PersistantTheme of The Maze Runner

Persistent

Persistence is the emerging theme of The Maze Runner. Persistent means trying hard and not giving up, no matter what obstacles emerge. The Gladers haven’t stopped trying to solve the maze even after two years of scarce progress. Eventually, the Gladers received their reward, a way out of the maze, because of their persistence.

Why do people quit?

• People hate failure. Somebody might have an amazing idea; however, he/she might not develop their idea due to fearing failure. Some people might actually try out their ideas, but after failing once or twice, they will give up because of constant failures. People need to understand that failure is an option; failure is vital in actually inventing something novel. Persistence might as well be the indirect cure to cancer, global warming, or the energy crisis.

ExamplesFrom The Maze Runner

Examples

• Page 65

• “He was impressed by how organized they must be, how hard they all must work. He could only imagine how truly horrific a place like this could be if everyone went lazy and stupid.”

• The above passage proves that the Gladers did not whine that they were stuck in a maze. Instead, they created an entire functioning community with specific roles to allow their survival.

Examples

• Page 45

• “Two years we’ve tried to solve this thing, no luck”

• The above statement proves that the Gladers were persistent, and they didn’t stop trying to solve the maze after multiple failures.

Examples

• Page 373

• “Honestly, I’m amazed that in the end, despite everything, we were abled to collect such a large population of kids that just never gave up.”

• The Creators of the Maze wanted to assemble a squad of twenty persistent people, and they succeeded. After The Ending was triggered, most people would have given up. However, the Gladers remained persistent and tried to escape the Maze.

Examples

• Page 305

• “Most people would have given up by now. But I think we’re different. We couldn't accept that a problem can’t be solved-especially when it’s something as simple as a maze.”

• The Gladers never stopped trying to escape; most people would have quit if they were in that position. The persistent nature of the Gladers led them to escaping the maze. This is exactly what the Creators were hoping for

ComparisonThe Maze Runner to Real Life

The Maze Runner

• In chapter 17, Thomas is trapped in the Maze overnight with a depressed Minho and suffering Alby. Minho is ready to quit and get killed by the Grievers without fighting back. However, Thomas is persistent on staying alive, even though the odds are against him. Thomas doesn’t give up, and he tries his best. Thus, Thomas and his colleagues are the first people ever to remain alive in the Maze overnight.

Real Life

• I have been working on a design to revolutionize the way we harness wind energy for months. I felt like quitting on multiple occasions, because my designs did not function correctly. I had no clue on how to solve the obstacles coming along my way. Nevertheless, I was persistent, and now I am very close to making my designs function as well as I envisioned them to.

Reasons to Be PersistentDon’t Give Up!

1. It is possible: As long as you are alive, there should be no reason that anything is out of

reach. Hard work, and persistence will lead to positive results, so don’t give excuses.

2. Keep faith: Believe in your own abilities and skills, and trust yourself. If you can dream or imagine something, then you can achieve it!

4. No regrets: If you choose not to do something, you might regret it later. To prevent regretting

something, just do it.

5. Prove it: Being proud of yourself is very important, and achieving your goals with

persistence is a great boost to your self-pride. Prove it to yourself that you can persevere!

Creators of This Presentation

• Dhrumil Shah

• Dashner, James. The Maze Runner. New York: Delacorte, 2009. Print.

• "I'm Simply Debbie » Top 5 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Give Up." Im Simply Debbie. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Feb. 2015. <http://www.imsimplydebbie.com/top-5-reasons-why-you-shouldnt-give-up/>.