dashner, to the movie, directed by Wes Ball, there were several differences. First, some of the character’s personalities in the book were not the same […]

Who are the Main Characters in the Maze Runner

The Maze Runner is a book and movie series about teen boys stuck inside a maze. The main character, Thomas appears from a dark box and changes everything in the Glade. Thomas a seventeen year old boy appears into the maze not remembering anything except his name. Everyone inside the Glade has their memory swiped by the creators. Once Teresa arrives to the Glade everything starts going downhill. The blue sky’s turned dark and gloomy and the doors stopped closing […]

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The Maze Runner and the Giver

Both The Maze Runner by James dasher and The Giver by Lois lowry were interesting from the start. Similar to each story is a younger male who struggles within a future society and deals with the themes of control, order, forced removal of memory & history, and the struggle of the characters to accept the morals and values, which the new society has set. The Maze Runner begins with Thomas, the teenage boy whose memory is erased is delivered to […]

Emotion in the Book and Movie the Maze Runner

The book The Maze Runner written by James Dashner, and the movie The Maze Runner directed by Wes Ball, in both adaptations of the story, is about a group of teenage boys in the dystopian society. The boys are put in a Maze as an experiment with no memory of how they were put in the Maze, and their life before the boys were put there and are trying to find way out. The boys are trying to conquer the […]

Impressions of a Book and the Movie the Maze Runner

The Maze Runner is a book written by James Dashner about a dystopian society. James Dashner has written a whole series from this book. There are multiple movies that are based on the books. The book story takes place in the future in a giant maze. Books that have movies made based on the story have similarities and differences. With this book and movie, there are many similarities and differences in the storyline and characters’. In both the book and […]

The Maze Runner and the Main Characters

The Maze Runner, James Dashner, published October 6, 2009. This book is about a group of boys who live in a place called the glade surrounded by a maze, working together to conquer escaping maze and when the first girl ever to arrive (Teresa), seems to somehow know the main character, Thomas. I prefer the book better than the movie because in the book I could imagine everything and loved it. When people read the book, the reader is disappointed […]

The Maze Runner for Readers

In the Maze Runner there are a group of teens teenage boys, gladers, trying to escape the maze who were sent there by the Creators. There are no adults there to help them in the maze. A new teenager comes every month Unexpectedly, a girl arrives, which has never happened before. She is the last person to arrive and tells them that the ending is triggered. There are many of similarities, differences and exciting events in the Maze Runner book […]

The Maze Runner Book and a Dystopian Society

The Maze Runner Book and the movie were both adventurous, action packed, and informational. The book was about a group of teenage boys who were place in a dystopian society every month one new person come up from the “box” and lives in the glade their little society Thomas, a teenager, arrives in a glade at the center of a giant labyrinth. Like the other kids dumped there before him, he has no memory of his previous life. Thomas quickly […]

The Maze Runner Book and Movie

In the Maze Runner book and movie there are action packed chapters and scenes. The movie and book is more appealing for teenager boys rather than girls because action movie are more a boy movie, as well as it is not dramatized. The genre of the Maze Runner is a dystopian society ran by the boys that have been trapped in the maze for three years and are trying to find a way to get out of this puzzle like […]

“The Maze Runner” Themes of Bravery and Friendship

Character Analysis of Thomas: Strengths and Flaws I have selected Thomas as the main character because of his outstanding personal character traits. He is an interesting person with many strengths and also flaws that makes him very human. He is definitely brave, as we see him running in the Maze, although he is also terrified of being in there. He shows compassion and empathy, as we notice both traits in his relationship with Chuck and how he emphasizes Ben, although […]

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Essays on The Maze Runner

Writing an essay about The Maze Runner can be an exciting and engaging task. Whether you're a student looking for an interesting topic for an assignment, or simply a fan wanting to explore the themes and messages of the book, there are plenty of reasons to dive into the world of The Maze Runner through writing.

