The Wave by Todd Strasser

Mr. Saunders

(Minor Character) - the father of Laurie Saunders and husband of Midge Saunders, he is initially more complacent about The Wave than his wife

Elaine Billings

(Minor Character) - the mother of Jeff and Robert Billings

Midge Saunders

(Minor Character) - the mother of Laurie Saunders, concerned about The Wave and its influence

Christy Ross

(Minor Character) - the wife of Ben Ross, as well as the music and choir instructor at Gordon High School

"Angry parents"

(Minor Characters) - parents who complain to Principal Owens

Norm Schiller

(Minor Character) - biology teacher and football coach

"Unnamed Jewish Boy"

(Minor Character) - harassed by members of The Wave and called a "dirty Jew"

Adolf Hitler

(Minor Character) - the German dictator who instigated World War II and is responsible for the Holocaust

Jeff Billings

(Minor Character) - Robert Billings' older brother, who is never seen in the story but whose outstanding qualities as a student and athlete haunt Robert mentally in his daily life

Mr. Gabondi

(Minor Character) - a French teacher at Gordon High School

Betty Lewis

(Minor Character) - a friend of Christy Ross who plays tennis with her

Deutsch

(Minor Character) - a junior who is the second string quarterback, he wishes to replace Brian Ammon

George Snyder

(Minor Character) - a student in Ben Ross' History class and member of The Wave

Eric

(Minor Character) - a student in Ben Ross' history class and member of the football team

Brian Ammon

(Minor Character) - a student in Ben Ross' history class and the quarterback of the Gordon High School football team

Brad

(Minor Character) - a student in Ben Ross' history class who has a history of picking on Robert Billings

Ben Ross

(Major Character) - an intelligent and energetic history teacher at Gordon High who's popular among his students for his enthusiasm and accessibility - creates The Wave as an experiment to show his students how fascism can be embraced by the masses - he creates the experiment to see what it would have been like in Nazi Germany during World War II

Unnamed Rabbi

(Minor Character) - the *Rabbi* for the unnamed Jewish boy *Rabbi*: Jewish scholar or teacher, especially one who studies or teaches Jewish law

Principal Owens

(Minor Character) - the principal of Gordon High School, he becomes the voice of the wider community in the novel

Carl Block

(Minor Character) - Gordon High School student who is also the investigator reporter for The Grapevine

Alex Cooper

(Minor Character) - Gordon High School student who is also the music reviewer for The Grapevine

David Collins

(Major Character) - a senior student at Gordon High School and the captain of their football team - is a student in Ben Ross' history class and the most idealistic about awhat The Wave can achieve - is Laurie's boyfriend

Robert Billings

(Major Character) - a senior student at Gordon High School who's become the outcast since he'd rather give up than live up to his older brother's standards - he is weak and shy in many ways, perceivably because of the success of his older brother, but The Wave becomes his salvation, giving him new-found self-confidence and for the first time in his life, social status - through it, he finds acceptance among the groups that had so long before found him to be an outcast

Laurie Saunders

(Major Character) - a smart and outgoing senior student at Gordon High School - she is the editor-in-chief of the school newspaper, The Gordon Grapevine - she is a student in Ben Ross' history class and the main opposing voice against The Wave - she becomes the vigilant resistant force after she initially likes the idea, but then is drawn into opposition by the respect she has for history and the opinion of others - she sees the harmful direction of the wave and sets forth to end it

Amy Smith

(Minor Character) - Laurie Saunders' best friend and a student in both Mr. Gabondi's French class Ben Ross' history class

Setting

- Gordon High School, which is part of a small suburban community - Bess Ross's home - Laurie Saunder's Home - The real story took place in a high school in Palo Alto, California

Chapter 14 Notes

Amy's accusations against Laurie - that is, that Laurie dislikes The Wave because she is no longer as privileged - is an echo of David's own accusations in Chapter Twelve. However, it carries more weight since Amy does indeed live in Laurie's shadow, or at least believes that is the case.

