Characterization
of Ben Ross
Ben Ross is one of the main
characters in "The Wave". "The Wave" is his experiment which he started. Until
it has to end.
He
is a teacher at Gordon High School. He always tries to teach his lessons in a
practically way to show his students the "relevant aspects of history" (page
10, line 25). So it seems to me that he really likes his job and he has fun to
teach his students. Besides he is unable to cope with technical machines. That
is why he is not able to "thread a film through the complex maze of rollers and
lenses" (page 10, line 2). This description indicates that he has no skills for
technical machines. Moreover he is married. His wife is Christy. He seems to be
a really pleased and liked person. His students like him, even he is
charismatic. Although he is helpful. Trying to help Robert Billings indicates
his feeling with the students. He sorrows about them. Therefore you can say he
is an emotional person. But he also can become very angry. So by the doing of
the Nazis. That his students do not believe this doing he is sad. It is a fact
that it has happened, but the students do not believe. So this is also why he
thinks about how something like this in the Third Reich could happen. And than
he gets the idea of doing an experiment. "The Wave" was born. He often becomes
involved with things, so with his interest in "Indians" (page 25, line 17). And
then he always becomes a strange person. He is such an enthusiastic person that
he only follows his aims if he makes one. He will always learn more about
everything. So he seems to be like a little child. With this he makes his wife
nervous. Tempting by the unknown he can not stop an experiment. The
relationship to his students is very good. They believe in him. So they also do
not remark that they stopped thinking and asking when they are members of "The
Wave". Sometimes he is also very nervous. For example when he is frightened of
losing his job. Moreover he has a good feeling to lead his students. This
feeling is overcoming him. He defends his project to the principal. After
reading "The Grapevine" he is shocked how far his experiment has gone. That is
why he is afraid of himself. How could he let it go so far? He asks himself,
how he could slip into the role of a dictator. But he will not stop his
experiment without knowing that his students learn from this. Finally he
shocked all his students with showing the film. He feels bad of what he had
done. Pupils like Robert Billings feel quite bad just because of him. That he
does not want.
words:
481