When it comes to choosing a topic for an essay about The Maze Runner, the possibilities are endless. You can explore themes such as friendship, survival, and betrayal, or delve into the character development and their relationships. You can also analyze the author's writing style and the impact of the book on popular culture. The key is to choose a topic that you are passionate about and that you can explore in depth.

If you're considering writing an argumentative essay about The Maze Runner, you can choose from a variety of topics such as the morality of the characters' actions, the portrayal of authority in the book, or the theme of sacrifice. For a cause and effect essay, you can explore the consequences of the characters' decisions, the impact of the maze on the characters' lives, or the reasons behind the dystopian society depicted in the book. If you prefer an opinion essay, you can express your thoughts on the character development, the ending of the series, or the impact of the book on your own life. For an informative essay, you can focus on the background of the author, the historical context of the book, or the scientific aspects of the maze.

For example, if you decide to write an essay about the theme of sacrifice in The Maze Runner, your thesis statement could be: "The theme of sacrifice in The Maze Runner highlights the characters' selflessness and the importance of unity in the face of adversity."

In the of your essay, you can start by setting the scene and providing background information about the book and its author. You can then introduce your thesis statement and outline the main points you will be discussing in your essay.

In the of your essay, you can summarize the key points you have discussed and restate your thesis statement in a compelling way. You can also leave the reader with a thought-provoking question or a call to action related to the themes of The Maze Runner.

Literary Analysis of The Maze Runner by James Dashner

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Plot Overview of "The Maze Runner"

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Symbols in The Maze Runner

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The Maze Runner Lesson Plans for Teachers

Teaching The Maze Runner

The Maze Runner lesson plan contains a variety of teaching materials that cater to all learning styles. Inside you'll find 30 Daily Lessons, 20 Fun Activities, 180 Multiple Choice Questions, 60 Short Essay Questions, 20 Essay Questions, Quizzes/Homework Assignments, Tests, and more. The lessons and activities will help students gain an intimate understanding of the text, while the tests and quizzes will help you evaluate how well the students have grasped the material. View a free sample

Target Grade: 7th-12th (Middle School and High School)

Length of Lesson Plan: Approximately 164 pages. Page count is estimated at 300 words per page. Length will vary depending on format viewed.

Browse The Maze Runner Lesson Plan:

Full Lesson Plan Overview

Completely customizable.

The Maze Runner lesson plan is downloadable in PDF and Word. The Word file is viewable with any PC or Mac and can be further adjusted if you want to mix questions around and/or add your own headers for things like "Name," "Period," and "Date." The Word file offers unlimited customizing options so that you can teach in the most efficient manner possible. Once you download the file, it is yours to keep and print for your classroom. View a FREE sample

Lesson Plan Calendars

The Lesson Plan Calendars provide daily suggestions about what to teach. They include detailed descriptions of when to assign reading, homework, in-class work, fun activities, quizzes, tests and more. Use the entire The Maze Runner calendar, or supplement it with your own curriculum ideas. Calendars cover one, two, four, and eight week units. Determine how long your The Maze Runner unit will be, then use one of the calendars provided to plan out your entire lesson.

Chapter Abstracts

Chapter abstracts are short descriptions of events that occur in each chapter of The Maze Runner . They highlight major plot events and detail the important relationships and characteristics of important characters. The Chapter Abstracts can be used to review what the students have read, or to prepare the students for what they will read. Hand the abstracts out in class as a study guide, or use them as a "key" for a class discussion. They are relatively brief, but can serve to be an excellent refresher of The Maze Runner for either a student or teacher.

Character and Object Descriptions

Character and Object Descriptions provide descriptions of the significant characters as well as objects and places in The Maze Runner . These can be printed out and used as an individual study guide for students, a "key" for leading a class discussion, a summary review prior to exams, or a refresher for an educator. The character and object descriptions are also used in some of the quizzes and tests in this lesson plan. The longest descriptions run about 200 words. They become shorter as the importance of the character or object declines.

