The Hero's Journey in The Maze Runner, by James Dashner

1808 Words4 Pages

People do not have to fly to be hero, it takes much more. Many heroes of today are shown to have supernatural powers that makes them acquire amazing abilities, flying, super strength, skills to manifest anything, the list goes on. Our heroes in the present time are perceived by the audiences' mindset to have special powers but there are times where being a hero does not need to have all the extra tricks. Thomas, a character in The Maze Runner is thrown unconsciously with no memory into a place of the unknown called the Glades, consisting of only teenagers inhabiting the area. He would soon find out the whole place is bordered by a big wall that closes by night and day to protect them from the maze that are filled with demonic machines that will kill on sight. This begins his adventure, eager to learn what is out there and willing to become a maze runner which is equivalent to being a tribute for the greater good in their little homemade society. Having powers might help to become a hero, but in the dystopian novel The Maze Runner, by James Dashner, his protagonist Thomas demonstrates the hero journey in a more natural way by crossing the threshold, meeting a mentor, and lastly having tests, allies and enemies.

Anyone as brave as Thomas does not sit back and relax to watch one of his injured friends from being trapped outside as it is about to hit night time. An injured person outside of their safe haven almost equals imminent death. Thomas instinctively ran to his injured comrade in order to save him, to only find out that he himself is also trapped outside of the Glades. "For several seconds, Thomas felt like the world had frozen in place. A thick silence followed the thunderous rumble of the Door closing, and a ...

... middle of paper ...

... not a hero journey, lacking of foes and partners is an incomplete adventure. They provide the obstacles and support for the protagonist to complete the journey they are on. By having the hero journey cycle composed by Joseph Campbell, it demonstrates the complexity of how a hero's defined. It's about the growth of the character by separation from his comfort zone and venturing into the unknown. By successfully passing the stages, then one is called a hero.

Works Cited

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

Emerson, David. "Innocence as a Super-power: Little Girls on the Hero's Journey." Literature Resource Center. Gale, n.d. Web.

Flowers, Ann A. "Review of Morelli's Game." Literature Resource Center. Gale, n.d. Web.

Johnson, Jennifer. "Review of Safari Adventure in Legoland." Literature Resource Center. Gale, n.d. Web.

Show More
Related

  • Harry Potter and The Hero's Journey

    1096 Words  | 3 Pages

    One well-known example of “The Hero’s Journey” from popular culture is the Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, by J.K. Rowling. In the novel, Harry Potter, the main character, is the chosen one and “The Hero’s Journey” applies to his life from the moment he is attacked by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named as a baby. Joseph Campbell calls the initial phase of a hero’s development the “Call to Adventure.” The call is the in... ...

    Read More

  • The Big Lebowski, A Hero's Journey

    998 Words  | 2 Pages

    Joseph Campbell’s “hero’s journey” is a common myth in global mythology. The hero’s journey is exactly what its name implies; a tale of a hero’s deeds and adventures. The stages and sub-stages that Campbell outlines as part of the journey are simply guidelines and don’t appear in every story, but this is what makes each story unique. Jeff “the Dude” Lebowski is not much of a hero himself, but his story certainly falls in line with the hero’s journey.

    Read More

  • The Maze Runner Hero's Journey

    1062 Words  | 3 Pages

    It was cold, dark, and he had no idea what was going on all he can remember partially of his name. He had started hearing conspicuous noises. He then looked at the sides of the chained wall. He saw this terrifying creature, then jolted back as soon as he saw it. Everything had just stopped and the top of the room opened up. This guy had then jumped down and brought him up and said, “Day one greenie.” As soon as he got up he started to run. But after 5-10 seconds he then fell. The guy who brought him up told him, “As long as you’re here you’ll never run again.”

    Read More

  • Summary Of James Dashner's The Maze Runner

    182 Words  | 1 Pages

    The Maze Runner, a Novel By James Dashner, verbalizes about a boy that arouses in a metal box with no recollection of who he genuinely really is, when he soon realizes that he is in an elevator being taken to a place called “The Glade”. Lay there a community with males only, every week come supplies and every month a new person comes. A place circumvented by 4 equilateral walls, and hundreds of feet in height. Each of the sides have an opening precisely in the middle, but only one of the sides open daily. Outside those inscrutable walls lies a dismaying maze. 2 people called “The Runner's” study the maze and perpetually attempting to find a way to get out while challenged by mysterious alien-like creatures are called Grievers, they are dark,

    Read More

  • Beowulf Acts Of Heroism Be Disregarded As A Hero's Hero

    1667 Words  | 4 Pages

    The hero’s journey can be seen as a set of laws or challenges that every hero faces through their own journey(Christopher Vogler). The hero’s journey is used as a general term such as all

    Read More

  • James Dashner's Maze Runner

    926 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hey you, Yeah… YOU! Would you want to live in a society where you live in a box for your entire life, and mean absolutely nothing to the just about anyone? For science right? NOPE! Obviously, Societies fall as a result of a corrupt government, Failing Social Structure, and Sickness. It is due to these factors that many great societies such as Greece, Rome, and the society depicted in the book Maze Runner fall.