Chapter 6 Summary

Arriving late for class the next day, Ben Ross is surprised to find his students observing the same disciplined posture and silence from the drills. Mr. Ross decides to take it further and introduces a second slogan to the class, STRENGTH THROUGH COMMUNITY. He explains this slogan as the importance of being part of something bigger than oneself. He also creates a symbol, a wave, and a matching salute by which the class should greet one another. He drills the student over this new information and instructions. During football practice after school, Eric is skeptical of David wanting to introduce the entire team to The Wave. However, Brian Ammon is scared of facing Clarkstown's massive linebackers and is willing to give it a try. Deutsch, the junior who is second-string quarterback, taunts his rivals and offers to take Brian's place in the game, leading to a fight between these rivals. David breaks up the fight and sees it as proof they're not working as a team. At Eric's prodding, he tells the other players about The Wave.

Chapter 1 Summary

As editor-in-chief of The Gordon Grapevine, the newspaper of Gordon High School, Laurie is troubled by the lateness of its latest issue: she believes her staff isn't disciplined enough, but does not know what to do about it. As she passes Mr. Gabondi's French class, she sees her friend Amy Smith and tries to catch Amy's attention. However, she also catches Mr. Gabondi's attention and almost gets in trouble if it wasn't for the end-of-class bell. Amy joins her as they go to Ben Ross' History class. Ross is in his classroom, having trouble with the projector. Despite the lack of mechanical skills, he has a strong reputation as an outstanding, charismatic teacher. The faculty is divided on Ross: some like his energy and creativity, while others thought he should be more traditional. For his part, Ben is troubled by the attitude of many of his students, who value their social lives over homework. As the students start to enter class, Ross enlists the help of David Collins for the projector. Robert Billings is teased by Brad when he dully asks if they'll be watching a movie that day. As class begins, Ross warns students about homework getting too sloppy - the third time he's had to do so this semester.

Final Summary

At Gordon High School, history teacher Ben Ross is teaching his class about World War II and the Holocaust. His students are upset by the footage of concentration camps and question why the German people allowed this to happen, insisting they wouldn't be so easily duped. Ben Ross considers this and plans an experiment: the next day, he starts to indoctrinate the class using the slogan STRENGTH THROUGH DISCIPLINE. The class reacts well to this, embracing the sense of empowerment it gives them, and they continue their newly disciplined behavior into a second day of class, surprising Ross. He decides to take the experiment further and create a group, The Wave, adding two more slogans --STRENGTH THROUGH COMMUNITY and STRENGTH THROUGH ACTION - which leads to further rules of conduct and an organizational structure. In this way, The Wave takes on a life of its own. While Laurie Saunders is wary of The Wave and its effect on others, her friends are more willing to promote this movement. Her friend Amy is made a monitor, as has school outcast, Robert Billings. Laurie's boyfriend David Collins, introduces the football team to The Wave in the hopes of unifying the team in their game against Clarkstown that weekend. In the following days, The Wave quickly grows in popularity, but soon its dark side becomes apparent. Laurie receives a letter for the paper detailing how members try to recruit others with bullying. At a football rally that was unofficially christened a Wave Rally, a boy is harassed and called a "dirty Jew". That weekend, the football team is unable to win against Clarkstown, as their newfound drive does not compensate for a lack of proper training and planning. David is confused by this turn of events, while Laurie and her staff on The Grapevine plan a special issue of the paper devoted exclusively to The Wave and the negative impact it has had on the school. Monday morning, Laurie warns Amy before the newspaper hits the campus. Amy continues to stand up for The Wave, accusing Laurie of jealousy as The Wave gets rid of the social hierarchies from which Laurie benefits. The issue of The Grapevine causes a sensation on campus, and members of The Wave - led by Robert Billings - decide to confront Laurie on her betrayal. David is coerced into facing Laurie on their behalf, but when she continues to stand by her position, he grows angry and becomes violent with his girlfriend. This shocks him into realizing that The Wave has indeed gone too far. Now united in the belief that The Wave must be stopped, Laurie and David go to the home of the Rosses in order to convince Ben Ross to end his experiment. He tells them he will do exactly that, but that they must trust his moves the next day. The following day, Ross announces a new rally that afternoon for Wave members only: the leader of this movement, which Ross claims is taking place in schools across the nation, will be revealed at the event. Laurie and David protest, but are sent to the principal's office. Afterwards, they decide to sneak into the rally. Before the gathered Wave members, Ross shows historical footage of Hitler and young Germans of the Nazi party. He makes clear that the assembled Wave believers would have made good Nazis, despite their protests earlier to the contrary, then apologizes for his own role in the experiment. The Wave is dissolved, and broken friendships are mended. Robert Billings is especially shattered, but Ross approaches him in the hope of salvaging the self-respect the young man found within the group.

