The Wave Morton Rhue Analysis

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Recommended: Racism in literature

Many of the students’ reactions in The Wave, by Morton Rhue, can be related to basic human nature. This can be seen in the ‘follow the leader’ like dynamic and it’s divide in superiority and inferiority. Furthermore, the audience can see the relation to human nature by the fear and rebellion of The Wave and the changing of a person through power. This novel shows the reader that in human nature, it will repeat itself in different scenarios no matter the age or environment.

In a room full of people, there will always be one person that everyone looks to for the answer, or to lead in a sports team. These people could be David with his football team or Laurie with her academics. People rely on others to make their decisions for them or to answer a teacher when asked a question in class. This can be called ‘following the leader’. People are less likely to join in or …show more content…

We can see this through the relationship between the Grapevine staff and the members of the wave. This idea of superiority and inferiority in The Wave was not new. This was seen with Hitler and the Jews, or America and its racial divide. These groups of superiority and inferiority can be see in The Wave with the divide of the two sides in the football stadium stands. The Wave members did not want to sit in the same space as people who were not part of The Wave. This can be seen with an exchange between Laurie and Brad when Laurie wanted to go sit in the stands but it was for Wave members only. “‘Just give me the salute and you can go up.’ Laurie looked up at the crowded stands.’You mean everyone in the stands gave you the salute?’” (Rhue, 1981: p. 101). When there is a superior and inferior group, there will be feature or action that will single out the inferior group. In the The Wave it is the salute. Whether is unconscious or intentional, there will always be a divide in

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