Character Analysis: Touching Spirit Bear

Author’s Note: I wrote this piece for my character development project. When I wrote this, it reminded me how much character’s change throughout the book . It also reminded me of some other books I have read and how they are similar to this one.

In the beginning of the book Touching Spirit bear , by Ben Mikaelson,  the main character, Cole has a horrible reputation.  He doesn’t get along with anyone including his parents and his parole officers.  When Cole is sent to Jail for beating up a kid, he decides that he can’t stay in a jail cell. Cole is given the option to go to a group called “Justice Circle” where they send you to an island for a year so that you can get a chance to find yourself. When Cole gets to the island he gets off to a bad start. Yet, when he gets a chance to go back, he takes it more seriously. He  starts to make decisions that change his personality in great ways.

When Cole first gets on the island, he makes some very bad decisions by trying to escape the island but does not succeed. When Cole gets mauled by the spirit bear, he gives more respect to people and animals.  He gets a second chance to go back and starts to understand why he was sent there . To learn his lesson.  He starts to do things  that he wouldn’t have thought in a million years he would do. The things his therapist and parole officer teach him affect him greatly. At first he refuses to do the things like carrying the ancestor rock in the morning  or going for a morning soak. This helps Cole think about what he did wrong and why he shouldn’t have done it. He starts a routine in which helps him develop a kinder and more calm personality.  When his parole officer comes to see  how he is doing, he is shocked that Cole is using his methods and that they are really helping him.  

Furthermore, Cole’s attitude changed toward Peter, the kid who Cole beat up and got sent to prison for doing so. Before the island, Cole thought that changing his personality would never happen. Turns out that it wasn’t really that hard. When Cole realized what he did to Peter he felt horrible and wanted to undo it knowing that he couldn’t. Garvey, Cole’s parole officer, tells Cole that he had beaten Peter so bad that he has tried to commit suicide. Cole takes this very personally. He wants to help Peter. People like Garvey and Cole’s therapist see that he isn’t a self obsessed jerk anymore. They see that he really wants to help Peter and that he now respects him.

Not only did Cole’s attitude change towards the Peter, but it changed towards his parents who he thought he hated. Before Cole was sent back to the island for a second chance. He got a chance to talk to his mother. She told him how his father was no in prison because of the fact that before the island Cole’s father was abusive to him. Cole’s attitude changes towards his Father because his mother tells him how his father was abused as a child. Cole knows now that getting beat up was a life style for his father and forgives him and gets why he did it. He also forgives his mother for never standing up for him. Cole realizes that it wasn’t his parents fault for his horrible behavior.

In the book Touching Spirit Bear, Cole reminds me of Roger, the main character in the short story Thank you ma’am. In the story roger is a poor boy who just thinks he can do whatever he wants and can get away with it, just like Cole. Roger then gets caught doing something terrible to Mrs. Jones and she takes him back to her house to teach him a lesson just like how the island was supposed to teach Cole a lesson. When Roger gets to Mrs. Jones house , he is surprised how respectfully she was treating him. Roger ended up getting all that he needed and all he needed to do was have a good attitude, just like Cole.

In the end of the book, Cole’s new image has given everyone a shock. Instead of people being afraid of Cole, they now want to be friends with him. Cole’s mother is now more active in her sons life and his attitude reflects off of that because he knows someone finally cares about him. Peter has also taken a liking to Cole. Since Cole helped Peter get out of this mess, Peter understands that Cole is a better person and doesn’t have to be afraid of him anymore.  Cole finally appreciates the help he got and the new relationships with the ones who care for him.