Daily Lessons

This section of the lesson plan contains 30 Daily Lessons. Daily Lessons each have a specific objective and offer at least three (often more) ways to teach that objective. Lessons include classroom discussions, group and partner activities, in-class handouts, individual writing assignments, at least one homework assignment, class participation exercises and other ways to teach students about The Maze Runner in a classroom setting. You can combine daily lessons or use the ideas within them to create your own unique curriculum. They vary greatly from day to day and offer an array of creative ideas that provide many options for an educator.

Fun Classroom Activities

Fun Classroom Activities differ from Daily Lessons because they make "fun" a priority. The 20 enjoyable, interactive classroom activities that are included will help students understand The Maze Runner in fun and entertaining ways. Fun Classroom Activities include group projects, games, critical thinking activities, brainstorming sessions, writing poems, drawing or sketching, and countless other creative exercises. Many of the activities encourage students to interact with each other, be creative and think "outside of the box," and ultimately grasp key concepts from the text by "doing" rather than simply studying. Fun activities are a great way to keep students interested and engaged while still providing a deeper understanding of The Maze Runner and its themes.

Essay Questions/Writing Assignments

These 20 Essay Questions/Writing Assignments can be used as essay questions on a test, or as stand-alone essay topics for a take-home or in-class writing assignment on The Maze Runner . Students should have a full understanding of the unit material in order to answer these questions. They often include multiple parts of the work and ask for a thorough analysis of the overall text. They nearly always require a substantial response. Essay responses are typically expected to be one (or more) page(s) and consist of multiple paragraphs, although it is possible to write answers more briefly. These essays are designed to challenge a student's understanding of the broad points in a work, interactions among the characters, and main points and themes of the text. But, they also cover many of the other issues specific to the work and to the world today.

Short Essay Questions

The 60 Short Essay Questions listed in this section require a one to two sentence answer. They ask students to demonstrate a deeper understanding of The Maze Runner by describing what they've read, rather than just recalling it. The short essay questions evaluate not only whether students have read the material, but also how well they understand and can apply it. They require more thought than multiple choice questions, but are shorter than the essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

The 180 Multiple Choice Questions in this lesson plan will test a student's recall and understanding of The Maze Runner . Use these questions for quizzes, homework assignments or tests. The questions are broken out into sections, so they focus on specific chapters within The Maze Runner . This allows you to test and review the book as you proceed through the unit. Typically, there are 5-15 questions per chapter, act or section.

Evaluation Forms

Use the Oral Reading Evaluation Form when students are reading aloud in class. Pass the forms out before you assign reading, so students will know what to expect. You can use the forms to provide general feedback on audibility, pronunciation, articulation, expression and rate of speech. You can use this form to grade students, or simply comment on their progress.

Use the Writing Evaluation Form when you're grading student essays. This will help you establish uniform criteria for grading essays even though students may be writing about different aspects of the material. By following this form you will be able to evaluate the thesis, organization, supporting arguments, paragraph transitions, grammar, spelling, punctuation, etc. of each student's essay.

Quizzes/Homework Assignments

The Quizzes/Homework Assignments are worksheets that can be used in a variety of ways. They pull questions from the multiple choice and short essay sections, the character and object descriptions, and the chapter abstracts to create worksheets that can be used for pop quizzes, in-class assignments and homework. Periodic homework assignments and quizzes are a great way to encourage students to stay on top of their assigned reading. They can also help you determine which concepts and ideas your class grasps and which they need more guidance on. By pulling from the different sections of the lesson plan, quizzes and homework assignments offer a comprehensive review of The Maze Runner in manageable increments that are less substantial than a full blown test.

