THOMAS' JOURNAL
How I am showing plot theme and character
In this journal I am showing plot, theme and character because it is Thomas's journal and it shows what he has done in the Glade. I am showing character because it explains how he sees other characters throughout the novel. He explains that Chuck is really annoying, that there is a strange kid named Gally and an intimidating 17 year old named Alby. I am showing plot because he writes about the events and what is happening and what the effect of those events are on him. I am also showing theme because my top 3 themes were bravery, persistence and friendship I show these throughout this journal by showing his emotions and what Thomas feels like. I show bravery because when he goes into the maze he shows how he feels really brave doing that and how he leads the group to escape he feels brave. I showed persistence because in the maze sometimes he felt discouraged and Thomas wrote about that how sometimes he had to keep on going when he felt like giving up. I also showed friendship because he writes about him and Chuck and what they do together and how they bond. This is how I represented plot, theme and character.
Day 1
My name is Thomas. That's all I can remember about myself since I came to this mysterious place called the "Glade". I woke up in a metal, screeching box with boys laughing at me. The Glade only has boys only and the only nice person I've met is a 12 year old named Chuck. Nobody will give me answers on how I got here, and this strange kid named Gally says he's seen me in the Changing. What's that supposed to mean? There is a sick boy too, Ben. There is this really intimidating 17 year old named Alby who I think is the leader and he has a second in command named Newt. Plus, I don't even know my last name and everyone here is either calling me "Greenbean" or "Newbie". I think this is just seriously a REALLY bad nightmare or something.
Day 2
The next morning, the kid second in command Newt woke me up early to show me the maze. Newt told me that the #1 rule in the Glade was to never go out into the maze. But I feel like I've been to the Glade before and I need to be a runner. Alby came later to take me on my tour and show me around. But when I got to the pens with the animals like the chickens and stuff it just struck. I know I have been here before or seen it in my dreams. Just at that exact moment a high pitched alarm went off and Alby was shouting something about the box. Another person had arrived and Alby had mentioned that only one person comes a month. It was a girl and there were no girls that had ever come to the Glade. But everyone thought she was dead but she was actually in a coma. She held a creepy letter that said SHE IS THE LAST ONE. EVER. She said that everything was going to change but when she came I felt like I knew her like I had some connection to her somehow, like I knew her. Later on Chuck gave me no answers on how to be a runner so I just decided to go on a walk alone just to get a little bit of time away from Chuck. And that is when the terrible happened, I was looking at the grave stones and all of a sudden Ben the sick boy pops out of the trees and tackles me yelling and screaming. Alby came later on came to save my life which I am totally grateful for. Alby took out his bow and shot an arrow into Ben's cheek and he falls to the ground dead. It was a very terrible way to end the day.
Day 3
I've actually only been here for 2 days but it feels like I've been here for a year. The med-jacks which I think are doctors are feeding the girl in the coma soup but she still hasn't woken up yet. Today Newt put me to work with Winston to slaughter animals in the Blood House. Winston showed me around for the first hour and then I fed the animals for the second hour. Then on my break as I was wandering around barging in the door a boy, a runner collapsed on the ground. I screamed for Alby and he came and got Minho some water. Minho's news was really confusing to me but really surprising for Alby. "I found a dead griever," was what Minho said. I was super fascinated and the mention of a Griever. Alby didn't believe this Minho kid but I sure did. Then after a long time of Alby accusing me for all this I told him that I seriously had no idea what was going on. I just walked to a tree and sat down to have some peace and quiet and then at that moment Chuck comes running to me saying that Ben was not dead and he was getting Banished for what he did to me. I had no idea what would happen when someone got banished but Chuck only smiled and said "You'll find out soon enough." Later on the Banishment was really scary. Bigger boys dragged Ben in his tattered clothes with a bloody bandage was what Ben was wearing. Ben's eyes widened with terror when Newt brought out a metal pole and how Alby was holding a leather collar. The strapped the collar to Ben attached it to a pole and they threw him out into the maze as the doors were closing. At that moment tears dripped d0wn my face. Ben deserved to get Banished but I didn't want him to.
Day 4
The next day, Newt woke me up really early 7 am. But he said it was late! But thank goodness he let me sleep in for Glade time. This morning I was also able to get a few answers out of Newt about the runners. It was quite interesting after all that I told him I wanted to be a runner. He told me that I was crazy and that no one could become a runner on their first week, much less their first month. But I am not giving up on my dream to become a runner. Today I got to work with the Gardeners. Their keeper is Zart, I could tell he liked to work on his own so I figured things out myself. I asked a lot of questions and for once Zart was perfectly willing to answer them. Then came lunch, Chuck and I sat at a table and Newt sat at the table next to us looking really depressed. He was worried about Minho and Alby. They went out to get the dead Grievers hours ago and they should have returned a while ago. I went back to work after lunch time and I kept glancing at the West Door to see if Minho and Alby had come back because Newt's concern had definitely rubbed off on me. I was counting the minutes down from getting out of these Gardens. They still hadn't returned after I finished but a few hours later I saw them really clear. The doors were just seconds from closing and Minho was holding Alby who looked practically dead. I ran 100 feet from the door, 50 feet, 10 feet and I was out in the maze. For a few seconds the world looked frozen in place, and my brain couldn't even register where I was exactly. Minho told me I would be dead and it was just horrible out here and I just knew that I would survive. Later grievers were clicking and whirring and I could hear them, I was absolutely terrified. Then dawn came and Minho and I met up. 4 Grievers blocked our way and we rammed into them and they fell over into the Griever Hole. I sat their crying for half an hour I don't know why but I survived and I should be glad.