    Read More

  • The Heros Journey In The Hero's Journey

    774 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Hero’s Journey is an ancient archetype that we find throughout our modern life and also, in the world of literature.Whether metaphorical or real, the journey that a character goes on shows not only the incredible transformation of the hero but it also gives them their life meaning. It is the ultimate human experience and it reflects on every aspect of life. Take Logan, also known as Wolverine, from the X-Men movie as an example. His adventure starts with “The Call,” which is the first step of the Hero’s Journey. This step happens due to the realization of imbalance and injustice that the character has in their life. Logan steps into the first stage of the pattern but is hesitant to start his adventure because he does not know what and

    Read More

  • Sethe's Hero Cycle

    611 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Hero Cycle is a term used in literature to describe “the typical adventure of the archetype known as The Hero, the person who goes out and achieves great deeds on behalf of the group, tribe, or civilization,” according to Joseph Campbell ("INTRODUCTION." Hero's Journey). In Beloved, Toni Morrison creates the character Sethe, who shows qualities of the hero cycle and unveils the horrors of being a mother during slavery.

    Read More

  • The Hero Journey in Princess Bride

    975 Words  | 2 Pages

    Emerson, David. “Innocence as a super-power: little girls on the hero’s journey.” Mythlore 28.1-2 (2009): 13lt. Literature resource center.web.17oct.2013

    Read More

  • The Hierarchy In James Dashner's The Maze Runner

    622 Words  | 2 Pages

    The hierarchy is formed by how long the kids have lived in the maze. In the Maze Runner by James Dashner, Thomas had started at the bottom of the pyramid. When he had first come to the maze, people treated him as if he was 5. The person with the most respect was a man named Alby, because he was one of the oldest Glader that is still alive. Later on when Thomas was asking question, Newt says that he cannot be exposed to too many things at a time, what makes him clueless and unexperienced. When Thomas saw the maze he thought that he was meant to be a maze runner, and tells his friends, Chuck, the idea of being one, but Chuck things that he is insane.

    Read More

  • The Journey Of The Martian Hero's Journey

    1966 Words  | 4 Pages

    According to Bonnie Tyler, a hero is a man that needs to be strong and fast, straight out of battle, and have a legendary persona about them. Traditionally in mythology, heroes are characterized by their strength, physical prowess, intelligence, cunningness, and success on the battlefield. In addition, most heroes go on some type of quest or adventure, often accompanied by a trusty sidekick to rein them in. The hero’s journey archetype is often divided into three parts: the beginning setup and departure, a period of adaptation and conflict, and the resolution where the hero returns home victorious (Bronzite). Upon this journey the hero will be forced into action, undergo many tribulations, and

    Read More

  • The Theme Of Bravery In 'The Maze Runner'

    317 Words  | 1 Pages

    In The Maze Runner there are main different themes but I feel that hope is one of the bigger ones would be bravery.In the Maze Runner Thomas shows the most bravery out of everyone and he’s pretty much the newest member. Many times throughout the story Thomas goes into dangerous situations to help others even if that means risking his own life. One of the forms of bravery in The Maze Runner is when Thomas saw Alby and Minho coming to the walls of the maze as it was closing and knew that they wouldn’t make it in time so he ran in even though he was risking his life “Thomas knew he had no choice. He moved. Forward. He squeezed past the connecting rods at the last second and stepped into the Maze. The walls slammed shut behind him, the echo of

    Read More

  • Heroes in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight by Joseph Campbell

    622 Words  | 2 Pages

    Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a great example of the hero cycle. There are many other stories that follow Joseph Campbell's theory, which is why I agree with him. Being familiar with the hero cycle makes these stories easier to predict and interpret. We can refer to the hero cycle when we want to find out why the hero goes on his journey, what he wants to accomplish, and what good he has done for the rest of his people.

    Read More

  • Essay On The Maze Runner

    651 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Maze Runner by James Dashner is a science fiction novel that includes action and thriller. The novel is about a sixteen year old boy named Thomas who wakes up with no memory from where he came from or who he is or what he was doing there and in a metal cage box surrounded by many teenage boys looking at him weirdly. Throughout the novel there is many science-fiction themes and characteristics displayed such as futuristic technology, alien, robot like creatures environmental and social changes also unrealistic and fictional events.

    Read More

  • The Maze Runner, by James Dashner

    1396 Words  | 3 Pages

    The novel The Maze Runner by James Dashner begins with a teenage boy waking up in an elevator who has no memory of the past, only that his name is Thomas. When the doors of the elevator open up he is pulled into a humongous square surrounding, called the Glade, by a group of teenage boys. The boys in the Glade refer to themselves as the ‘Gladers’. Thomas learns that the Gladers have lived in there for two years and that the Glade is located in the center of a maze which contains a labyrinth of high walls that move during the night and deadly creatures called grievers. The Glade is led by two boys, Alby and Newt; they both maintain order in the Glade by enforcing strict rules and jobs that keep the Gladers busy. A day after Thomas’ arrival an unknown girl arrives in the Glade. This shocks everyone because the Gladers only receive a new person every month, never within the same week. This also shocks everyone because she was the only girl in a maze full of boys. The girl also gives a message that everything is going to change and that she is the last one ever. Right after her message she immediately falls into a coma. The arrival of the girl causes many things to go chaotic including the sun seizing to rise, the Gladers stop receiving supplies from the creators of the maze, and the doors of the Glade that protect the Gladers from the grievers at night stop closing. When the girl, Teresa wakes up she informs Thomas that they both knew each other in the past and that the maze was a code. Thomas and the people who run around the maze to map out the labyrinth, the runners, look through the archives of the maps and find out the code. Then the leader of the runners, Minho, figures out that the cliff they thought was just a cliff was actua...

    Read More

More about The Hero's Journey in The Maze Runner, by James Dashner

Open Document