Use the Test Summary page to determine which pre-made test is most relevant to your students' learning styles. This lesson plan provides both full unit tests and mid-unit tests. You can choose from several tests that include differing combinations of multiple choice questions, short answer questions, short essay questions, full essay questions, character and object matching, etc. Some of the tests are designed to be more difficult than others. Some have essay questions, while others are limited to short-response questions, like multiple choice, matching and short answer questions. If you don't find the combination of questions that best suits your class, you can also create your own test on The Maze Runner .

Create Your Own Quiz or Test

You have the option to Create Your Own Quiz or Test. If you want to integrate questions you've developed for your curriculum with the questions in this lesson plan, or you simply want to create a unique test or quiz from the questions this lesson plan offers, it's easy to do. Cut and paste the information from the Create Your Own Quiz or Test page into a Word document to get started. Scroll through the sections of the lesson plan that most interest you and cut and paste the exact questions you want to use into your new, personalized The Maze Runner lesson plan.

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The Maze Runner

127 pages • 4 hours read

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-4

Chapters 5-8

Chapters 9-12

Chapters 13-16

Chapters 17-20

Chapters 21-24

Chapters 25-28

Chapters 29-32

Chapters 33-36

Chapters 37-40

Chapters 41-44

Chapters 45-48

Chapters 49-52

Chapters 53-56

Chapters 57-60

Chapters 61-63 (Epilogue)

Character Analysis

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Discussion Questions

Summary and Study Guide

The Maze Runner is a young adult novel set in a post-apocalyptic world. The story begins in a dark metal elevator, where a teenage boy awakens with no real memories other than the fact that his name is Thomas . When the elevator stops and the doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by teenage boys. Their leader, a boy named Alby , welcomes Thomas to the Glade . Thomas quickly sees that the Glade is surrounded by high stone walls covered in ivy. The Glade, in fact, appears to be a large square piece of land with a few scattered buildings. In each of the four walls, there is a narrow opening.

Over the course of the next few days, Thomas learns that behind the walls lies the Maze , which as its name implies, is a massive labyrinth. The Maze is filled with Grievers, horribly violent mechanical creatures that only come out at night. Since the openings into the Maze, the Doors, close at night, the Grievers cannot get into the Glade. During the day, a group of Gladers known as the Runners navigate the Maze in the hope of finding an exit. On the same day every month, the elevator, called the Box, brings a new teenager, and supplies are delivered every week. On the day after Thomas arrives, however, the Box uncharacteristically returns with another teenager—the first and only girl to arrive in the Glade—who appears to be in a coma.

The next day Alby, the leader, and Minho , the Keeper of the Runners, go into the Maze to investigate a dead Griever that Minho found the previous day. Just before the Doors close for the night, Thomas sees an exhausted Minho dragging an unconscious Alby towards the Door. With no one around to help, and with the fear of breaking the number one rule, which forbids Gladers to enter the Maze at night, Thomas slips through the Doors to help Alby and Minho just as the Doors close. Minho tells Thomas that Alby was stung by the “dead” Griever, and that now all three of them have no chance of surviving the night. Thomas and Minho eventually lure a group of Grievers away from Alby’s body and towards the Cliff , a mysterious place in the Maze where the path ends in an empty expanse of gray light. As the Grievers charge the two boys, they dive out of the way and cause the Grievers to disappear over the Cliff.

By the time Thomas and Minho arrive at Alby’s body the next morning, the Doors are open again and the other Gladers are staring at the boys in disbelief—they are the first people to ever have survived a night in the Maze. Newt , Alby’s second-in-command, has Alby taken to receive the Grief Serum, which causes the ailing leader to undergo the Changing . The Changing is a painful side effect of the serum that causes the Gladers to recall some of their life before the Maze, and no one ever is the same afterwards.

The next few days bring a string of first events for the Gladers. The girl, whose name is Teresa , wakes up from her coma and it is revealed that she has been sent as a trigger for the ending. She tells Thomas that the Maze is a code. Also, the sun disappears, which causes the crops and animals to dwindle and, most significantly, causes the Doors to remain open at night. The Grievers enter the Glade on the first night after the sun disappears and carry of a boy named Gally , who tells the Gladers before he is taken that the Grievers will only take one boy per night until the end.

