A Turning Point

When Tomas enters this type of cave Teresa lead him into, he spots Aris in there too, he was a boy from Group B. Teresa grabbed her spear and forced Thomas to get in a sealed room then she revealed that she was ordered by WICKED to kill him in order to let her be with Aris. Eventually thomas struggled but it was futile he couldn't beat both of them. He got locked in the room and gas started to fill the room. He woke up feeling better than ever his wounds his head stopped hurting. As the door opened he saw Teresa crying she told him that WICKED order her to do this "act" if she refused they would kill him. Thomas didn't believed a word she said but still spare her life and left the cave. Teresa and Aris followed him, they eventually met up with Group A and B in safe haven. Which was a sign pointing to the ground. Minutes passed and sphere rose from the ground, electric monsters emerged from the capsules. The Gladers had no other option than to fight them, many died but they triumphed. But several minute after the battle was over another electric storm approached them. They needed to find refuge from the lightning and so the hid on the same capsules from which the monsters came from. After several minutes the storm passed and they heard a hovercraft near them. It seemed to have landed a few feet away from the spheres. They ran and and finally reached the hovercraft. But Thomas knew with all certainty that more tests were to come so he wasn't entirely relaxed as everyone else. A man emerged from the pilot's cabin he congratulated the Gladers and told them that there won't be any more lies from here on out. They reached WICKED's HQ and were offered new pairs of clothes and living room to stay the night.

Thomas woke up on a completely white room with one door and a desk covering it. Then, he heard voice from his head it was Brenda. She was warning him that things will get ugly from here on out. He couldn't manage to respond to her since Teresa interrupted him. She seemed desperate to come in contact with him. Thomas couldn't possibly hold his anger towards her and he told her to shut up and go away. But then Teresa's last words made Thomas realize he was right after all, she told him that "WICKED is good," and then she was gone.  

During the time Thomas was in the room in which Teresa forced him to be in by beating him up Thomas had some thoughts from which I think it will affected the future of the story.

"He lost all concept of time as he lay there. It was as if whoever was behind it all wanted to give him time to reflect on what happened while he waited for the end. On how Teresa's message to trust her no matter what had ended up being a cruel trick that only magnified her two face treachery."(pg 298)

I think this was turning point for Thomas since he has been thinking about her all the book about how he would save her about how they would be happily together but now he knows there is no future that hold such crazy expectations. So from now on Thomas will become the one that WICKED always wanted him to become. A leader who doesn't rely on the on the promises of others. 

Another part from the book the author did a splendid job of describing was when Teresa confessed to Thomas everything that WICKED told her to do to her.

"He wasn't sure when he'd reach this turning point. But something had cracked within him.

And then there was Teresa. How could he ever have felt so much for her?... The door started to open, slowly  swinging outward. Teresa stood there in the pale light of early morning, her face streaked with tears. As soon as there was enough room , she threw her arms around him, pressing her face against his neck... 

Thomas couldn't answer, couldn't bring himself to hug back. Betrayal. The signs in Teresa's door, the conversation between the people in his dreams. Pieces were falling into place. For all he knew, she was just trying to trick him again." (pg 303)

The author describes really well how this "act" hurted Thomas so much, and how he knew he had to change. He shows the moment Thomas had dreamt about and now that it is happening for real he knows he was a fool in the beginning

In the beginning of the book out of all the characters Teresa was the last one I expected something like this. Why? WICKED is responsible for what happened and now I'm pretty sure Thomas no matter what Teresa told him at the end, he will never trust this people. And I'm positive that he will escape the facility or atleast try it in order to destroy with people.

Broken Trust

Many thoughts race through Thomas head he first think its just a joke but then he wonders if WICKED have the cure then why haven't they helped the cranks here recover? Then  the party owners offer him a drink which seems to drug him and Brenda, which made them lose conscience. interrogated by the host of the party but midway through the interrogation Minho and the other Gladers accompanied by Jorge attack and take over the place. Later they resume their quest to safe haven, leading to countless walking hours. Till one day while they were walking Group B ambushed them. Group B went through exactly the same trials as the Gladers the only difference was that they were girls instead of boys. Teresa appeared in the crowd of this group she seemed to be the leader, she started walking through the Gladers until she met with Thomas. She then took him as her hostage, Thomas had no idea what was happening in her head why was she with this group of girls why she took him hostage. Till they arrived at Groups B camp and tight Thomas to a tree. The Teresa revealed that she was planing to kill him because he had done something horrible to her. Thomas was completely startled for all that just happened at first he thought all was an act but then things got serious Teresa started beating Thomas even when he didn't said anything. Later that day Teresa went to scout the area, Thomas used that time to convince the other girls that he wasn't what Teresa told them he was. Eventually he got freed and Teresa got so mad she left the camp. Then Thomas and his new group resumed the journey to safe haven. Again midway through their journey Teresa appeared to Thomas. She told him that everything was an act and that he should follow her somewhere.
They awoke tight up to wooden chairs, they were later

