The Wave By Todd Strasser The Wave NOVEL

The Wave By Todd Strasser

The Wave ● NOVEL: First Published 1981 ● Inspired by real-life events written about by Ron Jones ● RON JONES – 1969 history teacher at Cubberley High School in Palo Alto, California conducted an experiment to teach students about the Holocaust ● 1972 Ron Jones published article ‘The Third Wave’ about this experiment ● 1981 ABC TV made a tele-movie: The Wave ● The Wave by Todd Strasser published the same year

The Wave ● ‘THE WAVE is loosely based on an essay by Ron Jones that appeared in a WHOLE EARTH CATALOGUE some time in the early 1970 s. I have never met Mr. Jones. I've been told that he is the teacher who did the experiment upon which the book and TV movie are based. ● To be honest, I have always wondered if the 'real life' experiment conducted by Mr. Jones actually went as far as his essay alleges. ● At the same time I firmly believe that whether it did or not is entirely besides the point. ● The point is the message of the story, which serves both as a reminder of what has passed and a warning regarding the future. ’ -Strasser

The Wave ● ‘The murder of 6 million Jews (plus thousands of other "undesirables") may seem like a distant event from your life. But it isn't. ● Are you aware that similar massacres of innocent people continue to this day? In your lifetime it has happened in Eastern Europe and Africa. ● To me, one of the most rewarding aspects of THE WAVE is knowing that it is required reading not only in your class, but in most of Germany as well. ’ - Strasser

Underlying theme in The Wave: ‘the banality of evil’ Literary idea that enriches an understanding of The Wave Accredited to Hannah Arendt, Jewish writer and philosopher Observation: that evil is allowed to occur by everyday people who accept what they are told by their leaders and believe that what the state does is justifiable. ● The masses have a responsibility to speak up against power when it encourages immoral behavior. ● Failure to do so is what allows the great atrocities of history, such as the Holocaust, to occur. ● ● ●

Major Themes ● The appeal of fascism: what makes individuals want to become a part of a community that places an authoritarian state above all other concerns? In what ways are compromises and excuses made, what advantages are gained and what freedoms are lost? ● Individualism and the role of the minority ● Equality and egalitarianism ● The desire for power and success ● The proper role of education – fascism and educational authority

Minor Themes ● Mass media and its ability to mold opinions is an important minor theme of the story, providing many of the contemporary nuances in the novel. ● The nature of social hierarchies in high school: how some students form an elite while others are outcasts ● Nuance- A subtle or slight degree of difference, as in meaning, feeling, or tone; a gradation. Nuance is a small or subtle distinction.

Mood, Tone, and Atmosphere ● Mood = feeling / emotion conveyed ● Tone = imagine the words spoken; describe the tone of voice ● The novel is serious in tone. ● Carries a sense of journalistic reportage - like a docudrama; somber, journalistic ● This “docudrama” mood/atmosphere is achieved by the sparse, straightforward style of writing and the novel's basis in real life events.