Day 5
Minho and I were still completely shocked how we made it trough the whole night. We entered back to the Glade with Newt shocked that we were still alive. Newt got us checked by the Med-Jacks and a few hours later Chuck told me that Alby was alive and he had just started the Changing. I stayed in the room I was put for the whole day, I tried to talk the Med-Jacks out of it but I was too tired to put up a fight. I wanted to see Alby but Newt said it would make it worse. The whole day Alby's piercing screams were still audible even when I covered my ears. Chuck brought me my dinner and water later on. Newt told me that tomorrow there would be a Gathering and I would be there too. They whole day basically just felt like a blur of having so much things on my mind that I can't even stay stable.
Day 6
The next morning I was super scared. The Gathering was happening and facing me were 11 other keepers. Zart thought that what I did was good, Frypan definitely agreed, the kid next only said a small bit but that I shouldn't be punished, Winston disagreed completely and said I should be put in the Slammer for a week with only bread and water! 2 more keepers went, one agreed and one disagreed. Gally talked on and on for it felt like an hour just blabbing how I should be punished forever. Minho went and he said that I should be Keeper of the Runners, the room went silent after that until Gally yelled blabbing on again. Minho disagreed with Gally and then Gally went wacko and angry and ran away and threatened to break Minho's neck and kill me. Newt later came up with an idea that would incorporate everyone's idea but only a tiny bit of Gally's. Newt said that I should be elected as a runner but be put in the Slammer for tomorrow. Everyone agreed with Newt's idea except for Winston. But majority rules. Later on, Newt finally took me up to visit Alby. Alby demanded that Newt went out as soon as we both walked in. He told me about how he knew who I and the girl were and something about the Flare and how everything was a disaster. When he was about to tell me about my past, he starting strangling himself and he couldn't stop. Newt and I had to pry his arms away from him to get him to stop. After he said that it wasn't him doing that and then he told Newt to protect the maps for some odd reason. Newt and I left after that and went to have some lunch and he said that we had to find Gally as soon as possible before he'd be gone for good because he said that he needed to be put in the Slammer and he's lucky that he didn't get Banished. After lunch Newt made me stare at the girl in the coma until my eyes bleed. I sat there and then in my mind I heard a girl's voice say "Teresa" I literally jumped out of my skin when I heard that. "Thomas" the voice said again and then the girl or Teresa's voice just kept talking to me. I ran away around the whole Glade until I knew the voice was gone for good. Then I laid down fell asleep and didn't wake up up until the morning.
Day 7
I woke up a little late but I was prepared for a relaxing day in the Slammer but I was wrong. Boredom was all I felt all day long. The Slammer wasn't very interesting. It was a block of concrete that was hollow inside with a tiny window with metal bars and inside there was one chair with one of the legs shorter than the rest, I assume that's on purpose. Finally, Chuck came to give me my lunch and he told me that everything was sort of back to normal in the Glade. Everyone was back to doing their regular jobs, Alby was back as leader but there was still no sign of Gally. The afternoon was horrible just the same boredom. But then I heard the rumble of the doors closing and then Alby showed up to release me. But then he told me what he saw yesterday, he saw me and Teresa working with the Creators. I didn't understand, how could have I helped them? But that's all he really told me. I was starving so I headed straight for the kitchen, Frypan knew I was coming late so he left a full plate of beef and mashed potatoes plus a note saying there would be cookies in the cupboard. Tomorrow my training with the runners will begin. Tomorrow.
Day 8
Minho woke me up before dawn to take me to the Runner Storage Closet. Minho gave me special shoes that were only for Runners and Keepers. They were super cool and fancy. I also got a black digital watch that I was told to keep on at all times because my life could depend on it. I also got a back pack, a water bottle, a lunch box, shorts and t-shirts. I also learned that you can request for what you want in the box of supplies. They once apparently requested for maps and a TV but they didn't come. The Creators choose what they give you, but still take your request. I also got weapons which was kind of cool as well. Later before we went out we headed to the map room, they had a whole bunch of maps drawn of each section in the Glade. The latest map was from yesterday, day 749. Finally we went out to start running. We went through the West Door into Section 8. We made are way down several passages and corridors and I was right behind Minho the whole time. There was in a square in the middle of Section 8 that led to Section 1. Minho said to get through the maze he mostly just relies on memory. There was ivy on the side walls of the maze and to know how to get back we would cut a piece of ivy off every few metres. Every once in a while we would stop to take a break but those breaks just seemed to get shorter and shorter each time, as being a runner was tiring. Just when we were sitting down on our break I saw a metal box engraved to the stone wall that said "World in Catastrophe: Killzone Experiment Department". The rest of the day was just a blur of exhaustion and being tired. Just as I was falling asleep super tired, the girl's voice came back and said "Tom I just triggered the Ending." What was that supposed to mean?