The next day, Thomas uses the Maps that the Runners create every day to figure out that the Maze’s walls have been repeating words: FLOAT, CATCH, BLEED, DEATH, STIFF, and PUSH. To better understand what the code means, Thomas purposely gets stung by the Grievers to go through the Changing in an attempt to regain his memories. After he recovers, Thomas tells the Gladers that in order to escape they must punch the code into a computer station by jumping off the Cliff and into the Griever Hole, an invisible portal. 

After finally convincing the Gladers to follow his plan, Thomas helps to lead an armed band of Gladers into the Maze. At the Cliff, the Gladers find a group of Grievers waiting for them, while other Grievers cut off their escape. The Gladers find that they must fight for their lives and make a way for Thomas and Teresa to get inside the Griever Hole. When they finally make it inside, they use the code and effectively shut down all the Grievers and the Maze.

The surviving Gladers join up with Thomas and Teresa inside the Griever Hole, and a long, slimy slide brings them all into an underground compound where they come face to face with the Creators, who sent them into the Maze. A woman with the word WICKED stitched on her shirt approaches them with a hooded teenager, and congratulates them for having survived this far, but says there is still one more test. The teenager reveals himself to be Gally, and throws a knife at Thomas while under some sort of mind control. Chuck , a fellow Glader, jumps in front of the knife to save Thomas. As Thomas mourns Chuck, a new group of men and women enter the compound and shoot the woman, as well as the rest of the Creators. The rescuers shuttle the Gladers onto a bus, where they drive through a post-apocalyptic landscape.

The Gladers are told that there has been an ecological disaster, known as the Flare, which has caused widespread death and a disease. WICKED’s intention is to raise children in the harsh environment of the Maze to test their resilience for hope. The group that rescued the Gladers is opposed to WICKED’s inhumane treatment of children and they bring the Gladers to a safe-house, where they are given food and beds.

The novel ends with a memo from the Chancellor of the Maze Trials, Ava Paige, writing that the boy’s murder and “rescue” was a good finale to the experiment. Ava then writes that after the group gets a good night’s rest, they will proceed with stage 2 of the experiment.

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The Maze Runner extract with questions and essay prompt

Subject: English

Age range: 11-14

Resource type: Worksheet/Activity

Last updated

29 June 2021

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Extract from The Maze Runner broken up with discussion questions, including PEEL paragraph prompts and a 24 mark question. KS3 level.

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The Maze Runner

By james dashner, the maze runner summary and analysis of chapters 1 to 5.

Thomas awakens in a dark metal room which he quickly realizes is an ascending elevator. He can only remember his name but nothing else about his life. He has no idea where he is or where he is going. Most importantly, he has no idea why any of this is happening. Thomas is perplexed by his memory loss. He can recall images of the world but cannot remember anyone in it. He cannot remember his parents’ faces or a single conversation he has ever had with anyone.

The elevator comes to a halt and Thomas is left in darkness for several minutes. He tries to find a way out but cannot. He begins banging on the walls frantically, calling out for help. There is no answer. Finally, there is a loud clang and the doors begin to open above him. The light outside blinds him. He hears voices.

As his eyes adjust he sees that he is surrounded by other boys roughly his age, all teenagers. A rope is lowered down to him. He hesitates but finally grabs hold and is pulled up out of the elevator. One boy greets him with words Thomas knows he will never forget: “Welcome to the Glade.”

Thomas finds himself surrounded by the other children. Some point and laugh. Others jab him in the chest. Thomas can see that he is in a courtyard, several times the size of a football field. Each side of the courtyard is surrounded by a stone wall several hundred feet high. In the middle of each side of the wall there is an opening that leads to corridors and passages beyond. The boys comment to each other using phrases and jargon that Thomas cannot understand. Words like “shuck”, “shank”, and “slopper” are thrown around in casual conversation. One of the boys tells the others to be quiet. Thomas guesses that this boy must be the leader.