Chapter 5 Notes

Ben Ross begins his experiment with a slogan and three rules, supposedly derived from the slogan's premise. However, the broadness of the slogan makes these rules arbitrary under closer analysis. Any rule that imposes more control over the students and their behavior could just as easily have been applied, and other slogans could be used as easily to justify the rules chosen. Also note that Ben tells Christy he's ready to move on with new lessons the next day - his experiment had run its initial course, supposedly. However, this is contradicted by the fact that his students haven't truly learned the point of his exercise in discipline: that it shows how easily people can be indoctrinated, as they supposedly were in pre-World War II Germany. Whether or not he is lying to just her or to himself as well is unclear.

Chapter 9 Summary

Ben Ross is not sure what to make of The Wave. Recruitment is a success, and his history class has become packed. The class is doing well and not falling behind, but the students now rely more on rote memorization and short answers rather than critical thinking which requires longer answers. Biology teacher and football coach Norm Schiller has thanked Ben for The Wave, as it seems to be helping the team as they prepare against Clarkstown. Students give him different answers for why they like The Wave: that it's something new, that it's democratic, even that they enjoy the increased discipline. Meanwhile, Laurie and the staff of the Grapevine are having difficulty coming up with material for the next issue. When The Wave is mentioned, Laurie hesitates at first but agrees, asking the staff to gather the opinions of other students about this phenomenon. That night, Laurie's mother Midge talks to her: she ran into Elaine Billings, ecstatic about the changes in her son Robert, who she had been previously deeply concerned over. Laurie's Mom isn't as sure that what's happening to Robert is a good thing, as it follows the pattern of cults and the kinds of people attracted to them. Asked about the Wave Rally this coming Friday afternoon, Laurie tells her it's jut a football pep rally with a different name. Mrs. Saunders is surprised that none of this concerns Laurie, who thinks it's just a fad. Alone, Laurie isn't as set in her convictions and is indeed worried.

Chapter 4 Summary

Ben Ross is troubled by his inability to answer his students' questions on why the Germans allowed the Holocaust to happen. On the way home, he stops at the library to take out books on the subject. It seems that historians had no real answer about the acquiescence of the German people, leaving Ross to wonder if it had to be experienced to be understood - and further, if it could be recreated in class as a kind of experiment. When Ben's wife Christy returns home after 11 PM that evening, he is still deep in his books. Christy is used to Ben becoming utterly absorbed in whatever latest topic he is studying, forgetting everything else around him. Ben explains to Christy his dilemma of being unable to answer a student's question and his suspicion that the lesson is best experienced rather than explained. Christy goes to bed, unsure if Ben will get any sleep himself.

Chapter 17 Summary

Ben Ross watches the organized, disciplined students filing into the auditorium for the Wave rally and wonders how long it will take for their homework to get sloppy again after they're "deprogrammed". Robert, dressed in a jacket and tie, coordinates the rally and makes sure the auditorium doors are all locked. Ben waits nervously off-stage.

