Quote 1
"[Adolf Hitler] espoused the theory that the Jews were destroyers of civilization and that the Germans were a superior race. Today we know that Hitler was a paranoid, a psychopath, literally a madman. In 1932 he was thrown in jail for his political activities, but by 1934 he and his party had seized control of the German government." (2.3)
Sure, Hitler had some charisma (hard as this is for us to see), but as the above quote suggests, the people didn't <em>give</em> Hitler the power to lead them, he <em>took</em> it.
Quote 2
"When I talk about discipline. I'm talking about power. […] And I'm talking about success. Success through discipline. Is there anyone here who isn't interested in power and success?" (5.8)
It's pretty common for kids in school to feel powerless. Adults tell them what to do, how to do it, and when to do it. Ben knows all this and he pretty much abuses that knowledge by promising them the power he knows they couldn't otherwise have. Pretty sneaky, Teacher Ben.
Quote 3
"Ultimately discipline and community are meaningless without action. Discipline gives you the right to action. A disciplined group with a goal can take action to achieve it. They must take action to achieve it." (8.40)
This is probably true, right? But wait, what was the goal of The Wave?
Quote 4
"I know what they're saying about me. That I'm crazy with power..." (15.8)
Ben does get caught up in things, but luckily he never quite goes crazy with his power. All he really wants is to teach some history.
Quote 5
"[Adolf Hitler] espoused the theory that the Jews were destroyers of civilization and that the Germans were a superior race. Today we know that Hitler was a paranoid, a psychopath, literally a madman. In 1932 he was thrown in jail for his political activities, but by 1934 he and his party had seized control of the German government." (2.3)
Hitler is one of history's most fascinating figures – and most people agree, one of the most evil. By studying him and how he managed to gain power, we can learn a lot about a lot – and hopefully ensure that we never find ourselves with a Hitler 2.0.
Quote 6
"Community is the bond between people who work and struggle together for a common goal." (6.10)
Ben wants his students to feel loyal to each other, as a group. What nobody asks, though, is what their common goal is! The goal of The Wave is never actually stated. Students seem to assume that the goal of The Wave is simply to get larger. They begin to use strong-arm tactics to force loyalty to The Wave from people who just aren't feeling it.
Quote 7
Remember, in The Wave you are all equals. No one is more important or more popular than anyone else and no one is to be excluded from the group. Community means equality within the group. (8.44)
This equality-for-all idea appeals to many of the students (duh!). They are tired of having to compete all the time, for grades, friends, popularity, and all the rest. But The Wave pretty quickly turns into another sort of competition. Loyalty to the group causes Wave members to feel like they are better than the rest of the school.
Quote 8
"[…] If our experiment has been successful […] you will have learned that we are all responsible for our own actions, and that you must always question what you do rather than blindly follow a leader, and that for the rest of your lives, you will never allow a group's will to usurp your individual rights." (17.39)
Ben wants his students to be independent thinkers. He wants them to question people in authority. He wants them to develop strong personal codes of ethics – of what is right and wrong. Ben is suggesting that the best way to be loyal to human beings in general is by first being loyal to ourselves.
Quote 9
"Now you will all have membership cards," Mr. Ross announced. "If you turn them over, you will find that some of them have been marked with a red X. If you have a red X you are to be a monitor, and you will report directly to me any members of The Wave who do not follow our rules." (8.31)
On top the symbol, motto, and salute, Ben now provides a more official way to identify as a Wave member. How does this affect the way students feel about The Wave?
Quote 10
"Now your first action as a team will be to actively recruit new members. To become a member of The Wave, each new student must demonstrate knowledge of our rules and pledge strict obedience to them." (8.45)
And yet again, Ben is taking another dangerous step. Notice how he introduces this recruitment goal just after he busts out the identity cards. How do these two things go hand in hand?