Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Maze Runner, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Memory and Identity
Stability and Order vs. Change and Chaos
Sacrifice
Growing Up
Hope
Sexism
Summary
Analysis
As Thomas and Minho run through the Maze, they notice the walls hadn’t changed at all the previous night. Teresa’s voice comes into Thomas’ head, saying that they’ve been making progress with the code. Thomas tries to respond by visualizing the words “Can you hear me” in his head. She responds that she can but that his voice is faint. He asks how they can telepathically communicate and she responds that maybe they’re lovers. Surprised by her bluntness, Thomas trips over himself. Teresa also suggests that the Creators may have done something to their brains to give them this ability.
The Maze and the Glade have swapped symbolic meanings. With the nightly Griever raids, now the Glade is a place of change and chaos while the Maze, which remains the same every night, is a place of stability and uniformity. Teresa also challenges Thomas’ sexist expectations. Rather than acting “modest and demure” as Thomas seems to expect from a young woman, Teresa is frank about their past relationship.
Themes
As they talk, Thomas tells her he’s getting a headache from the mental strain. Teresa says she gets them too when they telepathically communicate for longer than a few minutes. He asks her to explain what she wrote on her arm, but she says the telepathy hurts too much and stops trying to communicate.
If Thomas and Teresa could telepathically communicate all the time, then they could begin to lose their individual sense of self. These limitations on their powers ensure that their identities remain distinct.
Themes
After Thomas and Minho run through the entire Section, they explore the Maze more closely, feeling the walls and climbing the ivy to look for hidden spots. Around midnight, a group of Grievers run right past them. Minho says they should go back because he doesn’t think they’re going to find anything else. Minho says that he wouldn’t be surprised if Gally was right and they find that another Glader was taken. Feeling defeated, Minho says that maybe the Grievers will take them all by the end of the month
Minho’s loss of hope confirms that he has put too much faith in the old ways. Once these ways fail, he gives up hope instead of looking for alternative ways to adapt and survive.
Themes