In a corner of the courtyard stands a dilapidated wooden building. In another corner Thomas can see corn, tomato, and fruit trees. Nearby are holding pens for livestock. Thomas can see the sky above but with the walls being as high as they are it is difficult to discern the time of day. The smells of the area immediately tell Thomas that he is on some sort of farm.

The dark-skinned boy that Thomas had guessed was the leader steps forward. He tells Thomas that he will give him the full tour tomorrow. He tells Thomas that his name is Alby and extends his hand. Thomas refuses and walks away, sitting under a tree. He asks Alby to tell him what is happening. Alby rolls his eyes.

Thomas studies the group. There are fifty or sixty boys, ranging from teenagers to young adults. Thomas suddenly realizes that he does not even remember his own age. He gives up on trying to look brave. He asks Alby where he is. Alby sits down next to him and tells him that if he wasn’t scared he wouldn’t be human. If he behaved any differently Alby would believe he was psychotic and throw him off The Cliff. This only frightens Thomas more. Alby sees that he is only scaring Thomas more and tries to calm him by telling him that they don’t kill “shanks” like him. Thomas is only more distraught at hearing this.

One of the other boys steps in and slaps Alby across the head. He tells Alby to wait for the tour. His name is Newt . He is about a year younger than Alby. Alby continues, explaining that this place is known as the Glade. All the boys eat, sleep, and live there. They call themselves Gladers.

Suddenly, a piercing human scream emerges from the wooden building. Newt runs off, telling Thomas to find Chuck for his sleeping arrangements. Thomas slumps against the tree, wishing he could wake up from this nightmare.

Thomas tries to gather himself while sitting under the sky. He hears a noise above him and looks up to see something red and silver dart around one of the branches and disappear. He stands to get a better look but cannot locate what he saw. A chubby boy nearby tells him it was a Beetle blade and that it won’t hurt him unless he’s foolish enough to touch one of them.

Another scream comes from the wooden building. Thomas asks the chubby boy what is going on in there. The chubby boy tells Thomas that Ben is in there and is quite sick. “ They got him”, he adds. Thomas asks who they are. The chubby boy tells him he should hope he never finds out. He introduces himself as Chuck, Thomas’s guide for the night. Another scream comes from the wooden building. Chuck giggles to himself. Thomas asks how he can laugh at a time like this. Chuck tells Thomas that Ben will be okay as long as he gets the Serum. The process is just painful. Thomas asks what process Chuck is referring to. “Getting stung by the Grievers”, Chuck responds. Thomas is not sure he wants to know what the Grievers are. He asks Chuck how old he thinks he is. Chuck reasons that Thomas is about sixteen years old. Thomas is surprised. He feels older.

Thomas and Chuck make their way toward the wooden building. Thomas opens the door of the dilapidated building to see a group of boys inside at the foot of a staircase. The inside smells of mildew and mold. There are no furnishings except a dusty vase on a three-legged table and an old photo of a woman in a white dress. Thomas moves to make his way up the stairs but is stopped by a dark-haired boy who tells him that he remembers Thomas from somewhere before. Thomas tells this bully that he is mistaken. The bully is sure of it and says that Ben will say the same. He tells Thomas that he saw him during the Changing.

Thomas says he wants to speak to Newt and that if Newt is upstairs that is where he will go. The bully, whose name is Gally , suddenly changes tune and tells him to go on. The floor on the second story is flimsy and rickety but Thomas presses on toward the only door with a light under it. He opens the door to find Newt and Alby hunched over a figure on a bed. Thomas gets a brief look at Ben, the patient, and the image is seared into his memory. Ben appears pale and weak, writhing in agony. His skin is covered with sickly green veins, purplish bruises, and red hives. His eyes are bloodshot. Alby jumps up and pushes Thomas out of the room. He tells Thomas that if he sees again before tomorrow he’ll throw him off the Cliff.

