The Maze Runner Research Paper

723 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Dystopian society

The Maze Runner
Universal themes are apparent across time, culture, and place, which are evident in all stories. For example, The Maze Runner, by James Dashner, exposes universal themes in a dystopian science fiction society. In the Maze Runner, a society of males with ranging ages are trapped inside of a maze-like structure, and are forced to find a way to survive and live under an unknown authority. One universal theme used in The Maze Runner, is characterization. Characterization is used to help build a bond and a sense of emotion towards certain characters.
One character that Dashner introduces in the beginning of the movie is Gally. Gally is a young boy, approximately nineteen years old, who has been trapped in the maze for three years. His role in the society is to run. Being a runner is one of the more masculine jobs in the society they live in. His job is to find a way out of the maze and find freedom for everyone who is trapped inside. Gally is viewed as a bully or a strong, built-tough figure. Gally’s and Thomas’ relationship is not a positive one. Gally envies Thomas because he believes that everything Thomas has done has hurt the way his society lives. At one point in the movie Gally says, “Things are changing. There is no denying that. First Ben
Thomas is only in the maze for a few days before major changes start happening. Thomas is also a runner; he is viewed by many, as their only hope of escaping. He is brave and sacrifices his life to save others. Thomas is not afraid of the pressure; his main focus is to find the way out. Even though Gally has a strong dislike for Thomas, Thomas often tries to help Gally along the way. For example in the movie, Thomas says,” You don't have to come with us, but we are leaving. Anyone else who wants to come, now is your last chance!” (Thomas, The Maze Runner.) This shows that even though Gally has tried to hurt and even kill Thomas, Thomas is still trying to help

Show More
Related

  • Courage in To Kill a Mockingbird

    907 Words  | 2 Pages

    An idea that recurs in or pervades a work of art of literature can be referred to as a “Theme”. Themes often explore timeless and universal ideas and may be implied rather than stated explicitly. Theme is an important part of fictional stories. Several themes are presented in the novel to kill a mocking bird. One of the reoccurring themes in to kill a mockingbird is courage.

    Read More

  • Uncle Basil In The Sniper

    495 Words  | 1 Pages

    First, he looked at the drawn maps of the maze and it didn't take him long to figure out how to solve the maze and how to do it. “We need wax paper and scissors”(from chapter 15) is what Thomas said to his friends, as if he didn't want to loose this sudden train of thought . Another example of Thomas's unknown intellect was when he intentionally threw himself into a griever to go threw the changing to get some of his memorise to see if he would remember anything that would be helpful for him and his friends. This all proves that Thomas knew what he was doing and how to do

    Read More

  • Maze Runner Compare And Contrast Essay

    588 Words  | 2 Pages

    Now Thomas from The Maze Runner has to keep moving he doesn’t look back he has to keep on moving forward (or backwards, wherever the maze takes him). Besides Chuck (which was probably his best friend at the time) he left them for

    Read More

  • The Hero's Journey in The Maze Runner, by James Dashner

    1808 Words  | 4 Pages

    Anyone as brave as Thomas does not sit back and relax to watch one of his injured friends from being trapped outside as it is about to hit night time. An injured person outside of their safe haven almost equals imminent death. Thomas instinctively ran to his injured comrade in order to save him, to only find out that he himself is also trapped outside of the Glades. "For several seconds, Thomas felt like the world had frozen in place. A thick silence followed the thunderous rumble of the Door closing, and a ...

    Read More

  • Universal Themes Of Racism And Better The Youth By Alan Baker

    162 Words  | 1 Pages

    The universal themes that are used in the story are racism and better the young.”And mothers and fathers, if it is too late for you, think of your children. Make it safe so they don't have to run away, for I want for you and your children what I had.”( Baker, 83) These themes are universal because both talk about things that has happened multiple times. Like better the young. We want the young to be the greatest generation and not make the mistakes we had made. The children of each generation need to be better than the last generations. The other theme racism. Racism was back then and it is now. The theme talks about the racism in the past and in the present and in the future. Racism will be the theme for lots of things in the present but also

    Read More

  • Gene And Finny Relationship

    902 Words  | 2 Pages

    Gene symbolizes inner war, while Finny symbolizes a sense of peace. Gene is the jealous one in the friendship, and he is also the one to immediately jump to conclusions. Finny is a little stubborn and manipulative, but he tries his hardest to be a good person. An example to prove this statement is when Gene suddenly assumed that Finny was trying to sabotage his achievements during school. When Gene reacted to this by being jealous of Finny, it showed that he was the type to make assumptions off of little factual evidence. Gene’s jealousy and hatred towards Finny resulted in him purposefully inflicting harm on Finny. Finny is the type of boy to try and talk himself out of anything, making him very manipulative and liked around Devon. The book causes the reader to believe that Finny was liked by most of his classmates and his teachers, this giving him an advantage when he tried to get out of trouble. The book gives us many examples of this. One being when Finny was late because of jumping off of the limb, and another when he talked himself out of trouble for wearing a pink shirt and a tie as a belt.

