The Wave
By Todd Strasser
The Wave by Todd Strasser - Table of Contents 1
Character List 2
Chapter Summaries 7
Novel Summary 18
Novel Analysis 21
Reflective Essay Writing 24
Example of a Reflective Essay 27
1
,Character List:
Ben Ross
Gordon High’s young, talented, and charismatic history teacher known for his
creative teaching style. After Mr. Ross shows his class a film on the Holocaust, he’s
unable to answer a series of questions from his students, so he conceives a
classroom experiment to help them better understand human behavior and what it
might have been like to live under Hitler’s dictatorship in post-World War I Germany.
Mr. Ross has been teaching at Gordon High for two years at the start of The Wave
and is one of the novel’s protagonists.
Laurie Saunders
A smart and popular senior at Gordon High. Laurie is disciplined in both her studies
and her role as the editor-in-chief of the school newspaper, The Grapevine. One of
protagonists of The Wave and the novel’s hero, Laurie emerges as a brave voice of
dissent as The Wave movement’s fascist tendencies begin to take over and corrupt
Gordon High.
Mrs. Saunders
Laurie’s mother. A leader at the county’s League of Women Voters, Mrs. Saunders is
bright, perceptive, and politically astute. She immediately sees and raises red flags
about The Wave and helps Laurie see how the movement’s totalitarian tendencies
crush individuality and individual freedoms.
2
, David Collins
Laurie’s boyfriend and the running back for Gordon High’s football team. A senior,
David is tall, good-looking, bright, and hopes to pursue computer engineering in
college. After watching Mr. Ross’s film about the Holocaust, though, it’s clear David
has trouble feeling empathy for others. For much of The Wave, he’s also naive and
idealistic, believing that the Holocaust could never happen again and failing to see
the bad The Wave movement brings.
Robert Billings
A distant, disengaged, and disheveled student in Mr. Ross’s history class. Robert is
the frequent victim of bullying and fears he’ll never succeed or live up to the standard
set by his older brother, Jeff, a former baseball star and straight-A student at Gordon
High. Robert’s low self-esteem and bullying make him highly susceptible to falling for
The Wave. As the movement takes off, he becomes one of its principal participants
and defenders.
Amy Smith
Laurie’s best friend. Amy is also pretty, popular, smart, and empathetic, though
insecure and concerned that she doesn’t measure up to Laurie. Her insecurity
causes her to compete with Laurie for boys, grades, and popularity and makes her
more willing to join The Wave and be lured by the movement’s false promise of
equality.
3
By Todd Strasser
The Wave by Todd Strasser - Table of Contents 1
Character List 2
Chapter Summaries 7
Novel Summary 18
Novel Analysis 21
Reflective Essay Writing 24
Example of a Reflective Essay 27
1
,Character List:
Ben Ross
Gordon High’s young, talented, and charismatic history teacher known for his
creative teaching style. After Mr. Ross shows his class a film on the Holocaust, he’s
unable to answer a series of questions from his students, so he conceives a
classroom experiment to help them better understand human behavior and what it
might have been like to live under Hitler’s dictatorship in post-World War I Germany.
Mr. Ross has been teaching at Gordon High for two years at the start of The Wave
and is one of the novel’s protagonists.
Laurie Saunders
A smart and popular senior at Gordon High. Laurie is disciplined in both her studies
and her role as the editor-in-chief of the school newspaper, The Grapevine. One of
protagonists of The Wave and the novel’s hero, Laurie emerges as a brave voice of
dissent as The Wave movement’s fascist tendencies begin to take over and corrupt
Gordon High.
Mrs. Saunders
Laurie’s mother. A leader at the county’s League of Women Voters, Mrs. Saunders is
bright, perceptive, and politically astute. She immediately sees and raises red flags
about The Wave and helps Laurie see how the movement’s totalitarian tendencies
crush individuality and individual freedoms.
2
, David Collins
Laurie’s boyfriend and the running back for Gordon High’s football team. A senior,
David is tall, good-looking, bright, and hopes to pursue computer engineering in
college. After watching Mr. Ross’s film about the Holocaust, though, it’s clear David
has trouble feeling empathy for others. For much of The Wave, he’s also naive and
idealistic, believing that the Holocaust could never happen again and failing to see
the bad The Wave movement brings.
Robert Billings
A distant, disengaged, and disheveled student in Mr. Ross’s history class. Robert is
the frequent victim of bullying and fears he’ll never succeed or live up to the standard
set by his older brother, Jeff, a former baseball star and straight-A student at Gordon
High. Robert’s low self-esteem and bullying make him highly susceptible to falling for
The Wave. As the movement takes off, he becomes one of its principal participants
and defenders.
Amy Smith
Laurie’s best friend. Amy is also pretty, popular, smart, and empathetic, though
insecure and concerned that she doesn’t measure up to Laurie. Her insecurity
causes her to compete with Laurie for boys, grades, and popularity and makes her
more willing to join The Wave and be lured by the movement’s false promise of
equality.
3
