PRESENTATION OUTLINE
The Maze Runner
by
James Dashner
Grace Kish
Literature 9-1
Q: What motivates the central character's actions?
A: Thomas is not a deep or metaphorical character. The two things that drive him are his urge to explore the maze, and the commitment he makes to get his friends out of the Glade.
Q: What literary elements does the author use to help the reader understand the views of the characters?
A: James Dashner's writing style is very straight forward. He tells a good story in a simple, understandable way. The most prevalent literary element would be dramatic irony. The reader is shown a lot of the thoughts and emotions that the other characters do not see. For example, the two main characters share the ability to communicate telepathically. The reader and those two characters are the only ones who can observe those thoughts.
Q: What surprised you about the main character?
A: Thomas's devotion and affection toward people he just met shocked me the most. The reader is able to feel the bonds made between Thomas, Teresa, Chuck, Minho, Alby, and Newt. This puts the reader in the story with the characters, making the book more interesting.
Q: What is the most important mood so far? What techniques does the writer use to create this mood?
A: The Maze Runner is set in an apocalyptic world, and emphasizes holding on to hope in a seemingly impossible situation. The author uses the feelings and emotions of Thomas to connect you to the other characters, and make you feel passionate about events in the story.
Q: What is one thing the author made you curious about? Why?
A: The author leaves the reader wondering if the Gladers were better off in the maze or the post apocalyptic world.
Q: What are the main character's most important traits? Why are these traits important?
A: Thomas lacks a variety of traits to choose from, so this point is becoming repetitive, but throughout the book his reckless loyalty to his friends, and his raw determination to solve the maze make him the ideal hero to this story.
Q: How is the main character changing? What is he or she learning about life and the role they play in it?
A: Thomas doesn't change much throughout the novel. He reveals more about the other characters than he does himself because of how the story is written. The reader gets to know the other characters as Thomas does. Likewise, as he learns more about the maze and the Glade, the readers do too.
Q: What is the most interesting scene in the novel so far? What did the writer do to catch your interest?
A: My favorite scene of this book is when Thomas breaks one of the major laws of the Glader society, and stays the night in the maze to save Alby and MInho. This creates turmoil, and causes some of the Gladers to distrust Thomas. If Thomas hadn't had gone into the maze, he would never had been elected to be a runner. James Dashner creates suspenseful moods throughout the book, but in my opinion, this was the most exciting one.
Q: Who is the Antagonist? What Motivates him or her?
A: The antagonist in this story is known as WICKED, which is an acronym for World In Catastrophe Kill-zone Experiment Department. Their purpose is to sift out an elite group of kids to fight disease in this post apocalyptic world.
Q: Is the antagonist likable even though he or she is trying to prevent the central character from accomplishing his or her goals? Why?
A: The antagonist is likable in this book because of the way the writer introduces them. WICKED has propaganda spread the maze and the reader is led to believe that "WICKED IS GOOD." The book ends with a cliffhanger, and it boils down to the reader's opinion of how likable WICKED is.
