The Fever Code
Chapter 43
by Dashner, JamesThe chapter begins with Thomas encountering a new boy named Ben, brought to him by Randall, a WICKED employee who appears unwell. Ben, visibly nervous, reveals he was taken from Denver, a supposed safe zone, despite his parents being healthy. His emotional breakdown exposes WICKED’s unethical practices, as he recounts being forcibly separated from his family. Thomas struggles to comfort him, grappling with the realization that WICKED’s narrative about recruiting only orphans of Flare-infected parents may be a lie. The encounter leaves Thomas uneasy, questioning the organization’s morality.
Thomas attempts to ease Ben’s transition by giving him a tour of the complex, including the maze. He avoids mentioning Ben’s impending insertion into the maze, opting instead to paint a positive picture of life there. However, Thomas’s internal conflict grows as he recognizes his own complicity in WICKED’s deception. His attention shifts when he notices Gally behaving suspiciously in the maze surveillance footage, prompting him to focus on the screen while hastily arranging for Teresa to take over Ben’s tour.
The surveillance reveals Gally sneaking into the maze, seemingly seeking a thrill. His reckless behavior takes a dark turn when a Griever attacks him, leaving him severely injured. Thomas watches in horror as Gally is dragged back to the Glade, screaming in pain, while others rush to administer the serum. The violent incident underscores the dangers of the maze and WICKED’s experiments, further unsettling Thomas.
Ben, who had been waiting outside, inadvertently witnesses the attack and asks Thomas for an explanation. Thomas lies, claiming it was a drill, but the encounter leaves both boys shaken. The chapter highlights Thomas’s growing disillusionment with WICKED, his moral dilemmas, and the harsh realities of their environment. The tension between his desire to protect Ben and his role in the system creates a poignant moment of internal conflict.
FAQs
1. How does Thomas initially react to Ben’s emotional breakdown, and what does this reveal about Thomas’s character and his relationship with WICKED?
Answer:
Thomas responds to Ben’s tears with awkward but genuine concern, offering comfort while struggling to find the right words (“I’m here to listen”). His internal conflict is evident when he almost rolls his eyes at his own “lame” response, showing self-awareness. This scene reveals Thomas’s compassion and growing unease with WICKED’s methods—he feels Ben’s sadness “deep within himself” yet perpetuates WICKED’s lies by assuring Ben “things aren’t so bad.” The chapter highlights his moral dilemma: he wants to comfort Ben but must uphold the organization’s deceptions, which he privately acknowledges (“Calling himself a big fat liar”).2. Analyze the significance of Ben’s origin story from Denver. How does this information challenge WICKED’s stated recruitment policies?
Answer:
Ben’s claim that his healthy parents were violently separated from him in Denver directly contradicts WICKED’s narrative that subjects come from families where both parents have the Flare with “no other care available.” Denver was a fortified safe zone for the uninfected, making Ben’s abduction particularly disturbing. Thomas realizes this inconsistency, wondering if it’s “some anomaly or one of many lies.” This moment seeds doubt about WICKED’s ethics, suggesting they may be kidnapping healthy children rather than rescuing doomed ones—a revelation that undermines their supposed humanitarian mission.3. How does Dashner use the Gally incident to create dramatic irony and foreshadowing in this chapter?
Answer:
The Griever attack on Gally serves as dramatic irony because Thomas (and readers) witness the brutal event while Ben only sees fragments, allowing Thomas to downplay it as a “drill.” This mirrors how WICKED obscures the truth from subjects. The scene also foreshadows future maze dangers: Gally’s reckless thrill-seeking (“imagining he could fly”) contrasts with the sudden, violent reality of the Griever attack—a warning about the consequences of breaching boundaries. Thomas’s inability to erase Gally’s screams from memory hints at the psychological trauma awaiting all Gladers.4. Compare Thomas’s two lies to Ben in this chapter. What do they reveal about his moral development?
Answer:
Thomas’s first lie—that WICKED is “desperate” but benign—shows reluctant compliance with institutional deception. His second lie (calling Gally’s attack a “drill”) is more calculated, told to shield Ben from immediate trauma. While both are dishonest, the escalation reveals Thomas’s internal conflict: he recognizes WICKED’s cruelty (noting how easily he lies “as WICKED seemed to”) yet rationalizes deception as protection. This moral ambiguity is key to his character arc—he’s neither fully complicit nor rebellious, but increasingly aware of the ethical costs of his actions.5. How does the beetle blade surveillance technology contribute to the chapter’s themes of control and deception?
Answer:
The beetle blades symbolize WICKED’s omnipresent control—they allow Thomas to spy on Gally’s unauthorized maze entry, mirroring how WICKED monitors all subjects. Ironically, Thomas uses this tool to track a rule-breaker while himself deceiving Ben about what’s happening. The technology also enables dramatic reveals: the beetle blade’s sudden close-up of the Griever attack forces Thomas (and readers) to confront the maze’s true horror. This underscores the novel’s central tension between safety through surveillance and the dehumanization it requires.
Quotes
1. “They asked if I would join their study and my dad said no and they grabbed me and took me anyway. They pushed my mom down and threatened to shoot my dad. Who are these people? Why am I here?”
This quote reveals the brutal reality of WICKED’s methods—kidnapping children from healthy families under false pretenses. It challenges the organization’s claimed ethical boundaries and exposes the lie that subjects were only taken from infected parents.
2. “Calling himself a big fat liar the whole time.”
This brief internal monologue captures Thomas’s moral conflict as he comforts Ben while knowing the harsh truth about their situation. It shows how WICKED’s deception has forced him into complicity, mirroring the organization’s manipulative tactics.
3. “Gally had stepped outside the Glade just for the rush of it.”
This moment reveals the psychological toll of confinement in the Glade, showing how even rule-breaking becomes a coping mechanism. The dangerous act foreshadows the extreme measures the Gladers will take for freedom and sensation.
4. “Thomas didn’t fail to realize the irony—here he was, telling lies as easily as WICKED seemed to.”
This reflection highlights how institutional deception corrupts individuals, showing Thomas becoming what he likely despises. The quote underscores the book’s theme of moral compromise in desperate circumstances.