    Read More

  • James Dashner's Maze Runner

    926 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hey you, Yeah… YOU! Would you want to live in a society where you live in a box for your entire life, and mean absolutely nothing to the just about anyone? For science right? NOPE! Obviously, Societies fall as a result of a corrupt government, Failing Social Structure, and Sickness. It is due to these factors that many great societies such as Greece, Rome, and the society depicted in the book Maze Runner fall.

    Read More

  • Maze Runner Hero's Journey

    814 Words  | 2 Pages

    In The Maze Runner, Thomas and a bunch of other guys from the glade are stuck in a giant maze with no way out. Thomas is the main character and this is how he follows the hero’s journey and becomes a hero. Reasons are Call to adventure, Ordeal, Death\, and rebirth, Crossing the threshold.

    Read More

  • Innocence In The Maze Runner

    889 Words  | 2 Pages

    For instance, when the people of the Glade discover that Ben got stung by a Griever, they immediately bring him to the entrance of the maze with bad intentions: Ben cries, “Please don’t! Please don’t do this!” (Ball) The boys began to use long sticks to usher Ben into the maze while it closes, intending to trap him in there. Under those circumstances, Chuck looked very disappointed and so ashamed that he walked away from what was happening. This practice displayed the savagery that goes on inside the Glade and how Chuck doesn’t believe that what the boys did was morally right. Furthermore, upon Teresa’s arrival, came the antidote to “the changing” (Ball). When a Griever stung Alby, Thomas used this cure on him in hopes to save him from the infection. Had the Gladers not jump into such ruthless actions so quickly, Ben would still be alive. To emphasize, Chuck also paid a visit to Thomas in the pit: “It’s just me, you’ll run better on a full stomach.” (Ball) Chuck’s concern for Thomas’s well-being supports his innocence because nobody else cared to bring Thomas food. Chuck acts like a brother figure to Thomas and these bonds need to grow throughout the community. Creating positive relationships in which the Gladers only support and help each other, is the only way out of the maze alive. If there is too much hostility between the members of the glade, not only

    Read More

  • Native Son Theme Essay

    1329 Words  | 3 Pages

    When Thomas awakes the next morning it takes him a little until he is fully conscious and remembers that he had to complete his plan by taking the trunk to the station. Before Thomas could finish packing up his clothes

    Read More

  • Foreshadowing In The Maze Runner

    909 Words  | 2 Pages

    In The Maze Runner, Thomas recalls nothing of his life except for his name. He finds himself surrounded by a bunch of boys. Like all the other Gladers, Thomas appears in the Glade terrified and disoriented. However, he senses a powerful bond to the Maze. He quickly exhibits courage and confidence when he saves Alby and Minho from the Grievers after they had to spend the night in the Maze.

    Read More

  • The Maze Runner Archetype Analysis

    820 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Maze Runner is a 2014 mystery/science fiction film that can be viewed from an archetypal perspective. An archetype can be described as a pattern that can and is copied and recurring symbols or characters. The concept of archetypes came from Carl Jung a psychiatrist who believed that all cultures use archetypes to build stories without communicating to each other about them. Two groups of archetypes are the character and symbolic archetypes. The film The Maze Runner should be analyzed through an archetypal perspective because it has character and symbolic archetypes.

    Read More

  • Essay On The Maze Runner

    651 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Maze Runner by James Dashner is a science fiction novel that includes action and thriller. The novel is about a sixteen year old boy named Thomas who wakes up with no memory from where he came from or who he is or what he was doing there and in a metal cage box surrounded by many teenage boys looking at him weirdly. Throughout the novel there is many science-fiction themes and characteristics displayed such as futuristic technology, alien, robot like creatures environmental and social changes also unrealistic and fictional events.

    Read More

  • The Maze Runner, by James Dashner

    1396 Words  | 3 Pages

    In conclusion Thomas is portrayed as a heroic, caring and compassionate character. Thomas proves he is heroic when he risked his life to save both Minho and Alby. He also proves to be caring when it comes to his young friend, Chuck, by acting as a brotherly figure. Minho is portrayed as a brave and intelligent character throughout the novel. Minho can be seen as intelligent when he deceived the entire council of Gladers into agreeing to make Thomas a runner. He is also perceived as a brave character when he ran toward the cluster of grievers, risking his life so he can figure out where their camp is.

    Read More

  • Things Fall Apart Theme Essay

    1621 Words  | 4 Pages

    For an abundance of authors, the driving force that aids them in creation of a novel is the theme or number of themes implemented throughout the novel. Often times the author doesn’t consciously identify the theme they’re trying to present. Usually a theme is a concept, principle or belief that is significant to an author. Not only does the theme create the backbone of the story, but it also guides the author by controlling the events that happen in a story, what emotions are dispersed, what are the actions of characters, and what emotions are presented within each environment to engage the readers in many

    Read More

More about The Maze Runner Research Paper

Open Document