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.