Chapter 2 Summary

Ben Ross' class is studying World War II and the film they're watching is about the Nazi concentration camps. Ross speaks of Hitler's rise to power, anti-Semitism, and the Final Solution. The class is visibly shocked by the millions who died in this manner, which doesn't surprise Ross given their comfortable middle class upbringing. When asked if all Germans were Nazis, Ross answered that less than 10% were party members; asked why no one tried to stop the Nazis, Ross explains that most Germans claimed to have not known about the camps. The students scoff at this claim, adding that they wouldn't let such a thing happen if they were in that situation. When class ends, David asks Laurie to go to lunch with him. However, she first talks to Mr. Ross further about how the Nazi atrocities could have happened. Ross then stops Robert Billings, his most problematic student, and warns Robert that if he doesn't start participating in class, he'll fail. Robert doesn't seem to care, and Ross knows it's because he lives under the shadow of his older brother Jeff - a popular athlete and student in his time - and had given up on trying. Ross tries to reach out to Robert nonetheless, but it doesn't work.

Chapter 15 Notes

Brian driving away from David and Laurie strikes an ominous note in this chapter, symbolizing The Wave abandoning these two characters but also leaving unclear if there will be repercussions for this seeming betrayal. Laurie's recommendation of Alex Cooper and Carl Block to Mr. Ross shows the value of their anti-authoritarian attitudes.

Chapter 15 Summary

Christy Ross rushes home after choir practice to check up on her husband Ben, who disappeared mid-day. As expected, she finds him reading a book, this one on Nazi youth. Christy asks Ben if he realizes The Wave is disrupting the school, and Ben defends it by claiming that people don't understand what he's trying to do with it. Christy scoffs at this, telling Ben that she's never seen him like this before, that this time he's gone overboard in his enthusiasm. Ben insists that if he stops the experiment now, then the students will wind up confused.

Chapter 3 Summary

David Collins had already finished his lunch when Laurie joins him. Together, they watch as Robert Billings sits at a lunch table and the two girls already sitting there leave. They wonder if anything is wrong with Robert, but Laurie is still thinking about the Nazi footage. She loses her appetite, leaving David to eat most of her lunch. Amy Smith and Brian Ammon join them. David is part of the football team and Brian is the team's quarterback; he has two trays of food, wanting to gain weight before the game against Clarkstown. Laurie asks if they have a chance of winning this game; David isn't sure since the team is so disorganized and unmotivated. David then asks about calculus, as he wants to prepare for studying engineering in college. All four students watch Robert Billings as he reads a Spider-Man comic book. Brian mentions that Robert slept through the film, and David points out Laurie is still upset over what they saw. Annoyed, Laurie takes Amy with her to the Grapevine office. Once there, Amy smokes by the office windows in case a teacher comes by. The two girls talk about David, who wants to be a computer engineer. Amy asks Laurie why she doesn't just marry him; Laurie detects a bit of jealousy, as Amy has also been seeking a boyfriend on the football team. The girls panic when there's a knock on the door by someone claiming to be Principal Owens. It turns out to be Grapevine reporters Carl Block and Alex Cooper playing one of their jokes. When Laurie asks them about their latest assignments for the paper, both beat a hasty retreat.

Chapter 8 Notes

David first expresses a pluralistic attitude for The Wave in his belief that different opinions are allowed in The Wave. In this way, his idealism takes another complex turn: he is able to balance both the needs of the community with the needs of the individual. Robert is more protective of The Wave and boils down its tenets to a very basic equation: above all else, the community must be preserved. This is an echo of the notion that the first duty of a community is to maintain itself. In the simplistic stance taken by most Wave members, opinions expressing anything contrary to this are thus antithetical to the community and its values.

