The Wave It Will Make You Think.
The Wave
It Will
Make You Think.
There
is a bookseller near my house—the only bookseller in my area—with a collection
of some outstanding classics. The best part is that he sells original books,
priced at several dollars, for a very low price—sometimes as low as 200
Pakistani Rupees (equivalent to 0.72 dollars). These are slightly used books
but in excellent condition. For a book lover like me, it's like finding a
hidden treasure. My father has bought lots of books from him, and thanks to
him, I’ve expanded my understanding of the world. Reading books opened my mind
to new possibilities. It helped me sharpen my communication skills, enriched my
conversations, and taught me how to think, not just consume.
The
other day, I was listening to a podcast by Sahil Adeem, where he mentioned that
people who read books page by page are far more intellectually advanced than
those who consume content from social media, YouTube, or movies—especially from
OTT platforms like Netflix. And I couldn't agree more. Have you ever read the
Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling and then watched the movie? If you have, I
bet you would probably want to kill the movie director (metaphorically), of
course! The book is ruined when turned into a movie. Although I must confess,
the movie isn't that bad, but it's nowhere near the book. Books demand active
imagination; they’re felt, not just seen.
I
experienced the same feeling when I started “The Wave” by Todd Strasser. I haven’t read a book that is so
smooth and easy to read while also making me excited to share and discuss its
main theme with others. Now, I want to share this with you, my dear readers. I
hope my review of the book makes you want to read it. If anyone wants a free
PDF copy of it they can tell me in the comments I will be obliged to provide it
so you can enjoy it too. So, let's get started!
The
story is based on a real incident—an experiment that took place in 1967—when
Ron Jones, a young history teacher at Cubberley High School in Palo Alto,
California conducted an interesting experiment in his class.
Now,
back to the novel. It was a nice, warm morning. Ben Ross, a history teacher,
was setting up a projector to show his students a documentary. Ben Ross was
different; he was not into conventional teaching methods. Unlike most of his
colleagues, his teaching style involved practically engaging students in
lessons. He wanted students to live the lessons they read. For instance, if he
was teaching a famous court trial from history, he would divide the class into
three parts—assigning roles such as one playing the defendant, another the
prosecutor, and the third the judge.
The
documentary he showed was about Adolf Hitler’s era. Students saw weak and pale
people working and being tortured by Hitler’s Nazis forces. Smoke churned out
of what looked like a burning chamber. It was a terrible video, exposing the
atrocities carried out against German Jews.
After
the documentary ended, most students were in shock; some even had tears in
their eyes. Laurie, the brightest among them and the editor-in-chief of the
school newspaper “Grapevine” was
taken aback. She was speechless. How could someone do that to such a large
population? Ben told the class that about ten million (The Exact Number is Six
Million) Jews were killed by the Nazis German regime.
The
students started posing excellent questions. One of them asked “Were all the Germans Nazis?”, whether they
were in the majority. Ben replied that Germans who were aligned with Nazis
ideology were less than 10% of the total German population. The student then
asked, “If they were only 10%, how did they rule over most Germans?” Ben
explained that before Nazis ideology took over, Germany was ruled by an inept
government that failed to provide its citizens with fundamental needs like
food, water, healthcare, and shelter. When Hitler proclaimed, “We will rule the
world,” all of Germany felt pumped and proud. The sense of superiority over
other nations made most Germans proud and kept them silent.
Another
student inquired, “Why did the majority stay quiet when so many of their fellow
citizens (Jews) were persecuted?” Ben explained that after Hitler's rule ended,
many Germans excused themselves by saying they didn’t know the extent of the
atrocities. The students found it hard to believe. How could millions of people
be kept in concentration camps and burned in gas chambers without the rest of
the population not aware of it? It was a serious question, one that even Ben
couldn’t fully answer.
Ben
Ross was the kind of teacher who got deeply involved in his lessons. Determined
to find a better answer, he went to the library and picked up all the books he
could on World War II. When his wife, who was also a teacher at the same
school, came home late from a friend’s party, she found Ben bent over books,
reading and making notes.
After
thorough research, he still couldn’t frame a satisfying answer. Then, he had an
idea: Why not act out the methodology of the Nazis in his classroom without
informing the students so they could experience what having power feels like?
