The Scorch Trials Theme of Versions of Reality

You're probably wondering why Thomas falls asleep every page or so in The Scorch Trials. Well, it's not just because he's tired; it's also important that we see what happens in his dreams.

Thomas's dreams reveal memories of the past to him, which is something that WICKED can't predict or manipulate (at least, we think they can't). Though dreams aren't real, exactly, they're the most real thing Thomas has. They're proof of who he used to be—and if he can just string them all together, then maybe he can make some sense of this WICKED mumbo jumbo that's going on.

Dreams are an alternate version of reality in most books—they reveal someone's true emotions or feelings—but for Thomas, they're the closest thing to reality that he has.

Questions About Versions of Reality

  1. What do Thomas's dreams reveal about his past?
  2. Do you think Thomas's dreams are part of WICKED's plan? Or does WICKED not know about them?
  3. From Thomas's dreams, we can infer that he, Aris, and Teresa (and another girl) helped construct both the Maze and the Scorch Trials—so why does Thomas constantly flip-flop between trusting people and not trusting people?