Chapter 8 Summary

David has walked Laurie to school since they were sophomores. The next morning, he is enthusiastic as he describes how The Wave will help the football team. Laurie isn't as sure and asks about his seeking help in Calculus. David doesn't want to ask his classmates or else they'll know he's struggling; Laurie suggests getting Amy's help. In History class, Ben Ross starts by passing out Wave membership cards. Those with a red X are monitors, making sure all members of The Wave obey the rules. He also introduces a new slogan: STRENGTH THROUGH ACTION. Mr. Ross explains that discipline and community are useless without action that achieves a goal. Laurie finds all of this creepy, but decides to stay quiet. Mr. Ross also stresses an end to competition within the group, that they all work towards the same ends. He then reveals the first action for The Wave: recruitment of new members. David and Eric both feel vindicated in already talking to the football team about The Wave. Mr. Ross is ready to move on to other class matters but George Snyder, Robert Billings, and others spontaneously express joy and pride about being in The Wave. After some salutes and slogan chanting, Ben Ross realizes The Wave is taking on a life of its own. At lunch, Robert is invited by David to join other Wave members at a table. Laurie asks if anyone feels weird about The Wave, but both Amy and Brad express relief at the end to popularity contests through this new sense of equality and community. As one of the chosen monitors, Brian jokes about reporting Laurie. David says she isn't breaking any rules but Robert points out that if she is against The Wave it would be breaking the rules because it defies the community. Laurie resists answering Robert as he's now become accepted by others and thinks that's a positive development for him.

Chapter 1 Notes

High school social hierarchies are established quickly: David Collins is among the elite and called upon by Ross to help set up the projector, while Robert Billings is derided for asking an obvious question. In his internal monologue, even Ross considers Robert the "class loser". It's worth noting that in this novel, the elite of the high school hierarchy excel in both studies and extracurricular activities: the split between gifted athletes ("jocks") and gifted scholars ("nerds") is never explored extensively, though Brian Ammon is one such example. For that matter, rebels - "cool" kids resistant who earn respect from their peers for opposing authority figures in school - are not represented at all. In this way, the social hierarchy of the novel is actually somewhat simpler than it is in real life, where some students excel in only one aspect of high school life (academic, extracurricular, social) but not in others.

Chapter 7 Notes

Laurie's parents play out the arguments for and against The Wave, casually expanding it to the larger issues of individualism versus community values. Because they are older, they also bring a wider range of experience and knowledge to the debate, as seen by the references to the workplace and Founding Fathers, as well as Midge Saunders' later comparison to cults. The sharing of chores in the Ross household shows how progressive they are as a couple, as this was not as common at that time as it is today. Christy's warning to Ben shows her awareness of the negative impact that Ben's monomania can have, especially in this particular case.

Chapter 10 Notes

In complimenting Ben Ross' suit, Principal Owens subtly reinforces the discipline epitomized by The Wave

Chapter 14 Summary

Monday morning, before the Grapevine comes out, Laurie finds Amy in the library and shows her the editorial. Amy objects, defending The Wave on the grounds that everyone is now equal: she no longer has to compete with Laurie for attention, and says Laurie doesn't like The Wave because she's no longer the princess of the school. When The Grapevine hits.

Chapter 12 Summary

Laurie decides not to go to the Wave rally; she hears shouting outside and sees Brian Ammon fighting with another boy. A teacher grabs Brian to take him away, Brian shouting Wave slogans as he's dragged off. David surprises Laurie from behind and tells her the other boy is Deutsch, the second string quarterback.

Chapter 11 Summary

Laurie finds an anonymous article when she arrives at the Grapevine office: "Welcome to the Wave - or Else" is written by a junior who describes how a senior in The Wave stopped him and several friends, seeking to recruit them.

Chapter 16 Summary

Next morning, Principal Owens is loudly expressing his grievances to Ben Ross: teachers and parents are complaining, and he can't placate them by saying The Wave is just an experiment. Ross explains that he now knows he made a mistake but must deal with two hundred students who still believe in The Wave and must be taught the error of their ways. Ross asks Principal Owens that he be given the rest of the day so that he can teach that lesson properly.

