thesis for the maze runner

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.

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

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.

Before You Read

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

The exit from the Box and entrance into the Glade can be seen as a birth of sorts, or a rebirth. Even the language the Gladers use is something newcomers have to learn. Using specific examples of Thomas’s experience, discuss how the concept of birth, as well as the concept of “growing up,” plays out in his character arc.

Order and stability are recurring themes in the novel. Discuss the importance of order and stability in the novel, giving examples of order in practice, as well as examples of what happens when order appears to break down.

Chuck , Alby and Gally all sacrifice themselves in the novel, though for different reasons. Describe each sacrifice, and then compare characters and why they sacrificed themselves.

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The Maze Runner Essays

Connections between The Maze Runner and Lost Memories Both my book, The Maze Runner, and the poem, Lost Memories, have something to do with lost memories. The main character Thomas awoke in a lift. He does not remember anything. The poems said "My mind went blank. " This is similar to what Thomas...

Thomas, an Incidental Hero A hero is a person of distinguished courage or ability, who sacrifices himself for other people, and leads people through difficult situations. In the book, The Maze Runner, there were many heroes but Thomas was the most heroic character. Even though Thomas was a new...

Maze Runner is a science fiction book by James Dashner. It takes place in a testing facility that is a giant maze in a post apocalyptic world. The main character Thomas' greatest fear is being stung by a griever. Grievers are large half mechanic half slug monster with mechanical arms and if it...

Maze runner Essay By: Brandon Stewart In the maze runner the world was hit by a massive solar flare which ruined a lot of the land on Earth. Because of this there was not enough food and supplies for everyone to have enough to eat and survive so the government created a disease called the “flare”...

?The Maze Runner Character Changes Summary: “When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. His memory is blank. But he’s not alone. When the lift’s doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade—a large, open expanse...

? Fabian Foerst January 10, 2014 6 set Three by Three THE MAZE RUNNER I read the maze runner by James Dashner for my second quarter independent reading book. This is the first of four books and each book has the same main character. I really enjoyed reading the book and I would give it a rating of...

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October 11, 2013 Period 1 Maze Runner Book Report Thomas is the narrator and protagonist of the story. He arrives in the maze with no knowledge of who he is or was. He only remembers his name and nothing else about his life. Thomas proves to be brave and clever even though he only has a very...

Next comes the events in the rising action. Chuck starts to tell Thomas information about the Glade. He says once a month, another boy is pulled up to the Glade in the Box (elevator). Every boy is assigned a job and has certain tasks to perform so they survive. He accidentally slips out how the...

The Maze Runner by James Dashner, this book is about a boy named Thomas being brought to a completely different place with no recollection of his past, his family, but only his first name. Trapped behind walls (the Glade), they (Gladers) would need to somehow solve an unsolvable maze to escape...

Thomas is brought into a place known as the Glade, with no memories except of his name. He and other teenage boys call themselves Gladers, and have made a community in which each is assigned to a task belonging to different departments headed by a Keeper. The Glade is surrounded by a gigantic Maze...

Maria Leal October 16, 2014 5th period Book report #1 The mace runner / James dasher Publisher: Delacorte Press year: 2009 pages: 376 Genre: Young-adult, science fiction, post-apocalyptic Protagonist Thomas is brought into a place known as the Glade, with no memories of his past life except of his...

“If you ain’t scared… you ain’t human.” — James Dashner, The Maze Runner “You are the shuckiest shuck faced shuck in the world!” — James Dashner, The Maze Runner “Shouldn't someone give a pep talk or something?" Minho asked, pulling Thomas's attention away from Alby. "Go ahead," Newt replied...

2 460 words

“The Maze Runner” is the first book of a trilogy written by American author, James Dashner. Set in the dystopian, post-apocalyptic future, sixteen year old Thomas wakes up remembering nothing about himself except his name. His memory has been completely wiped, only retaining basic memories, as...

2 925 words

The Maze Runner is considered to be one of the most popular stories with teenagers and young people in general. Both a book and a film are imbued with a certain number of issues that the author tried to bring up. The following themes are ones that are present throughout all of the time...

