The Maze Runner
Chapter 40
by Dashner, JamesThe chapter opens with chaos in the Glade as the Homestead is ablaze with activity following a Griever attack. Thomas ignores the commotion and rushes toward the West Door of the Maze, hesitating at the threshold before Newt catches up to him. Newt, injured and frustrated, reveals that Minho chased Gally and the Grievers into the Maze, suspecting they headed toward the Griever Hole. Thomas expresses his intent to follow, but Newt redirects his attention to a more pressing issue—the Map Room has been sabotaged, with all the Map trunks burned, leaving the Gladers without their crucial navigational records.
Thomas shifts focus to Teresa, who has been imprisoned in the Slammer. Despite the night’s turmoil, she slept through the chaos, still recovering from her coma. Thomas updates her on Gally’s bizarre alliance with the Grievers and their sudden departure, which contradicts Gally’s earlier threats of systematic killings. Teresa, meanwhile, revisits her cryptic message about the Maze being a code, theorizing that the moving walls might spell out letters or words. Thomas builds on her idea, realizing the Runners may have misinterpreted the Maze’s patterns by analyzing sections individually rather than as a collective code.
The conversation takes a dire turn when Thomas remembers the destroyed Maps, realizing their potential to decode the Maze is now lost. Teresa, unaware of the sabotage, presses him for details, but Thomas is overwhelmed by the implications. The chapter underscores the growing tension between the Gladers’ desperation to escape and the systematic destruction of their resources, leaving them with fewer clues to solve the Maze’s mysteries. Thomas’s frustration and Teresa’s determination highlight their contrasting yet complementary roles in the unfolding crisis.
As the chapter concludes, Thomas grapples with the dual setbacks of the Maps’ destruction and the unresolved mystery of the Grievers’ behavior. The Gladers’ hope of deciphering the Maze’s code dims, while the urgency to act intensifies. The chapter leaves readers with a sense of impending doom, as the characters face dwindling options and escalating threats, setting the stage for a pivotal confrontation or revelation in the chapters to come.
FAQs
1. What significant event involving Gally and the Grievers occurs in this chapter, and why is it surprising?
Answer:
In this chapter, Gally—a Glader previously portrayed as unstable—suddenly appears, jumps onto a Griever, and rides away as all the Grievers retreat into the Maze. This is surprising because Grievers had been attacking the Glade nightly, and Gally had earlier claimed the creatures would kill one Glader per night until all were dead. His abrupt alliance with them contradicts his earlier threats and raises questions about the true nature of the Grievers’ behavior and purpose. The event leaves Thomas and others baffled, especially since Gally had seemed to fear the creatures.2. How does Teresa contribute to solving the Maze’s mystery in this chapter, and what breakthrough do she and Thomas make?
Answer:
Teresa, while imprisoned in the Slammer, theorizes that the Maze might be a code meant to spell something using its moving walls. This sparks Thomas’s realization that the Runners have been analyzing the Maps incorrectly—they’ve compared daily changes within each section rather than looking at all eight sections together as a unified code. The breakthrough suggests the Maze’s patterns might form letters or words over time, shifting the focus from physical escape routes to deciphering a hidden message. This reframes their entire understanding of the Maze’s purpose.3. Why is the burning of the Map Room a critical setback for the Gladers, and how does Thomas react to this sabotage?
Answer:
The Map Room’s destruction is devastating because it contains the meticulously recorded daily patterns of the Maze—the only data the Gladers have to decipher an escape. Newt reveals that every Map trunk has been burned, erasing their ability to study past movements. Surprisingly, Thomas is less concerned about the Maps, as he now believes they were analyzing them incorrectly. His reaction highlights his shifting priorities: he’s more focused on Teresa’s safety and the new theory about the Maze as a code than on the lost physical records.4. Analyze the significance of Minho’s decision to follow the Grievers into the Maze. What does his action reveal about his character and the group’s dynamics?
Answer:
Minho risks his life to chase the Grievers, hoping to confirm whether they retreat toward the Griever Hole near the Cliff. This shows his bravery, leadership, and dedication to solving the Maze, even when others panic. His action also contrasts with Newt’s cautious pragmatism and Thomas’s emotional urgency, highlighting how the trio balances each other. Minho’s discovery that the Grievers head toward the Hole reinforces the Cliff’s importance as a key location, advancing the plot toward future revelations about the Maze’s structure.5. How does the chapter develop the theme of communication, both literal and metaphorical?
Answer:
The chapter emphasizes communication through multiple layers: Teresa and Thomas’s telepathic link resurfaces when she speaks directly into his mind, symbolizing their unique bond. Meanwhile, their verbal exchange about the Maze as a code underscores the importance of collaborative problem-solving. The burning of the Maps represents the destruction of one form of communication (written records), while Thomas and Teresa’s breakthrough introduces a new, metaphorical “language” in the Maze’s patterns. This theme reflects the broader struggle to uncover truth in a world designed to obscure it.
Quotes
1. “Time to be a bloody hero again?”
This sarcastic remark from Newt captures the tension between Thomas’s impulsive heroism and the group’s skepticism, highlighting the recurring theme of individual sacrifice versus collective survival in the Glade.
2. “I just wanted to see if they went toward the Cliff. Toward the Griever Hole.”
Minho’s revelation confirms the Grievers’ connection to the mysterious Hole, a critical turning point that shifts the Gladers’ understanding of the Maze’s dangers and possible escape routes.
3. “The first thing the word code makes me think of is letters. Letters in the alphabet. Maybe the Maze is trying to spell something.”
Teresa’s insight reframes the Maze’s purpose, introducing the pivotal idea that its patterns might be linguistic rather than geographical—a conceptual breakthrough that drives the plot forward.
4. “They’ve been analyzing it the wrong way!”
Thomas’s exclamation marks the story’s key revelation: the Runners’ fundamental misinterpretation of the Maze’s patterns, setting up the new strategy that could lead to their escape.
5. “Somebody burned the Map trunks. Every last one of ’em.”
Newt’s devastating report represents both a major setback (destroying their primary tool for solving the Maze) and a subtle clue that someone is actively working against their escape efforts.