The Maze Runner
Chapter 19
by Dashner, JamesThomas witnesses the terrifying Griever, a grotesque hybrid of animal and machine, moving through the Maze. Its slug-like body, covered in slime and pulsating, is adorned with metal spikes that extend and retract as it rolls forward. Mechanical arms with various attachments, such as lights and needles, protrude from its form, adding to its nightmarish appearance. The creature’s eerie sounds—whirring, clicking, and moaning—fill Thomas with dread as he realizes the Griever is heading toward him and Alby, who are hiding in the vines.
The Griever’s movements are erratic, pausing intermittently to unfold its arms and scan the area like a predatory machine. Thomas recalls a fleeting childhood memory of fear, longing for safety as the creature’s burnt, foul odor overwhelms him. He struggles to remain still, hoping to avoid detection, but doubts his chances since a beetle blade had previously revealed his location. The Griever’s lights cast unsettling shadows, heightening the tension as it draws nearer to the wall where Thomas and Alby cling.
The Griever eventually stops directly beneath them, its lights suddenly extinguishing, plunging the Maze into darkness and silence. Thomas, blind and paralyzed with fear, strains to listen for any sign of the creature’s next move. The agonizing wait stretches on, his body numb from the vines’ grip, and his mind races with terror. Just as the suspense becomes unbearable, the Griever reactivates with a burst of light and sound, confirming Thomas’s worst fear—it begins climbing the wall toward them.
The chapter culminates in a heart-stopping moment as the Griever’s relentless advance leaves Thomas with no escape. His desperation and horror are palpable as the creature’s mechanical whirring and clicking signals its approach. The tension is unbearable, leaving readers on edge as the chapter ends with the Griever’s ominous ascent, threatening to overtake Thomas and Alby in their vulnerable state.
FAQs
1. How does the author describe the Griever’s appearance and movement, and what effect does this have on both Thomas and the reader?
Answer:
The Griever is described as a grotesque hybrid of animal and machine, resembling a gigantic slug covered in slime and sparse hair, with pulsating flesh and mechanical appendages. It moves by curling into a ball, extending spikes, and rolling forward intermittently, accompanied by whirring and clicking sounds. The creature’s random mechanical arms feature lights, needles, and claws, adding to its terrifying appearance. This vivid description creates a sense of horror and revulsion, heightening Thomas’s fear and immersing the reader in the scene. The unnatural combination of organic and mechanical elements emphasizes the Griever’s role as a monstrous, engineered threat, amplifying tension and dread.2. What sensory details does the author use to convey the Griever’s presence, and how do these details contribute to the atmosphere of the chapter?
Answer:
The author employs multiple sensory details: visual (glistening slime, pulsating flesh, bright lights), auditory (metallic whirring, clicking spikes, haunting moans), and olfactory (burnt smell of overheated engines and charred flesh). These details create a visceral, immersive experience, making the Griever feel tangibly real and terrifying. The moans evoke a sense of death and suffering, while the mechanical sounds underscore its unnatural origin. The burnt odor adds a layer of disgust and hints at violence. Together, these elements build a claustrophobic, nightmarish atmosphere, intensifying Thomas’s panic and the reader’s unease.3. Analyze Thomas’s psychological state during this encounter. How does his reaction reflect the broader themes of fear and survival in the novel?
Answer:
Thomas oscillates between paralyzing fear and desperate self-control. He fights to remain still, fearing detection, yet his mind races with panic and fragmented memories of safety (e.g., childhood shadows, longing for parents). His physical reactions—sweating, held breath—highlight his vulnerability. This mirrors the novel’s themes of survival under extreme pressure and the loss of innocence. Thomas’s forced stillness contrasts with his internal turmoil, illustrating the Gladers’ constant struggle between action and restraint in the face of unknown threats. His fleeting memories also underscore the theme of erased identity, deepening the stakes of his survival.4. Why might the Griever’s sudden pause (lights off, no movement) be even more terrifying for Thomas than its active state?
Answer:
The sudden silence and darkness create unbearable suspense, stripping Thomas of his ability to perceive or predict the threat. Unlike the Griever’s active state—where its movements, though terrifying, provide cues—the pause leaves Thomas in agonizing uncertainty. His imagination amplifies the danger, and his sensory deprivation (blindness, strained hearing) mirrors his psychological helplessness. This unpredictability reflects the Maze’s broader cruelty: its threats are not just physical but psychological, playing on primal fears of the unknown. The pause also mirrors real-life horror dynamics, where anticipation often outweighs the actual event in generating fear.5. How does the chapter’s ending (the Griever climbing the wall) subvert expectations and escalate the tension?
Answer:
Throughout the scene, Thomas assumes the Griever is ground-bound, making its wall-climbing ability a shocking revelation. This subversion destroys his last hope of safety (hiding above its reach) and escalates the immediate threat. The cliffhanger ending forces the reader to confront the Griever’s adaptability, undermining any assumptions about the Maze’s rules. It also mirrors the novel’s broader tension between the Gladers’ ingenuity and the Maze’s relentless evolution, suggesting that no strategy is foolproof. This twist heightens stakes for subsequent chapters, leaving both Thomas and the reader questioning what other horrors the Griever—and the Maze—might conceal.
Quotes
1. “Part animal, part machine, the Griever rolled and clicked along the stone pathway. Its body resembled a gigantic slug, sparsely covered in hair and glistening with slime, grotesquely pulsating in and out as it breathed.”
This vivid description introduces the terrifying Griever, a hybrid creature that embodies the horror and mystery of the Maze. The quote captures the unnatural, biomechanical nature of the Glade’s primary antagonist, setting the tone for the chapter’s suspense.
2. “Nothing sent chills up and down Thomas’s spine like the haunted, deathly moans that somehow escaped the creature when it sat still, like the sound of dying men on a battlefield.”
This quote emphasizes the psychological terror of the Griever, which goes beyond its physical threat. The auditory horror adds another layer to Thomas’s fear, connecting the creature’s sounds to human suffering in a way that makes it even more disturbing.
3. “A faint memory tried to escape the locked box within his mind—shadows on the walls when he was a kid, scaring him. He longed to be back to wherever that was, to run to the mom and dad he hoped still lived, somewhere, missing him, searching for him.”
This poignant moment reveals Thomas’s deep yearning for his lost past and family, contrasting sharply with his current nightmare. It highlights the emotional stakes of the story and Thomas’s vulnerability amidst the physical danger.
4. “He couldn’t believe people could create something so horrible and send it after kids.”
This simple but powerful statement underscores the moral horror of the Glade’s situation - that adults would deliberately subject children to such terror. It raises questions about the larger purpose behind the Maze and the society that created it.
5. “The anticipation of trying to guess its next move was killing Thomas.”
This quote perfectly captures the unbearable tension of the scene, where the Griever’s unpredictable behavior and Thomas’s forced stillness create psychological torture. It represents the chapter’s climax of suspense before the creature’s final, terrifying action.