Thomas departs quickly from the wooden building and heads back outside, leading Chuck by the arm. Chuck tells him to wait under the tree again while he gets some food from Frypan . He wants desperately to remember anything else about his life and to leave this place as soon as possible. He wants to forget what he has just seen: The Changing .

As he waits for Chuck to return, Thomas takes stock of the Glade. He notices a concrete bunker near the elevator hole where he first arrived. There are no windows on the bunker, only a steel door with a wheel on it to open and close it, like on a submarine. He studies the openings on each wall side. Just then, Chuck arrives with sandwiches. Thomas continues to inquire about Ben and the Glade, but Chuck is evasive about answering.

Finally, frustrated, Thomas makes his way toward one of the openings. Chuck stops him, telling him that the doors are about to close, just as they do every night. Thomas cannot believe that such massive constructions as these walls could be doors that move and close. Chuck persists, telling Thomas that the Runners will be back soon and then the doors will close. Upon closer examination of the wall, Thomas can see that Chuck is telling the truth.

He asks Chuck how such mammoth constructions can move. Chuck, now frustrated, says he does not know but that they do and that the same thing happens out in the Maze. Thomas snaps to attention. He asks Chuck about the Maze. Chuck’s face turns red. He tells Thomas he’s done telling him anything and slinks away.

Thomas looks out past the doors. There are turns and corridors beyond. Suddenly, a boy turns one of the corners and is running toward the Glade. He is exhausted, drenched in sweat and looking very ragged. The boy runs past Thomas and toward the concrete bunker building near the Box elevator. Other runners are coming in from the other wall openings on each side, all of them looking just as weary as the first boy. The runners meet outside the concrete bunker door and open it before disappearing inside and closing it. Thomas is completely lost. Suddenly a loud boom startles him and the massive doors begin to close with the sound of crunching and grinding. Thomas is overcome with a sense of claustrophobia. Chuck reappears and tells Thomas to remain calm. Thomas has to fight the urge to run about past the closing doors to see what is in the Maze. Chuck pulls him away, telling it’s best to be in bed at nighttime.

Thomas follows Chuck toward the Homestead, the name Chuck has given to the dilapidated wooden building. Thomas is not in the mood for games but Chuck has decided to play a practical joke on whomever is in the bathroom. He places a wooden box on the ground outside the bathroom window, reaches up, and taps on the window. A voice inside inquires who it is and the window opens. Chuck jumps up and screams at the top of his lungs sending the victim falling to the ground. Chuck takes off running. Thomas recognizes the voice of the angry boy inside. It is Gally.

Gally runs out of the bathroom and outside pursuing Chuck. He is stopped by Thomas who says that he did not do it. Gally asks how he knows something was done if he didn’t do it. Thomas realizes that Gally is not all that big and scary after all. He is uncomfortable but not scared of him anymore. He could take him if he had to. Gally threatens him regardless, telling him to decide who he wants for his friends and enemies. He tells Thomas that next time blood will be spilled if such a prank is played again. Gally storms off angrily.

Thomas turns to Chuck. Chuck says he would not have done it if he knew it was Gally inside. Thomas tells him not to apologize and finds himself laughing. He enjoyed it. He feels better though is surprised to hear himself laughing at all.

Thomas finds himself on a sleeping bag next to Chuck on a lawn near the garden. Quite a few of the other boys are sleeping there too. There is not enough room in the Homestead. Strangely, Thomas feels comfortable and at home in these new surroundings. This new calm startles him. Something is not right. He sits up suddenly and tells Chuck that he wants to be a Runner. Chuck dismisses his enthusiasm, telling him that he’s not even sure what he is talking about. Thomas is aware of this, but can’t shake the feeling that the Glade is familiar to him. “I think I’ve been here before”, he tells Chuck. Chuck sits up, surprised. Thomas lays down and sleeps, not sure if any more should be said about the matter.

