The Maze Runner
Chapter 16
by Dashner, JamesIn Chapter 16 of *The Maze Runner*, Thomas spends the morning working in the Gardens under Zart, the Keeper, who is quiet but willing to answer his questions. Thomas learns about the various roles in the Glade, such as Sloppers, Track-hoes, and Baggers, gaining insight into the community’s structure. Though the work is exhausting, it’s preferable to his previous task at the Blood House. Thomas feels a pang of guilt for Chuck, who is stuck with the undesirable Slopper job, and reflects on the harsh realities of life in the Glade. His curiosity about the roles is tempered by sudden thoughts of the mysterious girl and the unresolved tension surrounding Ben’s banishment.
During a break, Thomas joins Chuck and notices Newt’s distressed state. Newt reveals that the girl from the Box is deteriorating, refusing to wake up despite the Med-jacks’ efforts. His concern deepens when he shares that Alby and Minho, who ventured into the Maze to investigate the dead Griever, are overdue. Newt’s fear is palpable, especially when Thomas suggests sending a search party—a notion that visibly terrifies him. The chapter hints at Newt’s traumatic past in the Maze, linked to his lingering injury, and underscores the Gladers’ dread of the unknown dangers beyond the walls.
As the day progresses, Thomas grows increasingly anxious about Alby and Minho’s absence, frequently glancing at the West Door for any sign of their return. Newt’s panic rubs off on him, and the mood in the Glade darkens. Dinner that night is a somber affair, with the Gladers eating in silence, their usual banter replaced by unease. The Runners return without Alby and Minho, heightening the sense of impending crisis. Newt’s insistence on standing watch underscores the gravity of the situation, leaving Thomas and the others to grapple with fear and uncertainty.
The chapter highlights the fragility of the Glade’s order and the psychological toll of their trapped existence. Thomas’s determination to become a Runner contrasts with his growing awareness of the Maze’s horrors. Newt’s trauma and the girl’s condition serve as reminders of the Glade’s mysteries and dangers. The unresolved fate of Alby and Minho sets the stage for escalating tension, leaving Thomas and the readers questioning what lies ahead in the Maze.
FAQs
1. What are the different jobs mentioned in the Glade, and what do they entail?
Answer:
The chapter describes several jobs in the Glade’s social structure:- Builders, Cooks, Med-jacks, and Map-makers have self-explanatory roles (construction, food preparation, medical care, and maze mapping).
- Sloppers handle sanitation—cleaning toilets, showers, and the Blood House—considered the least desirable job.
- Baggers act as guards and handle the dead, giving them a somewhat ominous reputation.
- Track-hoes perform heavy labor for the Gardens, like trenching, and assist elsewhere during off-times.
- Runners are the most prestigious, exploring the Maze.
Zart explains that many Gladers have multiple roles, highlighting the community’s organized yet demanding structure.
2. How does Thomas’s perspective on his life in the Glade evolve in this chapter?
Answer:
Thomas begins the chapter resigned to his work in the Gardens, which he dislikes less than the Blood House but still finds exhausting. His curiosity drives him to question Zart about the Glade’s operations, showing his attempt to adapt. However, his frustration resurfaces when thoughts of the comatose girl, Ben’s banishment, and the dead Griever overwhelm him. By the end, his desire to become a Runner intensifies, symbolizing both his longing for purpose and his unexplained connection to the Maze. The chapter underscores his internal conflict—moments of determination punctuated by despair about his “sucky” new reality.
3. Why does Newt’s reaction to Alby and Minho’s disappearance reveal about the Gladers’ fear of the Maze?
Answer:
Newt’s panic when Alby and Minho fail to return on time exposes the deep-seated terror the Gladers associate with the Maze. His horrified expression at the suggestion of a search party—and his insistence that it’s forbidden—hints at past tragedies. His lingering ankle injury (implied to be Maze-related) and the rule against rescues emphasize the Maze’s lethal unpredictability. This reaction also contrasts with Thomas’s curiosity, foreshadowing potential conflict between the Gladers’ trauma and Thomas’s instinct to challenge the Maze’s dangers.
4. Analyze the significance of the girl’s ongoing coma in this chapter.
Answer:
The girl’s condition serves multiple purposes: it heightens tension (her groaning and declining health suggest impending crisis), deepens the mystery (why is Thomas inexplicably worried about her?), and mirrors the Glade’s instability. Newt’s distress over her state—and her cryptic “weird stuff”—hints at her importance to the broader plot. Thomas’s concern, despite not knowing her, reinforces the novel’s themes of erased memories and hidden connections, leaving readers to question her role in the Glade’s rigid system.
5. How does the chapter portray the Glade’s social hierarchy?
Answer:
The hierarchy is clear: Runners hold prestige (Thomas covets the role), while Sloppers like Chuck are marginalized. Keepers like Zart have authority but remain aloof, and Baggers inspire fear. The division of labor reflects a survival-based meritocracy, yet it’s tinged with cruelty (e.g., disdain for Sloppers). Thomas’s guilt over Chuck’s treatment highlights the system’s inequity. The somber dinner scene—where Gladers eat mechanically despite Frypan’s good food—further underscores how fear (of the Maze, disappearances) overrides even basic social cohesion.- Builders, Cooks, Med-jacks, and Map-makers have self-explanatory roles (construction, food preparation, medical care, and maze mapping).
Quotes
1. “That’s what the shanks do that can’t do nothin’ else. Clean toilets, clean the showers, clean the kitchen, clean up the Blood House after a slaughter, everything. Spend one day with them suckers—that’ll cure any thoughts of goin’ that direction, I can tell ya that.”
(Zart explaining the demeaning role of Sloppers in the Glade)
This quote highlights the harsh social hierarchy and division of labor in the Glade, emphasizing how certain jobs are reserved for those deemed least capable. It also underscores the dehumanizing conditions some Gladers endure.2. “Newt’s eyes narrowed as he looked out toward one of the entrances to the Maze. ‘Alby and Minho,’ he muttered. ‘They should’ve come back hours ago.’”
(Newt expressing concern over the missing Runners)
This moment marks a turning point in the chapter, introducing tension and foreshadowing danger in the Maze. Newt’s worry reflects the high stakes of being a Runner and the ever-present threat of the unknown.3. “When Thomas asked why Newt and some others didn’t just go into the Maze and search for their friends, Newt’s expression had changed to outright horror—his cheeks had shrunk into his face, becoming sallow and dark.”
(Thomas witnessing Newt’s visceral fear of the Maze)
This quote reveals the deep, unspoken terror the Maze inspires in even the most experienced Gladers. Newt’s reaction hints at past trauma and reinforces the Maze’s role as a source of psychological and physical danger.4. “Everyone gobbled up his food and usually begged for more. But tonight, the Gladers ate like dead men resurrected for one last meal before being sent to live with the devil.”
(Describing the somber mood after Alby and Minho’s disappearance)
The stark contrast between normal meals and this one underscores the gravity of the situation. The simile emphasizes the Gladers’ dread, as if they’re facing an inevitable doom.5. “Newt was terrified of the Maze. Whatever had happened to him out there—maybe even related to his lingering ankle injury—had been truly awful.”
(Thomas reflecting on Newt’s unexplained trauma)
This passage hints at a deeper backstory for Newt and the Maze’s horrors. It suggests that the Gladers’ fear isn’t just theoretical but rooted in lived, unspoken experiences.