A part of the book that I think the author did a great job showing and not telling how Thomas felt towards Teresa.
"Tom we need to talk' she responded, almost sounding like the girl he thought he knew. 'Don't worry about them, just come with me."she gestured to the trees behind her with a quick jerk of her head. He looked back at the girls of Group B, still heading away from him, then turned to Teresa again. 'Maybe we should-', 'Just come on, The act is over.' She turned away without waiting for a response and stepped into the lifeless forest. Thomas without hesitation followed her" (pg 287)

Thomas just had a horrible experience with this girl, starting that when she captured him instead of bringing him walking they tied his hand an feet and dragged him like a dog scraping the floor. Then she usually beaten up Thomas for everything under a false accusation. And she planned on killing him and told him on his face. And now the excuse she says for her actions is that everything was an act. So any person who is rational wouldn't have followed her. But the author made Thomas follow her because he is in love with her and he cannot let her go since he has been thinking about her all the time. And if I was put in the situation the moment she turned away and disappear in the wood, I would have been like "Uh no" and turn away and leave her.


During the part that tomas convinces all the girls not to kill him since he thought of it as a test he got away with it. So Thomas is midway through his argument of why is it a test of individuality instead of a test of whose stronger.
"No, think about this. How are you showing any strength by killing me? I'm way outnumbered and you have all this weapons. How does that prove who's stronger'... 'I think it's a test to see if you think for yourself, change plans, make rational decisions. And more of us there are, the better odd we have of making it to safe haven. Killing me makes no sense, does no one any good."(pg 279)
So this made me remember when a long time ago I was training my little cousin to be a goalie and accidentally I shot too hard and it ended up hitting him in his face. He eventually started crying and his nose was bleeding. I got away from being grounded by explaining that his grip was off and it made him lose control of the ball and hit him in the face.


To warp things up I strongly believe Teresa is really going to betray Thomas on an attempt on killing him. Though I little part of me says that WICKED is behind all of this and maybe it is controlling Teres. MAYBE. But I really think Teresa wouldn't have a strong reason to excuse herself of killing Thomas, since he has done nothing bad to her, Instead he really wanted to be with her so I don't see a reason of why Teresa wants to kill him. But again WICKED might be behind all of this which means that Teresa has no conscience of her own action.

Betrayal or loyalty

The Gladers have made contact with a group of Cranks in the ruins of the building , luckily these Cranks are not too far gone, meaning they are nor crazy YET. These people are desperate for a cure and will do anything to get it. Which gave the idea to Thomas to use them to get through the city. Most of the Cranks refuse but the leader and a female Crank named Brenda join up to help them. When they went to the underground where the Cranks store the food a huge explosion was heard from above and made the under ground tunnels collapse. The group got separated leaving Thomas and Brenda alone. As they keep walking through the obscure tunnels Thomas realizes that this girl Brenda is a very touchy feely girl, since she is always hugging him and often holding his hand and he barely knows her. They walked for several hours and trouble arises since they encounter a group of nose-less Cranks . Eventually the escape them and exit the underground but the realize it is night time so they decided to get some rest on a parked truck outside in an ally. The next morning Thomas wakes up with a disturbing message next to him. It said "Thomas you are the real leader" then he realized that thanks to that message the cranks wanted to help them since they thought he is somewhat special. As they were leaving the truck they heard drums faraway in the distance and went to investigate, it turned out to be a Crank party and when they were just about to leave they got caught and since they knew he was Thomas they didn't did anything to him. Instead the forced him to go the party. Thomas felt weird being in a party full of insane Cranks but then Brenda proposed him something unacceptable. He told him that they should stay here with the Cranks since here they were finally safe, here they'll be happy. She confessed to him that during the spread of the Flare wicked had no cure and it still has no cure. So why travel to the "Safe Haven" where the supposed "Cure" is. Everything they've done is a lie, there is no cure. 
Should he stay here and abandon his fellow Gladers to the city and have a save life or leave all of them behind and travel to save haven.  


During the long dark walk on the "Underground" I found the first clue that Brenda is probably going to hurt Thomas. 
"Thomas let go of her, leaned his head back against the wall. She pressed in again and wrapped her arms around his middle. 'Uh...Brenda?' he asked."(pg 175)
Who hugs and gets all touchy with someone who just met? maybe there is a purpose for all of this actions. Brenda wants to use Thomas for something. Why is she so desperate to get his attention what is it that Brenda wants so bad from him? The cure? Safety? Resources?. She is planning to do something to him.

