Structure

The novel The Wave by Morton Rhue is divided into 17 short chapters, which are numbered. For the structure of the work Rhue has chosen the form of a classical drama: the plot is heading towards its climax. All the characters who are part of the action move along with it as if they were carried away by it like a wave. The classical drama is divided into five acts, and the most significant points in each can also be found in Morton Rhue`s work The Wave.

Chapters 1-10 can be considered the introduction (exposition) of the plot. The characters are introduced and described; the reader is familiarized with the story.

In Chapter 11, Laurie finds the anonymous letter in the publication office of the school newspaper. This letter confirms her suspicions that there is something wrong with The Wave: “Laurie refolded the story and put it back in the envelope. Her thoughts about The Wave were beginning to come into focus.” (Chapter 11, 40%). 

In classical drama, this would be the inciting incident that triggers an escalation in the plot or a conflict. In novels, we call this the rise. The fact that Laurie develops an e...