1.

The Maze Runner (The Maze Runner, #1)

Character analysis: Thomas

2. Holes

Character analysis: Stanley

3. The Giver (The Giver, #1)

by Lois Lowry

Character analysis: Jonas

Thomas

Character Analysis

The novel’s protagonist, Thomas is a teenaged boy who enters the Glade with no memories other than
of his first name. Although Thomas comes to the Glade scared and confused, he shows himself to be
brave, resourceful, and strong-willed when he saves the lives of the Gladers Alby and Minho. Thomas
also shares a telepathic connection with Teresa, who he may have known before arriving in the Glade.
With her help, Thomas struggles to uncover his memories and discover the true nature of his identity. By
the novel’s end, Thomas realizes that rather than his memories, it is his actions in the present that
determine his identity. Thomas also chafes against the strict rules of the Glade, introducing new
perspectives and ideas that the Gladers eventually accept since they prove useful for finding an exit to
the Maze.

Stanley Yelnats IV

Stanley, the protagonist of Holes, is a dynamic character. He changes during the course of the novel due
to the influence and effect of his experiences and actions. As the novel begins, Stanley has low self-
esteem. He is overweight and is accustomed to having bad luck. He attributes this bad luck to his "no-
good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grand-father," who caused Madame Zeroni to put a curse on
the Yelnats family. Stanley has no friends. He is a misfit in his class at school. Because he is larger in size
than his classmates, teachers wrongly assume he can take care of himself when he is being mistreated,
so they don't intervene and Stanley is left to fend for himself. But Stanley is naive, innocent, and
kindhearted, and he doesn't know how to be mean. He loves and respects his parents; in fact, he was
trying to help his father by taking the smelly sneakers that had "fallen from the sky" home to him (his
father was trying to invent a use for old sneakers).

Stanley is perceptive. When he arrives at Camp Green Lake, he quickly understands what he needs to do
to survive. He follows the rules without question and he needs X-Ray, the unofficial leader of the boys,
to think he is a good guy. Stanley wins X-Ray's approval by becoming enmeshed in the routine that is
already established at Camp Green Lake. Stanley gives the gold lipstick tube to X-Ray to claim as his
"find," and he takes the blame for stealing Mr. Sir's sunflower seeds, even though he didn't do it. Stanley
is smart. He tells X-Ray how to get more time off and begins to teach Zero how to read. He perseveres.
Hopeful and optimistic, Stanley keeps going despite the obstacles that he faces.

While he is at Camp Green Lake, Stanley changes. His body begins to change as a result of the shoveling,
and he is no longer fat. Stanley's body is firm because his muscles have strengthened, and he realizes
that he is the biggest boy in his tent. For the first time, Stanley is not ashamed to be the biggest. He is
proud of himself and has gained self-confidence. Stanley makes friends and, when he is on the mountain
with Zero, despite the ordeal he is going through, he likes himself and is happy. Stanley is a hero. He
saves Zero's life, discovers the buried "treasure," and, because his plight draws attention to Camp Green
Lake, the camp is closed down and no other boys will ever have to dig holes again. Stanley uses the
money that he receives from the stocks that were in the suitcase to buy his parents a house and to build
a laboratory in the basement for his father.

Jonas

Jonas is the protagonist, or main character, in the novel. He is a sensitive, polite, compassionate 12-year-
old boy. Jonas is a dynamic character. He changes during the course of the novel due to his experiences
and actions. We know how Jonas changes because Lowry narrates The Giver in the third person, limited
omniscient viewpoint in order to reveal Jonas' thoughts and feelings. When the novel begins, Jonas is as
unconcerned as anyone else about how he is living. He has grown up with loudspeakers, rules, precise
language, and a family that is not connected biologically. He has accepted this way of life, because he
doesn't know any other type of existence.

At the December Ceremony, Jonas is selected to become the new Receiver of Memory, the most
honored position in the community. As he receives the Giver's memories and wisdom, he learns the
truth about his community, that it is a hypocrisy and that the people have voluntarily given up their
individuality and freedom to live as robots. Jonas' character changes and becomes more complex. He
experiences an inner conflict because he misses his old life, his childhood, and his innocence, but he
can't return to his former way of life because he has learned too much about joy, color, and love. Jonas
knows that his life can never be "ordinary" again.

Jonas is also frustrated and angry because he wants his fellow citizens to change and thereby give up
Sameness. He knows that the community and each person's life will benefit if only they would — or
could — reclaim their individuality. Jonas realizes that his life would no longer be worth living if he were
to continue living in the community as it is. To save the people in the community from their own
senseless inhumanity, Jonas, an extremely courageous and brave character, risks his life. He flees the
community with the baby, Gabriel. Jonas is afraid, but he is prepared to fight for their survival. Although
we do not know how Jonas' experiences ultimately affect him or his community, we do know that he
matures and that he feels excited and joyful as he and Gabriel ride down the hill on the sled.