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Cover of The Wave by Todd Strasser

The Wave

by Todd Strasser

A classroom experiment shows how quickly discipline, slogans, symbols, and belonging can replace judgment.

Published
1981
Era
Shelf rating
4.2

The story, briefly

Spoiler-free

A teacher creates an experiment to explain fascism and watches his students embrace group obedience much faster than expected.

Why we recommend it

  1. Obedience arriving quickly

    Ordinary people surrender judgment because belonging feels easier than resistance.

What this book explores

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Cover of Animal Farm by George Orwell

Animal Farm

George Orwell

The animals drive the farmer out and take over the farm. Orwell's 1945 fable is about what happens after that.

Read our take
Cover of Lord of the Flies by William Golding

Lord of the Flies

William Golding

Schoolboys build a society from scratch and discover how quickly rules can give way to fear and violence.

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References

References

The sources below include the primary text, editions, scholarship, archival materials, and other records that informed this page. They document The Wave, its publication, and its place in literary history.

  1. 1The Wave — Open Library ISBN catalogue

    Official record
    Open Library, Internet Archive
    Used for

    Open Library ISBN catalogue used to verify the title, ISBN, and publication metadata.

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  2. 2The Wave — Google Books edition record

    Official record
    Google Books
    Used for

    Google Books catalogue record used to cross-check the title and edition metadata.

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  1. 3The Wave — Internet Archive ISBN catalogue

    Official record
    Internet Archive
    Used for

    Internet Archive ISBN catalogue used to cross-check the edition and its availability in library holdings.

    View source
  2. 4The Wave — Library of Congress books catalogue

    Official record
    Library of Congress
    Used for

    Library of Congress books catalogue used to cross-check the bibliographic record by ISBN.

    View source
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Why these sources are here

The primary text is the baseline reference for every book page. Additional references document publication history, interpretation, and historical context where that evidence is available.

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