The Death Cure, the finale of a trilogy of young adult fiction novels written by James Dashner, centers around an assortment of teenagers in a dystopian world seeking a cure to a deadly epidemic. One teenager in particular, and one of the more significant characters of the novel and trilogy in general, is Newt. Newt left a substantial impingement on the novel and was a main factor in the storyline of The Death Cure. He did this by shining light on otherwise scarcely explored aspects of the plot, by his tragic death, and by his close relationships with other characters and his impact on them. In the novel, Dashner uses Newt as a way to delve deeper into one of the most essential but thus far uncharted parts of the plot. This is achieved by…show more content… Newt's condition additionally had an affect on the other characters. It upped their sense of urgency to find a cure and in turn, save him. The agonizing and slow-burn deterioration of Newt's health, leading to his eventual death, made an effect on the storyline that couldn't have existed…show more content… In the end, he is tragically granted his final wish and is put out of his misery by the main character, and his closest companion, Thomas. Not knowing how to tell the others along with not wanting to upset them, Thomas keeps Newt's death to himself. As a result of being the one to kill Newt along with being the only one to know, Newt's death had the biggest impact on Thomas. While this was extremely difficult for him, Newt's death also inspired and motivated him to keep going. His death symbolized a reason to keep going and a reason to succeed, to make sure that Newt didn't die for nothing. Expanding on Newt's relationships, Newt's most important relationship, as discussed earlier, was with Thomas. From the beginning of the series and especially in The Death Cure, he and Thomas had a very intimate connection. An example of their closeness can be taken from the novel when it stated: Thomas turned to see Newt there, smiling. That grin sent a wave of reassurance through Thomas, as if he were finding out the world was okay again (Dashner, 29).
If Thomas were to never be introduced to Newt, the story would be drastically different. Newt was Thomas' best friend and a source of happiness and inspiration for him. Newt reminded Thomas that the world is still worth fighting for and without him, it's debatable as to if Thomas would have just given
