There are many analytic similarities between the novels The Maze Runner and Lord of the Flies. As far as the plot they are very alike, in The Maze Runner the kids are all stuck in the middle of a maze, the maze itself is a vast, desolate abyss, but it symbolizes a barrier between the kids and the world they have forgotten, but long to find. Similarly, in Lord of the Flies the boys are all trapped on an island, the island itself is exotic in nature but the ocean that surrounds it is a constant reminder of the barrier that isolates them from the world they know. In both novels there is a reoccurring theme of civilization vs. savagery. In The Maze Runner, the Gladers have an undying pursuit of order much due to the stressful and dangerous environment they reside in. They resort back to their primal savage nature when they banish Ben into the maze. The Creators are more than capable of such acts as well and in turn fall under this theme. They devise and produce an environment in the Maze designed to kill the children while they claim that they are ultimately testing them and that it was for a good cause. Civilization vs. Savagery was also one of the main themes in Lord of the Flies. When the boys first crash land on the island they all take refuge on the beach where they choose leaders and assign roles, an essential building block in any contemporary society. As time goes on the boys find it to be more and more difficult to sustain their civilized lifestyle and revert to their naturally savage-like human tendencies.