How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
The idea intrigued Ross. Suppose, he thought […] he took a period, perhaps two periods and tried an experiment. Just to give his students a sampling, a taste of what life in Nazi Germany might have been like. (4.3)
Bad Idea Alert! The Wave is based on a movie that was based on short story (whew!) about real events that happened sometime in the late 1960s. In the twenty-first century, most teachers would immediately know this is a bad idea (maybe in part because of this book or other similar experiments that have been done since). The point here isn't that the experiment went wrong, but that the topic of life in Nazi Germany is way too complicated to be approached in this way.
Quote #5
The fierce exchange of questions and answers, the quest for perfect discipline – it had been infectious, and, in a way, mesmerizing. He had enjoyed his students' accomplishments. (5.100)
Ben really wants to see his students to do well in school. As the novel unfolds, his idea of what a good student is changes a lot. He comes to believe that things like being able to quickly answer a question or sit up straight in class aren't as important as he thought.
Quote #6
It was The Wave that had given Robert the courage to sit at that table with them and to join in the conversation. If she argued against The Wave now, she would really be implying that Robert should go sit by himself again and not be part of their "community." (8.73)
Being in school isn't just about being in class. Not fitting in, or feeling like you aren't fitting in, can make school a miserable experience. For some reason, it took the experience of The Wave to show the other students – even Laurie – that they weren't treating Robert well. Laurie's thought shows that she, too, has learned something valuable from The Wave, even though the experiment overall was a failure.