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The Role Organization Played In The Wave Experience

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1. Discuss the role organization played in The Wave experience.

In The Wave, the role of organization served as the groupwork of their immersion within the experience. It allowed students to play their assigned roles to the point where they truly believed that was what they were supposed to do. The Stanford prison experiment, in which some prisoners were given the roles and power of officers while others remained prisoners, is a famous example of this. Similarly to what happened to Robert, the "officers" gradually began to act more confidently in response to his assigned role, wielding their power as if it were their natural right as a result of the environment they were subjected to; in this case, being that Robert was chosen as the monitor, a great position in …show more content…

Furthermore, the rigid rules and expectations placed Mr. Ross in the position of greatest power. This hierarchy, along with the salute and catchphrase, solidified and uniformed the group, allowing students to identify with it. "More and more, he'd begun to recognize the position of importance his students were unconsciously imposing on him - the ultimate leader of The Wave," (Hinton, p. 89-90) for example. Demonstrates how his image was perceived and, as a result, adjusting his behavior in response to that stimulus. Essentially, the organization forced the students to unanimously and unknowingly bow to the position of power in The Wave out of respect and a desire to be a part of this powerful group.

2. How does Mr. Ross manipulate his students into accepting The Wave? Why are they so enthusiastic about it?

Mr. Ross is able to manipulate his students into accepting The Wave because, as the teacher, he has a position of power that makes people less likely to reject his decisions. It exploits their social safety nets and their

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