Not Just a Maze on the Back of a Kid’s Menu
Some of the Gladers are starting to get frustrated because when you think of a maze most people think of a little maze on the back of a kid’s menu. This is not that kind of maze.
The biggest problem in the book The Maze Runner is that the teens are stuck in a huge maze with killer machines, also known as Grievers. I believe that this is definitely the biggest problem because in one part of the book, Alby, one of the characters that has been there for two years, is giving Thomas a tour of the Glade and he explains, “Two years we’ve tried to solve this thing, no luck”(45). When Alby says that they have been in the Maze for two years we can assume that they have tried everything that seems possible to escape the Maze. If I was in this situation, I would not be able to stay calm like Alby and Thomas because they seem to act like they are trapped in a closet, not a giant maze.
In this maze there are other challenges as well. For example, during the day most people farm, cook, or clean. However, Runners, certain people that are especially intelligent and athletic, will go out into the Maze during the day and attempt to find an exit. But, there is a catch. At the end of every day, the Doors to the Maze close and the Maze walls on the outside shift and move around until the next morning when there is almost a completely different maze for the Runners to scout.
Finally, there is one last challenge - the Grievers. The Grievers are similar to killing machines. “The creature was a horrific mix of animal and machine…”(39) Thomas explained after he saw a Griever for the first time. The Grievers most commonly come out at night when the Doors close. If you happen to come upon a Griever, run, because if a Griever stings you with one of its needles, you will have to be injected with the special serum and you will go through the Changing. The Changing is when you are basically in coma. When you are in the Changing you can see different memories from your past, some helpful in solving the Maze some not so much. It is also extremely painful.
As you can see, the Maze is full of different challenges that either require intelligence or endurance, or even both. However, even though the Maze is overflowing with challenges, if you keep persevering you will eventually achieve your goal. The reason I created this chapter about the biggest conflicts in the book, The Maze Runner, was because if you know what the problem is in a book you are likely to understand it better. To learn more about the Maze in general, please read my chapter named, Klunk, Shank, Shuck, Huh?
The biggest problem in the book The Maze Runner is that the teens are stuck in a huge maze with killer machines, also known as Grievers. I believe that this is definitely the biggest problem because in one part of the book, Alby, one of the characters that has been there for two years, is giving Thomas a tour of the Glade and he explains, “Two years we’ve tried to solve this thing, no luck”(45). When Alby says that they have been in the Maze for two years we can assume that they have tried everything that seems possible to escape the Maze. If I was in this situation, I would not be able to stay calm like Alby and Thomas because they seem to act like they are trapped in a closet, not a giant maze.
In this maze there are other challenges as well. For example, during the day most people farm, cook, or clean. However, Runners, certain people that are especially intelligent and athletic, will go out into the Maze during the day and attempt to find an exit. But, there is a catch. At the end of every day, the Doors to the Maze close and the Maze walls on the outside shift and move around until the next morning when there is almost a completely different maze for the Runners to scout.
Finally, there is one last challenge - the Grievers. The Grievers are similar to killing machines. “The creature was a horrific mix of animal and machine…”(39) Thomas explained after he saw a Griever for the first time. The Grievers most commonly come out at night when the Doors close. If you happen to come upon a Griever, run, because if a Griever stings you with one of its needles, you will have to be injected with the special serum and you will go through the Changing. The Changing is when you are basically in coma. When you are in the Changing you can see different memories from your past, some helpful in solving the Maze some not so much. It is also extremely painful.
As you can see, the Maze is full of different challenges that either require intelligence or endurance, or even both. However, even though the Maze is overflowing with challenges, if you keep persevering you will eventually achieve your goal. The reason I created this chapter about the biggest conflicts in the book, The Maze Runner, was because if you know what the problem is in a book you are likely to understand it better. To learn more about the Maze in general, please read my chapter named, Klunk, Shank, Shuck, Huh?