1 507 words

“If you ain't scared… you ain't human.” — Page 45 — “You are the hucksterism shuck faced shuck in the world!” — — “Shouldn't someone give a pep talk or something?" Minho asked, pulling Thomas's attention away from Alby."Go ahead," Newt replied.Minho nodded and faced the crowd. "Be careful," he...

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...

1 067 words

A boy finds himself in a dark metal elevator with the sounds of chains and pulleys around him. The smell of burnt oil, combined with the motion of the elevator, nauseates him. He has no recollection of how he came to be in the elevator, but knows that his name is Thomas. In fact, his name is the...

Still confused, and with the large group of boys staring at him, Thomas assesses his surroundings. He notes that “they stood in a vast courtyard several times the size of a football field, surrounding by four large walls made of gray stone and covered in spots with thick ivy” (5). He also notes...

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The Maze Runner

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In The Maze Runner , many characters risk their lives for the sake of saving those around them in various acts of self-sacrifice. Thomas risks his own life, entering into the Maze to save Alby and Minho . In contrast to Thomas’s act of bravery, Minho leaves behind the two of them in order to save his own life. Like Thomas, Gally sacrifices himself on the night of the Grievers’ first raid so that no one else would be killed. Although Gally may have seemed selfish and arrogant for most of the novel, this sacrifice is an act of redemption that makes up for his past behaviors.

In the end, most of the Gladers are willing to risk their lives in order to protect Thomas and Teresa as they look for an exit to the Maze. Although half of the Gladers die, their sacrifice makes it possible for the rest of them to escape. Thomas, however, wonders if the escape was worth their sacrifice because he thinks it’s unfair that half of them died while the other half got to live. Thomas’ negative feelings about sacrifice become most pronounced when Chuck sacrifices his life to save Thomas’. At first Thomas feels guilty about Chuck’s sacrifice, but Teresa tells him it was Chuck’s choice to throw himself in front of the knife. She tells Thomas that now he has a responsibly not to waste Chuck’s sacrifice. Thomas agrees and comes to the realization that sacrifice is a tragic but noble act as long as people have the right to choose to sacrifice themselves.

In contrast to these self-sacrifices, the author structures the novel around a sacrifice that is not chosen by the people who have to make it. The Creators took teenagers, wiped their memories, and put them in the Maze without their consent. Although the Creators knew that many of the boys would die, they were willing to sacrifice the boys’ lives for what they thought was the greater good of humanity—this logic is presented as morally dubious within the novel, as it amounts to using people regardless of hoped-for ends of that use. Thus, sacrifice only appears as a positive act when the person doing the sacrifice has had the opportunity to make that choice for him or herself.

Sacrifice ThemeTracker

Sacrifice Quotes in The Maze Runner

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.

“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.”

“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.”

“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.”

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

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Movie Reviews

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Stop me if you think you’ve heard this one before: In a rigidly structured dystopian future, one plucky teenager dares to think for himself, shake up the status quo and start a revolution–or, at least the beginning of a trilogy.

Such is the stuff of “The Maze Runner,” which hews pretty closely to the YA-novel formula that’s reliably produced so many hugely successful film adaptations in recent years. And, indeed, director Wes Ball ’s film is based on the best seller by James Dashner . It features a similar structure, hits some recognizable beats and includes some character types that will seem pretty familiar to anyone who’s seen the “Hunger Games” films, or “Divergent,” or “The Giver.”

But its roots stretch back further to classic, allegorical literature about frightening utopias, especially “Lord of the Flies.” While there’s no Piggy and no conch, the teenage boys who populate this eerily idyllic society have formed their own leadership and their own rules, and they think they’ve achieved a peaceful sense of order.

That is, until Thomas shows up. Actually, he doesn’t even know his name is Thomas at first. Dylan O’Brien (MTV’s “Teen Wolf”), who resembles a young Rob Lowe , plays the confused young man. At the film’s start, he finds himself rising quickly in a big, rickety freight elevator that’s also loaded with supplies. (The film’s sound design is quite startling and effective; it puts you on edge from the earliest moments.)

