Thomas is the novel’s protagonist. He is a teenager who enters the story in a Box and finds himself in the Glade, with no memories other than of his first name. Like every other newcomer to the Glade, Thomas arrives scared and confused. Unlike others, however, he feels a strong connection to the Maze. In record time, he demonstrates his bravery and confidence, and even saves the lives of seasoned Gladers, Alby and Minho. Thomas also shares a telepathic connection to Teresa, the last teenager—and only girl—to be sent to the Glade, and someone he thinks he might have known before arriving to the Glade. With her help, Thomas works to recover his memories and find out who he really is in relation to the Maze, with dramatic consequences. Thomas is also one of the first successful people to challenge the Gladers’ rules, thereby changing day-to-day life in the Glade in a short amount of time and proving himself instrumental to understanding the Maze.

Teresa is the first and only girl to arrive in the Glade, and strangely, appears only a day after Thomas arrives,