The Fever Code
Chapter 42
by Dashner, JamesIn Chapter 41 of *The Fever Code*, Thomas spends his evening in the observation room, intently watching his friends in the Glade. He rushes through dinner to maximize his time observing Minho and Newt, who return from mapping the maze and diligently record their findings. The chapter highlights Thomas’s longing to connect with his friends, even if only through a screen, as he monitors their activities with a mix of nostalgia and sadness. The scene underscores the isolation Thomas feels while being physically separated from the Gladers.
The chapter shifts to focus on the Gladers’ daily routines, emphasizing their resilience and teamwork. Minho and Newt collaborate to document maze patterns, while Alby sits alone, listening to the maze walls shifting and reminiscing about “thunder,” a faint memory from his past. These moments reveal the Gladers’ adaptability and the emotional toll of their confined existence. Thomas observes their struggles and triumphs, noting how they’ve established order and roles, such as Minho becoming Keeper of the Runners, which adds structure to their harsh reality.
Thomas’s own life outside the Glade is marked by monotony and emotional weight. He endures medical exams, classes, and the grim awareness of WICKED’s experiments. Dr. Paige, his only compassionate ally, provides small comforts, but Thomas grapples with the moral dilemma of his friends’ suffering. His occasional joys come from Teresa and Chuck, yet the overarching dread of the outside world’s disease lingers. The basement, once a place of fond memories, now feels oppressive, symbolizing his growing disillusionment with WICKED’s mission.
The chapter concludes with Thomas navigating his dual existence—balancing his observations of the Glade with his controlled life under WICKED. Despite moments of camaraderie with Teresa and Chuck, his life is largely defined by boredom and heartache. Dr. Paige’s kindness offers solace, but her affection is tinged with danger, hinting at the risks of emotional attachment in their dystopian world. Thomas survives, but his longing to join his friends and the weight of the experiment’s purpose loom over him, leaving his future uncertain.
FAQs
1. What is Thomas’s primary activity in this chapter, and why is it significant to him?
Answer:
Thomas spends most of his time in the observation room, watching his friends in the Glade and the maze through monitors. This activity is deeply significant to him because it is the closest he can get to being with the friends he misses. The chapter emphasizes his emotional connection to them, as he even schedules his dinner around maximizing his observation time. The room serves as a bittersweet substitute for direct interaction, highlighting his isolation and longing for companionship in WICKED’s controlled environment.2. How do Minho and Newt collaborate as Runners, and what does their process reveal about their adaptation to the maze?
Answer:
Minho and Newt work together to map the maze, using verbal cues like “left, right” and landmarks (e.g., “rainbow crack”) to record their path. They transcribe these cues onto paper immediately to avoid forgetting, demonstrating their systematic approach to problem-solving. Their teamwork and ingenuity reveal how the Gladers have adapted to their environment—developing routines, tools (like maps), and even a specialized language to navigate the maze’s challenges. This reflects their resilience and the emergence of leadership roles, such as Minho becoming Keeper of the Runners.3. Analyze Alby’s reaction to the maze walls shifting. What might his whispered word “thunder” symbolize?
Answer:
Alby sits quietly, listening to the maze walls shift, and whispers “thunder,” recalling a fragment of memory from his past. This moment symbolizes his subconscious struggle with lost memories and the emotional weight of the Gladers’ trapped existence. The comparison of the walls’ noise to thunder suggests a fleeting connection to the outside world, evoking nostalgia or trauma. His tear underscores the psychological toll of the experiment, as even a hardened leader like Alby grapples with suppressed emotions and fragmented identity.4. How does Dr. Paige’s relationship with Thomas evolve in this chapter, and what contradictions does it highlight about WICKED?
Answer:
Dr. Paige shows consistent kindness toward Thomas, respecting his need for silence and expressing maternal care (“loving them like her own children”). However, her actions are laced with tension, as she acknowledges the ethical dilemmas of WICKED’s experiments. This duality highlights the contradiction within WICKED: while some members, like Dr. Paige, retain empathy, the organization’s overarching mission (exploiting children to combat the Flare) undermines their humanity. Her character serves as a moral gray area, complicating Thomas’s perception of trust and authority.5. Reflect on Thomas’s internal conflict about joining the Gladers. Why does he consider it “the right thing to do,” and what might this reveal about his moral compass?
Answer:
Thomas contemplates joining the Glade because he feels a moral obligation to share his friends’ suffering rather than observe it from safety. This thought reveals his growing guilt over his privileged position as an observer and his desire for solidarity. It also underscores his ethical struggle with WICKED’s manipulation—he recognizes the injustice of the experiment but remains trapped in compliance. The tension between his empathy and inaction foreshadows his eventual rebellion, marking a pivotal point in his character development toward self-sacrifice and resistance.
Quotes
1. “Then Thomas leaned forward. And he watched.”
This simple yet powerful moment captures Thomas’s intense focus and emotional connection to his friends in the Glade. It represents his longing to be with them and establishes the chapter’s theme of observation versus participation.
2. “‘Thunder. I remember thunder.’ A tear trickled its way down his cheek. He didn’t wipe it away.”
Alby’s emotional moment reveals the lingering human memories beneath the Gladers’ amnesia. This poignant scene shows how fragments of their past selves occasionally surface, bringing both pain and connection to their lost identities.
3. “It was hard to get too flippant when the place where you lived constantly reminded you of two things: your friends were in an experiment, and that experiment existed because an awful, hideous disease rampaged in the outside world.”
This quote encapsulates the central tension of Thomas’s existence - balancing moments of joy with the grim reality of WICKED’s purpose. It highlights the moral weight underlying their daily lives and the larger context of the Flare pandemic.
4. “She didn’t shy away from repeating what she’d said that day, about loving them like her own children. But it was always laced with a sense of danger, as if she knew on some level that letting herself feel that way might be the biggest risk she’d ever take.”
Dr. Paige’s conflicted compassion represents the human element within WICKED’s cold experimentation. This reveals the complex emotional dynamics between the adults and subjects, showing how genuine care persists even in this controlled environment.
5. “It was a strange world. But Thomas was alive, and he lived.”
This concluding statement perfectly summarizes Thomas’s resigned acceptance of his paradoxical existence. Despite the artificiality and surveillance, he finds meaning in small connections and the simple fact of survival in this dystopian reality.