The Scorch Trials
Chapter 13
by Dashner, JamesAs night falls, Thomas and the Gladers prepare for the challenges ahead by crafting makeshift packs and water containers from available materials. Despite their rudimentary solutions, the group acknowledges the necessity of these preparations. Leadership tensions ease as Minho reluctantly accepts the role, providing a sense of structure. The atmosphere is heavy with unease, as the Gladers, haunted by past horrors inflicted by WICKED, struggle to sleep, their minds racing with fear and uncertainty about the trials to come.
Thomas grapples with despair, reflecting on the losses of Chuck and Teresa, and the cruel manipulations of WICKED. The organization’s actions—using a disease and its cure as leverage—deepen his resolve for revenge. Though emotionally drained, he finds a twisted comfort in the thought of surviving to defy WICKED. The chapter highlights his internal conflict between grief and determination, setting the stage for his hardened mindset as the group faces the unknown.
The Gladers wake early, their alarms synchronized for the impending departure. Thomas, unable to sleep, prepares for the journey, aware it may be their last chance for basic comforts like showers. The group gathers nervously, clutching their makeshift supplies, as the invisible shield reappears, signaling the imminent arrival of the Flat Trans. A brief conversation between Thomas and Aris about their telepathic experiences offers a moment of vulnerability, but the focus quickly shifts back to survival.
Minho asserts his leadership with a stern demeanor, quelling any dissent as the group prepares to step into the unknown. The Flat Trans materializes, its unstable surface heightening the tension. Minho volunteers to go first, instructing Thomas to ensure everyone follows. The chapter ends on a cliffhanger as Minho disappears into the gray void, leaving the Gladers to confront the next phase of WICKED’s trials with a mix of dread and resolve.
FAQs
1. How do the Gladers prepare for their journey, and what does their resourcefulness reveal about their survival skills?
Answer:
The Gladers create makeshift packs from bedsheets to carry food and extra clothes, and they repurpose plastic food bags into water containers by filling them with water and sealing them with curtain fabric. This demonstrates their adaptability and ingenuity in the face of limited resources. Their preparations highlight their hard-earned survival skills from the Maze, where they learned to make do with what they had. Though the solutions are crude (like the leak-prone water bags), their ability to improvise under pressure shows their resilience and collective problem-solving mindset, which will be crucial for the challenges ahead.2. Analyze Thomas’s emotional state in this chapter. How do his thoughts about WICKED and revenge motivate him to continue?
Answer:
Thomas grapples with grief, anger, and determination. He reflects on WICKED’s cruelty—manipulating Gally into killing Chuck, executing rescuers, and infecting them with the Flare—which fuels his desire for revenge. Though he feels hollow after losing Teresa and Chuck, revenge becomes a twisted comfort, giving him purpose. His resolve to survive and thwart WICKED’s plans (“So be it”) shows a shift from despair to defiance. This anger, while dark, galvanizes him to face the next trial, illustrating how trauma can morph into motivation in extreme circumstances.3. What is significant about Minho’s leadership style in this chapter, and how do the Gladers react to it?
Answer:
Minho adopts an uncharacteristically stern demeanor, threatening violence against anyone who hesitates (“smashed privates”), which contrasts with his usual sarcastic tone. This harsh approach may be a performance to establish authority, as Thomas suspects. Newt initially mocks him (“admiring your bloody leadership skills”), but Minho doubles down by flaunting his “leader” tattoo, forcing compliance. The group ultimately follows him, suggesting they prioritize strong leadership over comfort. This dynamic reveals the Gladers’ need for decisive command in life-or-death situations, even if it clashes with their camaraderie.4. How does the interaction between Thomas and Aris deepen the novel’s exploration of telepathy and its psychological impact?
Answer:
Aris’s question about telepathy (“Did you think you were crazy?”) parallels Thomas’s own experience with Teresa, highlighting the isolation and fear that come with their psychic abilities. Aris reveals that without Rachel’s acceptance, he might have “lost it,” underscoring how vital connection is for mental stability. Thomas relates to this, recalling how he hid his telepathy to avoid being labeled insane. Their conversation humanizes Aris while emphasizing the trauma of WICKED’s experiments—forcing children to rely on telepathy as their only emotional anchor, then severing those bonds (like Teresa’s disappearance).5. Describe the Flat Trans and its introduction in this chapter. What narrative purpose does its mysterious nature serve?
Answer:
The Flat Trans is a shimmering, unstable gray surface that “puls[es] and blur[s]” like a portal, swallowing Minho whole. Its eerie, almost supernatural appearance (“shadows and swirls”) heightens tension, reinforcing WICKED’s technological dominance and the Gladers’ vulnerability. Its abrupt activation at 6:00 AM sharp underscores the precision of their tormentors. The mystery surrounding its function (and destination) propels the plot forward while maintaining suspense. Like the Maze, it represents another unknowable challenge, symbolizing WICKED’s control and the Gladers’ leap into the unknown.
Quotes
1. “Fear surely gripped them as much as it did him. They’d been through the Maze and its horrors. They’d seen close up what WICKED was capable of doing.”
This quote captures the collective trauma and dread shared by the Gladers, emphasizing their psychological state after enduring WICKED’s cruel experiments. It sets the tone for their reluctant determination to face whatever comes next.
2. “His life felt like a black hole. He had no idea how he would muster the will to go on in the morning. To face whatever WICKED had in store for them.”
Thomas’s internal despair highlights the emotional toll of losing Chuck and Teresa, while foreshadowing his shift toward revenge as motivation. This marks a pivotal moment in his character arc.
3. “If the only way to get back at them was to pass all their tests and trials, to survive, then so be it. So be it.”
This repetition underscores Thomas’s transformation—his grief hardening into vengeful resolve. The phrase becomes a mantra representing the Gladers’ grim acceptance of WICKED’s game.
4. “‘Did you think you were crazy?’ the new kid asked. ‘When you first heard her in your head?’”
Aris’s question about telepathic communication reveals the psychological strain of their unnatural abilities, while drawing parallels between Thomas’s bond with Teresa and Aris’s lost connection to Rachel.
5. “‘See you shanks on the other side.’ Then he stepped through, and the wall of gray murk swallowed him whole.”
Minho’s casual bravery as he enters the unknown encapsulates the Gladers’ fatalistic courage. The vivid description of the Flat Trans emphasizes the unsettling, unstable nature of WICKED’s technology.