It is very important that the children at Wayside School know the bell system.
This is the very first line in the book, the opening line to the chapter titled, appropriately, “The Bells of Wayside.” Although it may seem like a rather mundane and, well, boring way to open a story, it is an example of the deceptive means of the writing of the narrative. Many important elements are delivered as simple declarative prose. Notice the absence of figurative language which may provide subtext or even much context. All that this opening is saying that is that the bell system is significant to the school. The story, of course, lies in the surprising revelations of just how and why the bell system is so significant.
There are times when adults hide the truth from children, so as not to worry them. But Mrs. Jewls was a teacher. And this was science.
“Take a good look, boys and girls,” she said, pointing out the window. Then, with a slight tremble in her voice, she said, “That is a Cloud of Doom.”
The room darkened.
These are the final words closing Chapter 8: Science. It is the first time in the narrative that there is a direct reference to a cloud of doom. While the title indicates the supreme significance of the cloud to the story overall, it is far from the only story aspect. It takes a while to get to the titular disaster, but the read is worth the wait. These final words of the chapter lead directly into the opening of the next chapter in which Louis, the yard teacher, is overcome by the eeriness engendered by the cloud.
It’s bad enough when two friends fight. It’s even worse when three friends pick on a fourth.
“The Cloud of Doom” is appropriately named because it hangs over everything like an oppressive dark cloud raining unhappiness and unfortunate occurrences down upon the unsuspecting people below. While it begins life as a literal shadow pervasively hanging over the school, soon enough it becomes as metaphorical as it is literal. A cloud begins to form over the school that affects not just people students react to the actual cloud, but how they interact with each other. Things reach a tipping point once the cloud does the unthinkable by pitting members of the Unbreakables against each other.
