Maze Runner
- 1. New Dystopian Hero By Matthew King
- 2. Quick Summary • Thomas awakens in an elevator • He remembers nothing but his name • Nothing from his past, family, world outside • He is greeted by a group of teenage boys • They have created weird slang. He is nicknamed Greenie since he is new • He and the others have been placed in a massive maze • The middle of the maze is their living area, they call it the Glade • Thomas learns that the walls of the maze move at night • Outside the Glade at night, Grievers roam the maze
- 3. Summary Continued • Everybody in the Glade is assigned a job • Thomas has a gut feeling he is meant to be a runner • Runners traverse the maze during the day before the walls move • Acting fast, Thomas runs out into the maze as the walls are moving to help Minho and Alby (two of the main runners) • Discovers the people who put them there are called WICKED (World In Catastrophe: Killzone Experiment Department) • Thomas defeats a couple of grievers (Weird, mechanical killing machines) • Becomes the first to survive a night outside the walls • Thomas figures out that the walls moving is a sort of message • Helps the gladers escape the maze in an epic battle • Lead away from the maze by a rebel group • They are told of the horrors of the outside world and the Flare, a disease killing millions and turning people into savage, mindless killers
- 4. Problems in this Dystopia • Social Structure • Alby and Newt assume the leadership roles • Everybody else is assigned a position in the Glade • The Glade is their only safe haven within the maze • Outside the maze is dangerous, especially at night • With the walls moving it’s hard to find way around • Outside world is plagued with the Flare • WICKED • The organization experiments on the teens to potentially find a cure to the flare • Though the Gladers don’t trust WICKED, it is hinted that “WICKED is good”
- 5. What happened to form this dystopia? • Though we are only given a glimpse at the end of the book but we can speculate that: • A massive solar flare struck the earth • A new disease broke out that became known as the Flare • Causes insanity and aggression • Zombie-like • WICKED formed to find a cure for the Flare • The maze was an experiment to map the brain and it’s response to certain “variables”
- 6. Thomas: The Dystopian Hero! • Shortly after his arrival he becomes the first Glader to survive a night outside the safety of the Glade • He found himself there after running out to rescue two other runners; Minho and Alby • First to defeat not just one griever, but multiple • He is smart, compassionate, and strong willed • He leads the Gladers out of the maze in an epic battle with the grievers • Becomes the primary leader for the group • Though hesitant at first, Thomas gains the trust of the Gladers and they look up to him
- 7. A Cure for the Dystopia • Thomas leads the Gladers out of the maze • (Although possibly right into another experiment) • WICKED • Mapping brain patterns in the Gladers • Thomas being the strongest candidate in their tests could possibly result in a cure to the Flare…
- 8. Looking at our own Society’s Fears • Weapons of war-Some of which are biological • Our world is in constant threat of war-currently we have ISIS stirring up problems • Catastrophic Events • Earthquakes, Tornadoes, Hurricanes, Solar Flares (like in the book) • Disease Plaguing the World • We’ve had a recent Ebola scare • West Nile Virus • Bird Flu
- 9. For a Promising Tomorrow • Moral limitations on weapons of war • No biological warfare, nuclear warfare, etc. • Finding solutions other than war even (easier said than done with humans) • Better funding on disease research and prevention • Push to find cures to deadly disease • More focus on containing highly contagious disease