Chapter 7 Summary

Over dinner, Laurie grows bored with her father's usual golf stories and tells her parents about history class. Laurie's mother, Midge Saunders, is concerned about The Wave being too militaristic, but Laurie assures her it's a positive experience. Mr. Saunders thinks any increase in discipline and cooperation is an improvement. He brings up the Founding Fathers as an example, while Mrs. Saunders counters that people should not be afraid to act as individuals. Mrs. Saunders then goes on to remind Laurie that what's popular isn't always what's right. Mr. Saunders asks about David, who often drops by in the evening. Laurie tells him David is studying history for tomorrow. Though it's Ben's turn to cook, he brings home Chinese take-out because he's too busy preparing for his class. Ben is amazed at how well the students have taken to The Wave and how much better they behave. Christy asks him how far he's going to take the experiment and Ben answers that he doesn't know, admitting that he's also getting caught up in the process, describing it as "contagious". Christy jokingly warns her husband that it may be himself who's the guinea pig of the experiment.

Chapter 2 Notes

Robert's lack of response to Mr. Ross' warning is an interesting contrast to his later - and quite sudden - adherence to the discipline of The Wave. Ross threatens Robert with failure, but he already considers himself a failure; in contrast, The Wave assures Robert power and success, more carrot than stick. In a sense, Robert is clearly saved by The Wave and the sense of empowerment it bestows him.

Chapter 13 Summary

Saturday afternoon, Laurie goes to meet Amy at the football game. She sees Amy in the top bleachers but on her way up is stopped by Brad. There is a section for Wave members only and Laurie has to give the salute to proceed. Laurie refuses to do so and challenges Brad, who finally relents - but Laurie then decides not to go up anyway.

Chapter 3 Notes

The Spider-Man comic is used as shorthand to indicate Robert Billings' arrested development. While the novel begins with Laurie resisting smoking, Amy smokes in this chapter - this contrasts the self-control each girl has, which in turn is reflected in their ability to resist The Wave. The humor of Carl and Alex is anti-authoritarian, as seen by their pretense as Principal Owens. However, they ironically reinforce the rule of authority, as their charade stops Amy from breaking the rule against smoking.

Chapter 6 Notes

The Wave already begins to take on its own power, as Ben Ross finds the first slogan still on the board and the students still showing rigorous discipline. As leader, he did not ask for this - however, seeing these things in effect, he decides to feed The Wave further with a new slogan and rules. Also, observe how Eric and David switch roles in this scene as skeptic and believer in The Wave. David first wants to introduce The Wave to the football team, with Eric doubting; but when it's time to do exactly that, David is unsure and must be prodded by Eric to do so. This shows David's ambivalence towards The Wave, as well as Eric's desire for a straightforward solution to the knotty problem of team disunity.

Chapter 4 Notes

The monomania displayed by Ben is academic in nature, but it crosses over into the political realm by the topic he chooses to study. The question of how the German people allowed the Third Reich and then the Holocaust to happen is a weighty one, and not answered in a satisfactory manner in this book. Contrary to the implications of this chapter, historians have indeed traced a wide variety of reasons for the rise of Hitler and what occurred under his rule, including the unfair treatment of Germany at the end of World War I (particularly with the Treaty of Versailles), a resulting economic depression that left the nation particularly vulnerable to Adolf Hitler's influence, and a centuries-long history of deep-seated anti-Semitism in Europe. It seems that what Ross is seeking out is the more nebulous question of the appeal of mob mentality, as well as the allure held by Nazism in particular that is psychologically driven and has attained a fetishistic nature in certain circles post-World War II.

