The Scorch Trials
Chapter 37
by Dashner, JamesThomas and Brenda are abruptly pulled into a chaotic, crowded room filled with dancing Cranks, their senses overwhelmed by deafening music and erratic flashlight beams. A long-haired man, who recognizes Thomas, ushers them through the throng, explaining they had been observed earlier. Brenda clings to Thomas for safety as they notice armed figures trailing them. The long-haired man insists Thomas is special and offers protection, though Thomas remains wary, planning to play along until they can escape. The atmosphere is tense, with the armed group watching closely, and Thomas senses danger beneath the surface of the seemingly welcoming chaos.
The long-haired man leaves to fetch drinks, leaving Thomas and Brenda surrounded by the armed observers. Brenda, seemingly exhausted, suggests staying with the Cranks for safety, but Thomas insists they must reach the safe haven for a cure. Their conversation is interrupted as they unintentionally begin dancing, their bodies pressed close. Brenda expresses doubt about the cure’s existence, her eyes wet with tears, while Thomas tries to reassure her. His trust in her wavers briefly, but he dismisses the thought, focusing on their need to escape the volatile situation.
The long-haired man returns with drinks, and Thomas’s instincts scream that the beverages are dangerous. When he tries to refuse, Blondie presses a gun into his side, forcing him to drink. The liquid burns Thomas’s throat, and Brenda follows suit. Almost immediately, Thomas feels the effects—a warm, calming sensation spreading through his body, distorting his perception. The room spins, faces stretch grotesquely, and Brenda appears more beautiful than ever. Despite the drugged haze, he manages to ask what they were given, and Brenda confirms it was something harmful, her voice barely audible over the music.
As the drugs take full effect, Thomas and Brenda’s movements become sluggish, their surroundings warping into a surreal nightmare. Brenda’s face seems to jiggle as she stares at him, her beauty magnified in his altered state. The chapter ends with their reality unraveling, leaving their fate uncertain. The Cranks’ true intentions remain unclear, but the forced ingestion of the drugged drink marks a turning point, heightening the danger and uncertainty of their predicament.
FAQs
1. How does the setting of the Crank hideout contribute to the atmosphere of danger and uncertainty in this chapter?
Answer:
The hideout’s chaotic environment intensifies the sense of danger through sensory overload and physical constraints. The deafening music (“each beat of the drums like a hammer to Thomas’s skull”), swaying flashlights creating disorienting light patterns, and the packed crowd of sweaty dancers all create claustrophobic tension. The darkness punctuated by erratic light beams mirrors Thomas’s psychological state—glimpses of threat (Blondie’s gun) amid confusion. The physical heat and forced proximity (Brenda clinging to Thomas) amplify discomfort, making the forced drug consumption even more violating. This sensory bombardment leaves Thomas—and the reader—struggling to assess threats, mirroring the unpredictability of the Cranks’ motives.2. Analyze Thomas’s shifting trust in Brenda throughout this chapter. What pivotal moments reveal his internal conflict?
Answer:
Thomas’s trust wavers in three key moments: (1) When Brenda suggests staying with the Cranks (“Maybe we’d be safer here”), he suspects she may have led him there purposefully, though dismisses it as “a stretch.” (2) Her willingness to take the drugged drink contrasts with his refusal, highlighting divergent risk assessments. (3) Their intimate dancing—initially pragmatic to avoid separation—becomes emotionally charged under drug influence (“Every time her lips bumped against his skin, a wave of pleasure shot through him”), complicating his loyalty to Teresa. These moments reveal his struggle between logical distrust (“something about all this worried him”) and emotional reliance on their physical connection for survival.3. How does the author use the motif of forced consumption to escalate tension? Compare the “welcome” drink to earlier instances of coercion in the series.
Answer:
The drugged drink scene mirrors the Maze Runner’s theme of loss of bodily autonomy, but with heightened psychological violence. Unlike the Glade’s controlled food supply or WCKD’s overt testing, this coercion masquerades as hospitality (“It would be very rude to turn such an offer down”). Blondie’s gun-to-ribs countdown (“I’m gonna count to one”) parodies civilized social rituals, echoing the Griever threats but in human form. The drug’s rapid effects (“a soothing warmth… the room had begun to spin”) parallel the Changing’s loss of control, but here it’s weaponized intimacy—Thomas’s altered perception of Brenda’s beauty foreshadows manipulation of relationships, a recurring series theme.4. What does Long Hair’s contradictory behavior reveal about the Cranks’ social hierarchy and survival tactics?
Answer:
Long Hair embodies the Cranks’ duality—performative kindness masking predation. His initial enthusiastic welcome (“Thank God for batteries!”) and claims of protection (“We’ll protect you from the bad Cranks!”) contrast sharply with his cold insistence on the drugged drink (“any sign of kindness gone from his tattooed face”). This shift reveals a hierarchy where apparent leaders like Long Hair use manufactured camaraderie to lower defenses, while enforcers like Blondie apply overt violence. Their coordinated roles—observer, host, and enforcer—suggest an organized system exploiting newcomers, paralleling WCKD’s manipulation tactics but through anarchic social engineering rather than institutional control.5. Evaluate how the chapter’s closing drug-induced hallucinations serve as both a cliffhanger and thematic metaphor.
Answer:
The hallucinatory ending (“People’s faces seemed to stretch… the singing voice deepened”) operates on three levels: (1) As a cliffhanger, it leaves readers questioning the drug’s purpose—interrogation tool, loyalty test, or mere cruelty. (2) Thematically, the distorted perceptions mirror Thomas’s crumbling grasp on reality in the Scorch, where allies/enemies blur (Brenda’s shifting trustworthiness) and survival requires navigating manipulated truths. (3) The euphoric effects (“a wave of pleasure”) juxtaposed with danger foreshadow the series’ central conflict—whether temporary safety (Glade, Crank camp) justifies compromising autonomy, echoing Teresa’s eventual betrayal for perceived greater good.
Quotes
1. “Thank God for batteries! Life’s gonna suck when those run out!”
This quote captures the desperate, survivalist tone of the Crank community, highlighting their precarious existence in a post-apocalyptic world where even basic resources like batteries are precious and finite.
2. “We really want you to join us! There’s gotta be something about you! We’ll protect you from the bad Cranks!”
This moment reveals the manipulative tactics of the Cranks, who simultaneously appeal to Thomas’s uniqueness while threatening him with implied danger from outsiders, showcasing the chapter’s tension between false sanctuary and real peril.
3. “It’s just so hard to believe it’s really true. Hard to hope for it.”
Brenda’s vulnerable admission reflects the central theme of eroded hope in their journey, marking a pivotal moment where Thomas must confront his own doubts while trying to maintain their resolve to reach the safe haven.
4. “I offered you a drink. It would be very rude to turn such an offer down.”
This chilling statement, delivered with false courtesy, represents the chapter’s turning point where hospitality becomes coercion, perfectly encapsulating the sinister undercurrent beneath the Cranks’ seemingly welcoming facade.
5. “Something not good. Something drugged. It’s doing funny things to me.”
This exchange captures the visceral horror of their forced intoxication, marking the chapter’s climax where the characters lose control of their situation (and their minds) to their captors’ manipulation.