Characterization of Ben Ross - The Wave

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.

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