Thomas's exposure to the Glade comes alongside our own. As he learns more about this strange place and the children who inhabit it, we do as well, solidifying our connection to the protagonist. We wish to learn as much about the Glade as Thomas does. Thomas's amnesia is a common trope in literature and other media. Here, it serves to heighten the mystery and provides Thomas with a motivation: to escape and learn about who he is and where he came from. This instant victimization of Thomas additionally allows the reader to sympathize and identify with him. The reader wishes to obtain the same answers that Thomas does.

The Glade is a sort of penitentiary, surrounded on all sides by high walls. Dashner reverses the intention of a penitentiary. Traditionally, they are designed to keep dangerous individuals separated from a safer, just society. In the novel, the Glade serves to keep a safe community protected from a hostile outside world.

It is this community which is perhaps of greatest interest. First, the teenagers that Thomas encounters are on their own, with no supervisory adult figure in the Glade. Alby, the makeshift leader, has to assume this position. Second, all of the Gladers are boys. No females are present. This reiterates the prison-like nature of the Gladers' situation. In prisons, the genders are generally kept separated. However, it also reflects one of two other works in literature that Dashner has cited as influences on this novel: The Lord of the Flies by William Golding. Dashner also cites Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card as an influence. Like Golding's book, the characters are all young boys on the verge of teenage-dom. In that novel the boys are stranded on an island and must work together to establish order in their community so that they may survive and be rescued.

Dashner appears to use this as a plot point to establish a theme in his novel. The Gladers must work together to preserve order in the Glade so that they may survive. Individualism is seen as a chaotic force, one that threatens to disrupt this order and threaten the survival of all in the Glade. Upon his arrival, Thomas can be seen as embodying some of this chaotic energy. He is upset about the rules of the Glade and how no one can seem to tell him what is going on. He butts heads with Gally early on, only to regret it when he forces his way up to Ben's room and sees the boy enduring the Changing.

Chuck emerges as a friend who tries to steer Thomas away from trouble and show him the ways of life in the Glade. Some readers may see his character as reminiscent of the character of Piggy in The Lord of the Flies . Like Piggy, Chuck represents innocence and purity. He is kind to everyone though he is seldom treated kindly by others. Even Thomas grows impatient and annoyed by him and sometimes insults him. Nonetheless, he also confides in Chuck when he tells him that he wishes to become a Runner. Chuck proves to be trusthworthy, keeping this information to himself. The relationship between these characters shows some of the most development over the course of the novel.

Gally's character helps facilitate the bond between Chuck and Thomas. Gally is immediately suspicious of Thomas and is sure that he has seen Thomas somewhere before. This revelation foreshadows events to come. Regardless, Gally's embarrassment over being frightened by Chuck's prank demonstrates a weakness that alters Thomas's perception of Gally, and to some degree of Chuck as well. Gally is no longer as frightening or intimidating as he once was. This concept, that something that once frightened you can be made trivial once its weakness is revealed, is repeated throughout the novel. Chuck, Thomas comes to see, is a friend and someone whose company he can even come to enjoy and appreciate.

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.

The protagonist feels trapped and wants to escape. When/how does Thomas show his desire to escape the Glade? In dialogue

Thomas wants all the Gladers to escape one day. For example Thomas reflects on Chuck's death, telling Teresa about the promise he made to him. Thomas's characterization as a savior of the Gladers and the resulting guilt he experiences when he is...

How does Minho react to the major change in the Gladers' enviroment?

Minho reacts by immediately going back to study the maps they've been making along the way. Thomas is shocked that he didn't tell Alby and Newt first, but Minho takes charge. As a runner, he wants to check everything thoroughly.

What do the words stamped into the stone of the walls suggest about the world outside the maze? What might it suggest about why the boys are in the Glade?

Chapter please?

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