The
next day, as the students marched into class, they saw words written on the
board: “Strength Through Discipline.” Students thought it might be some boring
lecture on discipline, but they were surprised as Ben Ross corrected their
posture—making them sit straight, with ankles locked, knees bent at ninety
degrees, a straight spine, chins tucked in, and all their heads up. The
students were all made to sit in the same way; now they looked more like cadets
in a military training camp than casual students in a school class.
Ben
made them practice some other drills—such as entering the classroom in a way
that minimized their seating time, standing straight while answering, and
giving their answers clearly and loudly. For instance, if a student didn't know
the answer, he would stand straight and confidently say, “I don't know, Sir.”
In that case, Mr. Ben Ross wouldn't pass any judgmental comment like, “Why have
you not read the lesson properly? You better give the right answer next time.”
Instead, he would just accept the answer and move on to the next student,
repeating the same drill again and again.
The
whole lecture passed by with these activities, and he felt a great sense of
achievement; he felt like a leader as, gradually, the students started to get
in tune with his instructions. The students were feeling great. For the first
time in their lives, they began to feel like one big unit—as if some smaller
parts were combined to form a bigger one. Individuality turned into a group
identity, just like in The Transformers
movie, where the Constructicons merge to form Devastator—and indeed, this
experiment later turned out to be one such devastation.
The
next day, when Ben arrived at class, he was surprised to see that students who
used to struggle and come late to class were already there waiting for him to
start the lecture. They were all sitting in the same upright position,
answering questions without any hesitation; they stood up in the same way and
answered the questions in the same style.
His
method seemed to be working, so he decided to introduce the second rule:
“Strength Through Community.” He wrote this on the board. “Just like our first
motto, to understand community you have to experience it and practice it,” he
reiterated. The whole class stood up and started chanting, “Strength Through
Discipline, Strength Through Community.”
Mr.
Ross stood up, drew a circle, and named it “The Wave.” “This will be our
symbol,” he declared. “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’.” (The Wave, pg. 66,
Hampton-Brown Edition)
Ben
Ross then stood up and raised his hand perpendicularly. “This is our salute and
our salute only,” he told his students. “Whenever you see another Wave member,
you will salute.”
The
next day, as Mr. Ross entered the class, he distributed the membership cards of
“The Wave” and wrote on the board “Strength Through Action.” He told the
students that discipline and community are meaningless if we don't take action.
A disciplined group with a goal can take action to achieve it. He told his
students that if anyone goes against “The Wave,” they should report him
directly.
Ross
became the ultimate chief of “The Wave,” and one of the students became his
bodyguard. Laurie, the chief editor of the school newspaper, started protesting
against this. She was not allowed to join a football match because she refused
to salute “The Wave” to another member. Her best friend Amy turned against her
and argued that since everyone now feels equal and you no longer get the
attention you once did because you were smart, that’s why you are resisting
“The Wave.”
Laurie
was the only one in her class who stood against it and questioned the
activities of the “The Wave” members. The group started to become dangerous as
it spread outside the classroom, forcing other school students to join, and if
someone resisted, they were threatened. There was an incident where some
students even beat up a newcomer just because he was from a different religion.
Parents started to come to the principal’s office, which in turn invited Mr.
Ross for an explanation and gave him a warning to end it all. Mr. Ross became
worried; he could not end this experiment abruptly—there had to be a reason or
a method he could present to his students-turned-followers.
After
thinking a lot about this, he came up with a plan, discussed it with the school
principal, and finalized it.
What
was that plan? And was he able to change the minds of his students to give up
“The Wave,” which made them feel stronger and united? This is for you, my
readers, to find out.
The
novel was so good that I carried a copy of it with me on the way to school; I
finished it in just three days, and my father finished it in just one day.
Positive Side of “The
Wave”
There
were a few good things about The Wave.
Though it taught students discipline—they were no longer late to class; they
arrived on time, sat in a certain manner, and didn't make noise in class.
Students started to complete their homework and prepare for tests and
assignments because they didn't want to fail their group. Students like Robert
Billings, who sat alone and did not take an interest in class or homework,
started to feel valued when, in “The Wave,” he actively participated in its
activities and became an integral part of it. Belonging to the group changed
his personality completely; it certainly had a positive impact on him.
Conclusion: My Analogy
What
if we take the first part, “Strength Through Discipline,” and apply it in our
classrooms today? I believe a good teacher can use that method and practically
apply it to their class. The result could be positive. What is your opinion?
Leave your thoughts in the comments.
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