Day 9
The next morning I thought I had woken an hour before dawn but the sky had just went gray, no colour and it looked like it was dead. There was no sun either. All the Gladers were talking by the box about this mysterious sky. Minho and I still went running though. I trailed along behind Minho the whole time. Then they saw a Griever and instead of coming towards us it fell of the Griever Hole. Minho and I dropped rocks down the hole to see if there was even an end, but we didn't hear anything at all. Minho said that the whole place was falling apart which was true because their weekly supplies didn't come Newt said. We headed back to the Glade because we didn't find much and that's when I heard the Girl was awake. I heard her voice in my head saying "Tom, I don't know any of these people. Come get me! It's all fading..." I came and there she was saying that she had memories with jars for them in shelves in her brain but she only had faces in them no memories of who they were. Teresa said that she knew about the maze and stuff but it was all very confusing. She had something written on her arm too saying that WICKED is good. I didn't know what it meant but I had seen it before. Then the scariest thing was that the doors didn't close, they stayed open the whole entire night. And since Teresa said that she triggered the ending, she got put in the Slammer and there was nothing I could do about it. The Grievers had come in the doors. Tonight there was someone peering in our window, it was Gally. And he was just mumbling about randomness and the maze. Later on a random person burned the maps and if there was a code, it's all gone now.
Day 10
I went to see if any of the maps had survived but it was too late. Alby was lying on the ground looking dead with a big gash in his forehead. Finally, Newt and Minho agreed to let Teresa out. Then I thought of an idea to find the code. If one runner per section makes a map, no one in the Glade had ever thought to put them together. Minho said that they did, but he was wrong. I traced the maps with wax paper all together and in the middle of the map clearly is said the letter F. Teresa, Newt, Minho and I were stunned that we could have possibly found the code. Each time there was a letter, eventually what I got spelt FLOAT CATCH. Minho insisted that we go out into the maze, so Teresa and Newt and other Gladers worked on the code. We went into the maze weaving in and out of the passages all day long. By the time we got back it was mid morning of the next day.
Day 11
It was mid morning and we were in the maze for 24 hours! I was exhausted and tired. The maze was exactly the same as it was before, it wasn't going to shift again. According to Newt, the Grievers took Adam the night we were running around. And Teresa had figured out the code, it was FLOAT CATCH BLEED DEATH STIFF PUSH. It goes like that for a week then says FLOAT again and then there were no letters for a full week and then it repeats again. For the rest of the day I just lied down and rested. Until the Grievers came when they took Dave. I was going to get stung by a Griever today on purpose so that I could get memories back. The Grievers that were surrounding Dave, I rammed into one of them falling to the ground feeling absolutely horrible and delirious when I hear Newt yell "What are you doing? Don't be bloody stupid!!"
Day 12
Then the Changing started and I didn't know what was going on. Fear and Curiosity and Boredom were what I felt and then the Memories flooded through me.
Day 13
Thomas is still in the Changing.
Day 14
Thomas is still in the Changing.
Day 15
As soon as I woke up I called a Gathering to share what I found out. Teresa just told me that it was completely terrible that I went through the Changing on purpose. I found out that this whole time were in the Glade was a test and the maze cannot be solved. The Creators stole all of us as really young kids were orphans. Our names weren't even real they were nicknames. Like Thomas for Thomas Edison, Alby for Albert Einstien or Newt for Thomas Newton. We are also really smart and that is why they did this test on us to see who would survive and they are analyzing us as well. Some of us got some things altered in our brains just how Teresa and I are telepathic. But I should know the Code to get out because I helped the Creators make it. The way to escape is to go through the Griever Hole and there should be a Computer to enter the password to get out. But one kid would have to sacrifice their life for the others because the Grievers take one kid a night. I will have to do it. We were going to go tonight to escape, well the Gladers that wanted to go. The next few hours were frantic and chaotic. I gave everyone backpacks stuffed with survival needs, we headed out. When we got out the Grievers headed straight towards us and Alby sacrificed his life for all of us. Which had failed miserably, instead of me he did it. Chuck, Teresa and I stayed at the front of the pack and we went down the Griever Hole first and Teresa typed in the code. After a few tries it worked. Chuck figured it out. Then with only 19 of us left we walked in ready to face the Creators. A lady from Wicked came down the steps holding a boy in a hood. The lady from Wicked said that the Creators were gone and we probably wouldn't get our memories back. Then she pulled of the hood of the boy. It was Gally. And he held a gun and headed straight towards me but I felt like my feet were implanted in the ground and I couldn't move but then Chuck dived in front of them and saved my life by dying. I felt sadness fill through me because he didn't get to finish what he was telling me. Then a whole bunch of men come in and shoot the lady from Wicked down and take all of us on a bus ride to a place called the Scorch. They took us to a weird looking house with plenty of beds for all of us and they gave us answers about the Flare as well.