When he arrives at the top, he steps out into a sprawling, grassy square known as the Glade, which is surrounded on all sides by imposing and impossibly high concrete walls. Dozens of handsome, young men of various ethnicities wearing various shades of the same long-sleeved shirt work together cooperatively in the sunshine–building huts, gardening, cooking, etc. It’s like the world’s hottest, grungiest Benetton ad.

Like the others before him, Thomas has no memory of who he is and no idea how he got there. But as the newest arrival to the Glade, he is dubbed a “greenie” and duly hazed until he can prove his worth to the key figures he meets. The charismatic Alby ( Aml Ameen ), who was the first to arrive, is the de facto leader. Newt (Thomas Brodie-Sangster) is his impish right-hand man. Gally ( Will Poulter ) is the muscular bully. Chuck (Blake Cooper) is the wisecracking chubby kid.

And Minho ( Ki Hong Lee ) is the head of the runners: fleet-footed boys who dare to enter an opening in the giant walls and explore the maze that lies behind them. It’s vast and treacherous but at least navigable in the daytime; at night, it closes up, changes paths and devours anyone foolish enough to remain trapped. No one has survived it overnight and no one has exited the other side.

Naturally, Thomas is intrigued.

And what’s intriguing about “The Maze Runner”–for a long time, at least–is the way it tells us a story we think we’ve heard countless times before but with a refreshingly different tone and degree of detail. Ball, whose background is in visual effects, doesn’t overload his feature debut with a lot of glossy, high-tech imagery. Not for a while, anyway. Much of the film’s charm comes from its rough-hewn aesthetic–a tactile nature that’s both industrial and organic–and the way it takes its time vividly establishing an environment.

When Thomas eventually does enter the maze–no spoiler there, folks, it’s in the title–it produces some moments that are truly harrowing and filled with non-stop, near-death peril. (This is a super-violent PG-13, but then again, the young readers who are the target for these books know what’s in store for them.) The beasts who dwell there are incessant, ravenous and very, very fast. I won’t divulge what they are, but I’ll only say that they’re extremely cool looking and scary as hell.

All of which brings us to the ending. Man, that ending. What a misstep. It’s so incredibly frustrating, because everything was going so well until then. The third act brings some mystery with the arrival of the first girl ever sent up in the elevator: a strong-willed brunette named Teresa (Kaya Scodelario), who seems to know Thomas already.

But The Big Reveal of what happened to these kids, who trapped them in this place and what their purpose is ends up being pretty over-the-top even for sci-fi. A lot happens in the film’s final minutes to the extent that it makes “The Maze Runner” feel like it has several conclusions. Some of them feature some unintentional hilarity when shock and fear probably were in the game plan. And they squander the formidable and versatile Patricia Clarkson in only a few moments as the chilly, nefarious mastermind of the maze.

Presumably, she’ll figure more prominently in the sequel. Because, oh yes, it’s coming. You will not have to wander around looking for it for long.

Christy Lemire

Christy Lemire is a longtime film critic who has written for RogerEbert.com since 2013. Before that, she was the film critic for The Associated Press for nearly 15 years and co-hosted the public television series "Ebert Presents At the Movies" opposite Ignatiy Vishnevetsky, with Roger Ebert serving as managing editor. Read her answers to our Movie Love Questionnaire here .

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Film credits.

The Maze Runner (2014)

Rated PG-13 for thematic elements and intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, including some disturbing images

113 minutes

Will Poulter as Gally

Aml Ameen as Alby

Ki Hong Lee as Minho

Thomas Sangster as Newt

Dexter Darden as Fry Pan

Kaya Scodelario as Teresa

Chris Sheffield as Ben

Joe Adler as Zart

Dylan O'Brien as Thomas

Patricia Clarkson as Ava Paige

Jacob Latimore as Jeff

• Grant Pierce Myers
• Noah Oppenheim
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• James Dashner

