“Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past,” George Orwell’s 1984 explores allusions to real-world situations through setting and characters, much like James Dashner’s The Maze Runner invokes analytical thought about his book's setting. Society influences everything humans do. Technology, world leaders, and social constructs guide people and influence their decisions. Culture, particularly literature, is heavily affected by outside circumstances. The world surrounding the author commands dystopian literature. The setting of The Maze Runner by James Dashner establishes roots in allusions to Lord of the Flies by William Golding and other real-world events. Dashner was influenced by Goulding’s novel…show more content… The system built up by Dashner parallels to the world engulfing the author. Every person has a specific task that they have to perform, "Well, you got the Builders, the Sloppers, Baggers, Cooks, Map-makers, Med-jacks, Track-Hoes, Blood Housers. The Runners, of course. I don't know, a few more, maybe” (Dashner 61). All of these occupations require a certain skill level, much like the real world. All Dashner’s life, he had been surrounded by the working class. He was not particularly wealthy, but not poor. Because of his experience with the working middle class, he was easily able to portray a society where every workforce member matters. Moreover, Dasher emphasizes the theme of rules and order in his novel. In detail, "Zart began, his eyes darting around almost like he was waiting for someone else to tell him what to say. "I don't know. He broke one of our most important rules. We can't just let people think that's okay” (Dashner 87). Humans need rules in order to function properly and stay in line. However, Dashner incorporates to need of reform and change. If there is a rule that needs to be broken, Dashner emphasizes the need to fight for what is right even though it can be burdensome. Life in the glade mimics the real world, including the working class and the legal system. Historical events and different time periods influence the works of literature produced in that