This is a follow up quote that shows Thomas will not fall on Brenda's hands.
"Thomas was enjoying her being so close, but it seemed so bizarre and out of the blue. Then a surge of guilt, thinking of Teresa. All of this was stupid. He was in the middle of a brutal and ruthless attempt to make it across  the wasteland, his life on the line, his friends maybe dead. Teresa could even be dead. To sit here and cuddle with some strange girl in the dark was about the most absurd thing he could think of." (pg 174)
The author is trying to tell that even though of the situation Thomas is  still a rational person who thinks and analyses what is happening and why is it happening. So Thomas will pretty much keep his distance with this girl not only for his safety but for his sense of guilt toward the fellow Gladers and specially towards Teresa


I have to possibilities, one Brenda is actually in love with Thomas and wants to stay with him no matter what, but this is not likely since she made Thomas promised to no matter what to take her to WICKED were the cure is, even if it meant going alone. My second possibility is that Brenda is actually planing on leaving everyone behind and kill some if she has to as long as she gets the Cure. She will use Thomas in every possible way, this is more possible since during the book she admitted that she was loosing control of herself because of the Flare, and she stated that she rather die than turn insane so she is desperate for the cure.

Burnt Hope

As soon as the Gladers step towards the portal they discover they are on a confined tunnel, completely empty and completely dark. The darkness was so intense that even though the Gladers knew they were among other people they could see them nor themselves. After hours of walking by pressing their bodies to the right side of the tunnel, a scream is heard from the front of the line it seemed the a glader fell and when thomas went to check it out he sensed that his head had been chopped of and has been replaced with a solid metal sphere. As soon as he informed of what had occurred to their fellow Glader they all freaked out and ran searching for an exist, though many glader got caught by that metal sphere no one stopped until they found a staircase. As they open the door the light hit their eyes as a hot blaze that made the eye of every one burn since they were used to the darkness. Still they wrapped around their bedsheets around their head since the chose the sun over instant death. As they walked for days in the dry and arid desert their supplies started to run low and the ruin of a city appeared on the horizon. The evening they were supposed to arrive to the city a female agonizing scream could be heard over the distances it was such a horrible sound it made it unbearable to walk without something to block the noise. Then on the top of a fallen building a female silhouette appeared, Thomas instantly knew it was Teresa, her pose, her hair everything as he remembered. So he went alone to investigate the building but he found an empty room filled with darkness till the voice of Teresa appeared, telling him to stay back. Then a candle lit and he saw her all cleaned up and with all her hair well done she seemed incredibly scared and broke to tears as she hugged Thomas. She instantly pulled back and told him to ran away, as fast as he can because their is something dangerous coming. Thomas wanted to take her with him but she resisted and ran away alone. As soon as he left the building to warn the others thunder stroke in the distance but this was no regular storm there barely was any rain it was just lighting everywhere and a wind that suffocated. The Gladers ran as fast as they could to the nearest building but many suffocated and others got stroke by lightings. And so the reached the building with only ELEVEN Gladers out of the FIFTY from which they started with.



A part of the story I really enjoyed reading was when Thomas finally found Teresa in the ruins of that building, and the author did an splendid job of forming Teresa's image in the readers head. 

"She was clean, every part of her. He'd expected her to be filthy like he must be after all this time in the dusty desert. He'd expected greasy hair and a smudged and sunburned face. But instead she wore fresh clothes, her clean hair cascaded to her shoulders. Nothing marred the pale skin of her face or arms. She was more beautiful than he'd ever seen her in the Maze, than any memories he could pull from the murky group of what he recovered after the Changing. But her eyes sparkled with tears her lower lip trembled with fear her hands shook at her sides, he saw recognition in her eyes, saw that she hadn't forgotten him again , but behind that here was pure and absolute terror." (pg 115)f
This builds a pretty strong image of Teresa in ones head, on;y by using Imagery author is able build a strong expression on a fictional character. Making it seem almost real.

Another quote I think that was very important to the story and will make thing more tragic is when Teresa finally speaks to Thomas warning them to go away that it is too dangerous for them to be there. 
"Get away from me Tom,' she said 'All of you need to get away...from me. Don't argue. Just leave me. Run.' Her neck tensed with the effort to get those last few words out."  
  If  it wasn't for Teresa's last words maybe all of the gladers would have died in the lighting storm, but was that WICKED's plan or wasn't it, maybe Teresa broke some rule and warned them about what they were up against, and if  so she will be punished making it for Thomas much more important to reach the end in order to know what happened to her, does she have the virus too, is she being manipulated by WICKED? many are the question Thomas wonders about her, day and night


I strongly believe that the quest from now on will get harder since they've arrived into an unknown city in which the infected people called Cranks live in. And they are their dinner, but with the big loss of Gladers they've suffer it will be hard to protect themselves. And they hardly know where they are and hardly know the city. They will be easy prey for the Cranks unless the Cranks can sense that they've been infected too. Then they will have no problem getting through the city, since they are only supposed to go north. But how are they supposed to reach the destination with such little supplies their water sources are almost empty and the road up ahead looks dry and very hot. How will the replenish their supplies, are there supplies in the ruins of a city?