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.