44 pages • 1 hour read
Todd StrasserThe Wave
Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 1981A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Symbols & Motifs
The Wave
The eponymous wave of the title is a fitting symbol for the chaos that engulfs Gordon High school. Ben introduces a wave inside a circle as branding to symbolize the movement. He says, “A wave is a pattern of change. It has movement, direction, and impact. From now on, our community, our movement will be known as The Wave” (43). The oceans can be calm, but there are always waves moving through them. Waves imply turbulence, and massive waves are catastrophic in their destructive potential.
Thematically, the wave connects to The Momentum of Dangerous Ideas because it represents the capability for an idea to create a sweeping impact as it gathers support and power. In addition, the wave symbolizes The Lessons of the Past because it provides an appropriate metaphor for the inexplicable spread of Nazism in Germany, an awful wave of thought that swept good people up in its wake without their knowledge. Importantly, waves, despite their awe-inspiring potential for beauty and destruction, are forces of nature that lack autonomy and purpose. To be part of a wave is to be rendered insignificant, surrendering one’s individual power to forces beyond one’s control.
The Grapevine
A free society requires a free press because it allows for the public dissemination of dissenting viewpoints. Gordon High’s student newspaper, of which Laurie is the editor-in-chief, is The Grapevine. The paper symbolizes the importance of the free press and individual thought and expression, which thematically links this symbol to The Importance of Individuality.
As The Wave spreads, Laurie proactively releases a special issue of The Grapevine that highlights the dangers of the movement. Laurie isn’t just loyal to any ideology but highly values the freedom to enthusiastically question what she sees and to follow her questions, without fear of reprisal, to their conclusions. The Wave was published in 1981, before the internet and social media enabled instant publication via the web, so suppressing The Grapevine would have been more achievable as a way to contain dissent. The special issue of The Grapevine is by far the most popular issue ever published. Had Laurie given in to demands not to publish it, the issue couldn’t have led to the useful, if sometimes frightening, conversations that ensued.
Zombies and Sheep
In popular culture and speech, people often refer to zombies and sheep when describing mindlessly obedient behavior in people or groups. In The Wave, sheep and zombies symbolize the students that join The Wave. Laurie tells Amy that joining The Wave reduces students to “a flock of sheep” (100). In addition, she compares the situation at Gordon High to “everybody forgetting who they are” like in “Night of the Living Dead” (100). Zombies still resemble people, but they don’t have the animated individuality that gives them unique identities. Sheep are placid and can be herded by anyone assertive enough to coerce them into moving. Both are typically compelled to behave in a uniform way by forces beyond their apparent control.
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By Todd Strasser
