The Wave is a 1981 young adult novel by Todd Strasser (originally written under the pseudonym Morton Rhue). A novelization of a teleplay by Johnny Dawkins for the 1981 made-for-TV movie of the same name, the story is a fictionalized account of a 1967 social experiment called “The Third Wave,” which took place at a high school in Palo Alto, California. In the novel, the experiment unfolds at the fictional Gordon High School. The story has dark implications about human nature and examines the themes of The Momentum of Dangerous Ideas, The Lessons of the Past, and The Importance of Individuality as well as other aspects of human social behavior.

This guide refers to the Kindle edition.

Plot Summary

As the novel begins, Ben Ross, a history teacher at Gordon High, screens a documentary about Nazi Germany and the concentration camps for his class. The torture, degradation, and mass murder of the Jews horrifies the students. However, some of them, like David Collins, move on more quickly than others. David is comfortable assuming that the Holocaust could never happen again but agrees that it should be studied as one of history’s most terrible events. His girlfriend, Laurie Sanders, is less sure. Laurie is the editor-in-chief of The Grapevine, and the documentary lingers in her thoughts. She eventually comes to symbolize the necessity of the free press and people who will voice their dissent despite the risks of challenging fascism.

After the screening, the students question Ben, many wanting to know how the German people could have gone along with the Nazis, who were a minority party. Ben tries to answer their question but is forced to admit that even professional historians have failed to provide a satisfactory answer. However, he soon gets the idea for an experiment to help the students understand the need for vigilance through experiencing a semblance of the disorienting, terrifying reality of life in Nazi Germany.

When the students come to class the next day, Ben has written a motto on the board: STRENGTH THROUGH DISCIPLINE. He assumes a militaristic air and tells the students that they’ll now follow a new set of rules, including the manner in which they’ll take and leave their seats. Over the next couple days, he introduces new rules and adds the words “Community” and “Action” to the motto. He encourages the students to think of themselves as a cohesive unit in which everyone is equal. This allows students like Robert Billings—a bullied boy whom other students always single out because of his quirks—to belong to a group for the first time. Ben names the movement The Wave and soon has the students perform a wave salute resembling the Nazi salute. In addition, they receive membership cards, and certain students are assigned monitor status, meaning that they must inform on, or report, other Wave members who disobey the rules.

The Wave spreads and begins to take on a life and momentum of its own. Students from other classes and other grades join the movement. Laurie is intrigued at first but grows slightly uneasy when her mother, a formidable intellectual who frequently consults with politicians because they value her insight, compares The Wave to fascist brainwashing. Soon, David spreads The Wave to the football team, which has a big game coming up.

Ben finds himself beginning to enjoy his role as their leader. He’s alarmed when his wife implies that he has created a monster but continually reassures anyone who questions him that he’s in control and can stop The Wave whenever he chooses. However, he’s aware that he hasn’t predicted anything that’s happening, that his wife thinks he has an unhealthy obsession, and that the students are more like his followers than his pupils.

Laurie receives an anonymous letter at the Grapevine office, allegedly written by a high school junior. The author claims to have been threatened for resisting Wave recruiters who were pressuring him to join. Laurie is further disturbed when her father says that a Jewish boy has been beaten for not attending The Wave Rally, which replaced the school’s pep rally. The beating occurred during the same time as a fight between two members of the football team, one of whom refused to shout The Wave’s motto in the quad.

At the football game, a Wave member named Brad tells Laurie she must perform The Wave salute to enter a section of the stands. When she says he’s being ridiculous, he relents. However, when she changes her mind and starts to leave the stands, he tells her that people have noticed that she missed the rally.

Laurie decides to publish a special edition of The Grapevine in which she prints the anonymous letter, as well as interviews with concerned adults, and accuses The Wave of being a fanatical organization that suppresses free speech and individuality. This decision leads to her temporary with breakup with David and the dissolution of her friendship with Amy. Regardless, she publishes the issue, which becomes the most popular edition the newspaper has ever had.

This leads to two Wave members—Robert and Ammon—telling David that Laurie must stop spreading anti-Wave sentiment. Robert is also now serving as Ben’s bodyguard.

Laurie leaves the offices, alone, and worries that she’s being followed. During an argument with David, in which he orders her to stop opposing The Wave, he throws her to the ground. This helps him see how extreme the situation has become. He and Laurie visit Ben’s house. He asks them to trust him because he has a plan to bring an end to The Wave. Additionally, Ben meets with Principal Owens, who (up to this point) has given him the benefit of the doubt. Owens tells him that he has until the end of the day to stop The Wave for good.

Ben summons The Wave members to the auditorium for a Wave-only meeting in which he promises that the leader of The Wave will speak to them. He also says that they were a testing ground for the organization, which will soon enjoy a nationwide expansion, thanks to their successful efforts. This is a ruse. In the auditorium, Ben shows them the Nazi documentary again and declares that the image of Adolf Hitler is the image of their leader. He says that The Wave’s members—including himself—could have made good Nazis, given how quickly and easily they surrendered their individual rights and personal accountability. He urges them to remember this lesson and apologizes for his role in the experiment, even though he considers it a success.

As the shaken students leave the auditorium, Amy, Laurie, and other friends reconcile. When Ben hears Robert crying in the auditorium, he realizes that Robert lost something special when The Wave ended. He invites Robert to lunch and says they have a lot to talk about, hinting at a newfound commitment to Robert and an optimism for his future.