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• Description : WIC, Private Bath w/ Shower
• Level : Second
• Dimensions : 18.4 x 18.1
• Description : WIC
• Dimensions : 11.0 x 14.0

Family room

• Description : Fireplace
• Dimensions : 19.6 x 14.2
• Description : Island, Granite, Gas Cooking, Walk-in Pantry
• Dimensions : 15.4 x 15.3
• Forced Air, Natural Gas
• Central Air
• Included : Dishwasher, Gas Cooking, Disposal, Gas Water Heater, Microwave, Oven, Tankless Water Heater
• Dining Area, Double Vanity, Fireplace, Granite Counters, High Ceilings, Kitchen Island, Bath in Primary Bedroom, Pantry, Walk-In Closet(s)
• Flooring : Partially Carpeted, Vinyl
• Doors : Insulated Doors
• Windows : Thermal Windows
• Has basement : No
• Has fireplace : Yes
• Fireplace features : Gas

Interior area

• Total interior livable area : 2,276 sqft

Virtual tour

• View virtual tour
• Parking features : Driveway, No Garage, Oversized, Paved
• Levels : Two
• Stories : 2
• Patio & porch : Deck
• Exterior features : Deck, Sprinkler/Irrigation, Paved Driveway
• Pool features : None, Other
• Parcel number : 737679954100057
• Special conditions : Corporate Listing

Construction

Type & style.

• Home type : Condo
• Architectural style : Two Story
• Property subtype : Condominium
• Attached to another structure : Yes
• Drywall, Frame, Stone, Vinyl Siding
• Foundation : Slab
• Roof : Shingle
• New Construction,Under Construction
• New construction : Yes
• Year built : 2024
• Builder name : HHHunt Homes

Utilities & green energy

• Sewer : Public Sewer
• Water : Public
• Stories in building : 2

Community & HOA

• Features : Common Grounds/Area, Clubhouse, Home Owners Association, Maintained Community
• Security : Smoke Detector(s)
• Subdivision : Wescott
• Has HOA : Yes
• Amenities included : Landscaping, Management
• Services included : Association Management, Clubhouse, Common Areas, Maintenance Grounds, Maintenance Structure, Trash
• HOA fee : $258 monthly
• Region : Midlothian

Financial & listing details

• Price per square foot : $173/sqft
• Annual tax amount : $3,625
• Date on market : 8/15/2024
• Ownership : Corporate
• Ownership type : Corporation

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Donald Trump and Joe Biden Clinch Their Party Nominations

After sweeping another set of contests on Tuesday, the former president and the current president have won the delegates they need for a long-anticipated rematch.

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By Michael Gold and Nicholas Nehamas

• March 12, 2024

President Biden and former President Donald J. Trump on Tuesday secured the delegates necessary to clinch their parties’ presidential nominations, according to The Associated Press, cementing a general election rematch in November months in the making.

Both men and their campaigns have long anticipated this moment. Mr. Biden faced only token opposition in the Democratic primary, as is typical for a sitting president, while Mr. Trump had been his party’s dominant front-runner for months.

Their November collision began to look even more likely after Mr. Trump scored a decisive win in Iowa in January. His victory cleared the field of all but one of his major Republican rivals and put him on a glide path to his party’s nomination. His last remaining primary challenger, Nikki Haley, suspended her campaign last week, further clearing a path that had already been remarkably free of obstacles for a candidate facing considerable legal problems.

The Associated Press named Mr. Biden the presumptive Democratic nominee on Tuesday after projecting his victory in Georgia, while Mr. Trump was designated the presumptive Republican nominee after he swept the G.O.P. contests in Georgia, Mississippi and Washington State. Later, Mr. Trump captured the Republican caucuses in Hawaii.

Tuesday’s results cleared the way for a 2024 general election campaign that, at just under eight months, is set to be one of the longest in modern American history and will be the country’s first presidential rematch in nearly 70 years.

Already, Mr. Trump and Mr. Biden had shifted their focus away from the primaries. With the president facing no significant challengers, Mr. Biden’s campaign speeches emphasized not just his record but the danger he believes is posed by Mr. Trump.

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