Reflection

I think it was a good idea to write about a longer story than only the short articles from the newspaper. I learned to use the time forms in English.

The story of my book was really interesting, but I watched the film tree times before I wrote this blog. So I understood the meaning of the book really fast. My English isn’t as good as the one of other students, but I do my best to improve it.

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7. Characterization

Write about the relationship between two characters and how it is changing or developing. What are the characteristics of the relationship? What does work or not work. What is changing? How do they affect one other?

I am writing about the relationship between Laurie Saunders and David Collins. They have been a couple for a long time and are in the same class. They are very happy with each other. Every morning, David meets her behind her door. He first met her in the tenth grade. To know her, he sometimes ran into her. The relationship between them, I think is normal for young people. They love each other.

The Wave from Ben Ross changed this a bit. When Laurie spoke to her parents, she wasn’t as sure about it as before. When Ben spoke about The Wave, she didn’t agree. As a result Laurie and David had a little fight, because she wanted to break up the community. But David was very fascinated by the community. He thought Laurie didn’t like The Wave, because she wasn’t the most popular student of the class.  

At the end of the story, Laurie and David are a couple again like they were before the project of Ben Ross, because David understood that the project was a bad idea.

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6. Analysis

Are there any words you are unsure of? Write down the words. Then write down what you think they mean, guessing from the context. Then write down a dictionary meaning. Were these words essential to understand the story? Were you able to guess correctly?

At the beginning of this book, during the first and many following lessons, there was always the word nodded. I don’t understand this word. At first, I thought it means they are cleaning their noses with their fingers. So I searched on http://dict.leo.org/. There it says that when you agree with something, you will move your head up and down. That’s nodding. I think it is very essential at the beginning.

Some pages later, there is another word I didn’t understand. I think it is a funny word, because it is the name of an important web page at the World Wide Web. That word is doodle. My first idea was that it has something to do with planning a trip. But leo.org told me I was wrong. It is when you are writing something only for yourself and you don’t write with your best handwriting, just playing around with your pen - then you are doodling. It isn’t so important to know this word, but I think it is a funny one.

My third word is mess. I heard this word in a song of the “Beasty Boys”, but I didn’t understand it. I thought it had something to do with bad things. And I wasn’t so far away. The real meaning of this word is, when you didn’t wash your hair two weeks, than they are looking messy. This word isn’t so essential for the story.

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5. Recount

In your own words what has happened in the book? At any point in the story, retell the major details of the story’s plot so far.

In the beginning of this book, Laurie and her friend Amie were writing in the publications office.

In their first history lesson they watched a film about the Nazis in the Second World War. Ben Ross, the history teacher, showed them how horrible the regime of the Nazis was and told them that this could happen again. But they didn’t agree with him. So he started an experiment. He called it “The Wave”.

The students learned how to use “Straight through discipline, community and action. They were a strong community and there was also place for the nerds find

Fascinated, Laurie told her mother about The Wave, but she told her, “This thing is very creepy.” Laurie thought about it and planned to destroy the community. Her boyfriend was very into this group and wanted to stop her.

At some point, The Wave was too hard. It wasn’t under control and Benn Ross had to stop his experiment. He showed his community a picture of Adolf Hitler. This was the end of the Wave.

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4. Prediction

At any point in the story take a guess as to how the story will go on or finally conclude. What is going happen?

The Wave community became bigger and bigger and got more and more influence. Laurie spoke about her mother about it. Her mother was worried, because Robert’s mom said he was a new person now. Laurie herself didn’t agree with her mother. But the next morning, she saw a letter from an anonymous junior. He said the Wave was not good for the people, because, if you are not a part of it, you are alone.

Laurie began thinking about it and wanted to destroy The Wave. David did not agree with this, because he thought it was the best for the football team. They had a big fight.

Christy Ross didn’t agree with The Wave either. She told Benn to stop it and go to Owens to tell him that he will stop it.

Owens told him to stop calling him every 5 minutes, he should just stop it! Benn knew he made a mistake. He set a meeting for The Wave owners only.

At this meeting, he showed a picture of Adolf Hitler. The students were shocked and realised what was happened with them.    

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3. Characterisation

Describe a character from the book. Say why you like / dislike the character.

I describe Ben Ross. He is teaching history at the Gordon High School and he is the main actor of this book. 

To his person: He has brown hair and for a teacher he is young. He is married to Christy and lives with her. He is a person who is full of energy and dedication.  For his lessons, he is full of creativity and tries new things to get the lessons near to the students. He is striving for power in his leadership. His wife once told that he is fascinated by crazy things. As he was younger, he invested every free time to learn something about native Americans.

I like his character very much. He is a person with a real aim; he does what he wants to do. He is interested in new things, for example the experiment to show how the Nazis achieved their enormous effect. I didn’t read the book to the end, but I could not find anything that I would not agree with. 

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2. Empathy

Write about something happening in the book that you can relate to. How did you react? Try to put yourself in the characters’ shoes and say why you think they feel the way they do.

At the beginning of this book, Benn Ross, the history teacher, taught the students about the Nazis during the Second World War. The students didn’t accept his statement that in other crises, the people would do the same as the Nazis.

I understand the teacher. The mind of humanity didn’t change. If you don’t have a job and no future, you believe a man who says he will change your live.

If I had the chance to do the same as Benn Ross did in this book, I would also do that. But you must also look at the bad side of this fanaticism. You must always have control over these children. I agree with Mr Ross. There are more positive things and the students loved to be a part of a hard community. Outsiders and people who don’t have many friends find a place to be. We see this nowadays as well; most people belonging to extreme groups want to be part of something, because they give them a place.

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1. Reflection

What’s my first impression of this book? 

My first impression of this book was very good. I don’t read often. But this book animated me to read it to the end. The text is easy to read and the story is funny.
At the beginning I did not understand what the story was about, only several pages later, I understood the meaning.

 I like the different persons in the story. All of them have different and interesting characters. But the beginning was a bit strange. I saw the film before I began to read the book "The Wave". The German film is very different from the book. The place as well as the persons, for example, are completely different. The main person, Laurie Saunders, is a funny woman, but in the film she is a quiet, serious girl. In the book the story plays in the United States and in the film it plays in a German town.

I think the book is more interesting than the film, because the book goes deeper into the personalities than the film. 

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This is the frontpage of my book.