MAIN CHARACTERS James Dashner is the author of The Scorch Trials. The main characters include Thomas, Teresa, Ari, Newt, Minho and Brenda. Thomas was a runner in the previous book, The Maze Runner. In The Scorch Trials Thomas discovers that he actually helped build and launch the Labyrinth. Newt and Minho are Thomas' best friends. Newt was the leader of the Gladers and Minho was the lead runner of the Labyrinth. Teresa was the only girl among the Gladers in The Maze Runner. Teresa, Ari, and Brenda were actually part of a second test group called Group B. While Teresa was the only girl in the Glade, Ari was the only boy in her group. CONFLICT The character of Thomas is still the protagonist of The Scorch Trials, as he is the one who drives the plot. WICKED stands for The World in Catastrophe: Killzone Experiment Department. The people who work for WICKED are the antagonists, because they are the source of the consternation. Without these two literary elements the story would have no momentum, nor would it spark the reader's interest. Conflicts revolve around both of these entities. Once the Gladers exit the Labyrinth, they think they are finally safe. Unfortunately they are in worse shape than when they were in the Glade. Life in the Glade was predictable, even methodical, until the end. After leaving the Glade, WICKED puts them through another test, where they experience chaos and mayhem at every turn. The main challenge is to cross the scorched section of the world called Scorch. They must find their way to a safe haven within a two-week period. Obviously WICKED made sure to stack the odds against them. SETTING The story begins with the Gladers in the rescue facility. They had just emerged from the Labyrinth... into the center of the card... an important part in this story. Thomas could have left Minho behind when he got injured. Instead Thomas dragged him to safety. I also believe another theme is human nature. Like in The Maze Runner, these kids had to build relationships. They experienced animosity and kinship. All different personality types existed in the Glade and flowed directly into the Scorch. This is similar to real life in that we must learn to accommodate various personalities to be successful in life. Each of us has unique abilities and strengths that can be used to assist others. SYMBOLISM The test groups symbolized hope and strength. Both groups have shown extraordinary strength in overcoming daunting obstacles in the name of survival. WICKED organized these tests for Groups and Bs to demonstrate their strengths. As long as children resist, there is still hope for humanity's survival.