The present study attempts to analyze James Dashner’s The Maze Runner (2009) based on the theories of Politeness Strategies by Brown and Levinson (1987). More specifically, this research focuses on the politeness strategies employed by the main characters in the novel. The Maze Runner portrays characters who are trapped in a glade surrounded by a huge maze with a group of teenagers who do not remember much about their past or who they are. The only way out of the maze and the adolescents’ survival is through communication and team work. The findings show that the characters have used all types of politeness strategies including, bald on record, positive politeness, negative politeness, and off record reflecting the proper manner of speech in specific circumstances aiming to maintain fruitful social relationships with the hearer. The main characters used 202 utterances based on Politeness Strategies. The highest-appearing strategy in the novel is the ‘Bald on Record’ strategy. Since the main characters are mostly in an emergency and dangerous situation, their want to do the face threatening acts with maximum efficiency is more than their want to satisfy the hearer’s face. The lowest-appearing strategy in the novel is the ‘Off Record’ strategy. The main characters use this strategy and do indirect face-threatening acts mostly when they want to take some pressure off the hearer. The researcher also found that two factors ‘payoff’ and ‘relevant circumstance’ influence the main characters of the novel in choosing all four types of Politeness Strategies.
