Freedom of expression

The introduction of the novel The Wave by Morton Rhue (Chapter 1) begins in the Publication office of the school newspaper The Gordon Grapevine, whose editor-in-chief is Laurie Saunders. In this place it is possible for the students, or at least for the team working on the newspaper, to express their opinions freely. So, we can say that right at the beginning the central theme of the novel is revealed. 

Freedom of expression is important to the characters of the novel and often leads to conflicts between the Wave supporters and the critical voices against the movement: “Robert, beside him, was getting really upset over Laurie’s story. ‘These are all lies,’ he said angrily. ‘She can’t be allowed to say these things.’(Chapter 14, 86%). Consequently, freedom of expression is of tremendous significance to the novel as a whole. Morton Rhue skillfully elaborates the incompatibility between freedom of opinion and peer pressure.

The return to the publication o...