Chapter 5 Summary

The next day, the students of Ben Ross' History class are surprised to see the slogan STRENGTH THROUGH DISCIPLINE written on the board. They did not expect a lecture about discipline from him, unlike other, more conventional teachers. Ross gets his students excited by showing how power and success is possible through discipline: using Amy as a model, he shows how this can be achieved in the proper posture and efficient organization - in how one sits, walks, and moves. He drills students, having them walk around and then get to their seats in a quick, orderly fashion. David proposes to the class that they line up in order to reach their seats faster from their standing positions. The class cheers at their success when this suggestion works. Mr. Ross then gives three more rules to his students: one, all students must have pencils and paper for note-taking; two, they must stand at the side of their seat to answer any questions; three, all answers and questions must begin with the address "Mr. Ross". He then drills his student in these rules, asking them history questions. When the bell rings, the students wait for final orders from Mr. Ross instead of leaving on their own volition. After class, several students congregate to discuss how they enjoyed the experience. David especially believes in the power behind this discipline, though Brad and some others were skeptical. David goes to the boys' rest room and sees Robert Billings going over the drills from class on his own. That night, Christy Ross is surprised at hearing how well Ben's students took to discipline. She asks if it will continue the next day and Ben thinks it won't, as he plans to move on to the Japanese campaign. What Ben doesn't admit to his wife is how much he enjoyed the experience, as well.

Chapter 12 Notes

The office of The Grapevine becomes a de facto refuge for The Wave, foreshadowing the way the newspaper

Chapter 9 Notes

The reference to "Time" magazine in this chapter is important, as it indicates two things: Ben Ross' desire for wider recognition for his teaching abilities, as well as the belief that the problem of disaffected, undisciplined students is a national concern. The humor of the Grapevine staff is again distinctly anti-authoritarian in nature, though now it seems more pointed than before.

Chapter 13 Notes

The slur used on the Jewish boy is the mildest imaginable, most likely due to the audience of the book and to minimize the more specific issue of racism as a tool of fascist empowerment. By minimizing the slur used in the incident, it also holds open the idea that the community isn't nearly as corrupted by racial, ethnic, and political tensions.

Chapter 16 Notes

The tension between Ben Ross' role as Wave figurehead and teacher are explicitly discussed here, as his job is on the line and he's lost the trust of Laurie and David. Dramatic tension is created by David and Laurie being kept in the dark about what exactly Mr. Ross is doing.

Chapter 17 Notes

The term "deprogrammed" explicitly ties The Wave to cults.

Chapter 11 Notes

There is a minor point of confusion in this chapter: Laurie is said to have found the anonymous article "the next day" but the second half of the chapter starts with Ben Ross leaving Principal Owens' office. "the next day" refers to the last time Laurie appeared, in Chapter Nine talking with her mother.

Chapter 10 Summary

While Ben is drinking coffee in the teacher's lounge, he gets a message that Principal Owens wants to see him. He's pretty sure he's in trouble. But he has to admit, it would be a bit of a relief if Principal Owens told him to shut down The Wave. On the other hand, what would happen to Robert Billings? Thanks to The Wave, Robert has gone from class loser to an accepted member of The Wave community. Plus, he's finally doing well in his classes. If The Wave were to end, would Robert go back to the way he was before? Ben is also worried that if The Wave were to shut down now, his students wouldn't have learned what he wanted them to learn from it. The whole thing would have been for nothing. When Ben gets to Principal Owens' office, he's a little surprised. He thought Owens would be angry, but he seems to be smiling and happy. What gives? Not so fast. First, he asks Ben to explain The Wave. Ben explains that it's an experiment to help students understand what happened in Nazi Germany. Now Owens looks a little less happy. Owens is not psyched about the chanting and the salute. He warns Ben to be really careful with this. Ben promises that he's completely in control, but Owens wants to be sure that a mob of angry parents isn't going to show up asking why their kids are joining some weird cult. Again, Ben promises him that won't happen. And since Ben has never let him down before, Principal Owens is going to let him continue with the experiment.