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Chapter 44
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Maze Runner, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Memory and Identity
Stability and Order vs. Change and Chaos
Sacrifice
Growing Up
Hope
Sexism
Summary
Analysis
When they return, it’s early morning and Newt says that the Grievers took a boy named Adam who Thomas never met. Minho is discouraged and runs off to the Homestead. Thomas initiates a conversation with Teresa and she says that they’ve gotten all the code words and that he should come down to the weapons room as soon as he can.
Once again, Mingo gives up hope instead of persevering. In contrast, Thomas’s hopefulness provides a model for how to act in a crisis: stay positive and move on to the next task.
Themes
When Thomas arrives Teresa shows him the message: FLOAT. CATCH. BLEED. DEATH. STIFF. PUSH. After PUSH, the Maze gives them no new letters for a week before resetting at FLOAT. At first Thomas has no idea what the words mean, but then he realizes what he needs to do to find the answer. He feels like it’s a terrible idea but he knows it’s the only option he has if he wants to get the Gladers out of the Maze alive. Instead of telling Teresa his plan, he says he needs rest.
Again the Maze’s movements appear to have some underlying meaning. Even though the message seems random and morbid, Thomas does not give up hope. Unlike Minho, Thomas’ hope gives him the confidence to tackle any challenge that comes his way.
Themes
As he leaves, Thomas resolutely decides that in order to find the answer to the Maze, he needs more memories. To get his memories back, Thomas decides to get stung by the Grievers in order to go through the Changing.
