Character Analysis: Touching Spirit Bear

Transformation of a person starts from the inside, if successful it starts to show on the outside. In the novel Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen, Cole Matthews, a fifteen-year-old delinquent is in trouble for his biggest mistake yet, hurting Peter Driscal which causes him pain and trauma all because Peter had turned Cole in for robbing a store. The Circle of Justice offers another option instead of sending him to prison. Cole can be sent to an isolated island and try to survive a whole year to understand his mistakes. Between those two options, he selects the island looking for the easy way out of punishment. Cole goes on to change his past by turning aggressive to passive and careless to understanding and trying to earn trust from others on his way to transforming into a better person, which

ultimately reveals the theme of redemption.
The first way Cole changes is from careless to understanding. Cole listens to nobody and no one gets in his way, he is also self-centered.

Edwin, the Tlingit elder who oversees Cole's sentence on the island, and Garvey, Cole’s parole officer, are the only two people who truly believe Cole can change. Because of this belief, they help him by setting up a shelter and providing him with essentials to survive such as food and clothing. Edwin reminds Cole about the reason he came to this island by saying, “ ‘Anger keeps you lost," he said, as he started back toward the shelter. "You can find yourself here, but only if you search’ ” (Mikaelsen 18). The first time Cole arrives at the island Edwin and Garvey both tell him that this is the perfect place to find himself and become a better person. Cole later gets angry and burns down the shelter along with all the supplies that Garvey and Edwin provided for him. He doesn’t listen to anyone and thinks he can do it by himself and not with anyone else’s help. Towards the end of the book, Cole becomes more settled on his second trip back to the island. Edwin teaches Cole some rituals to heal his anger such as soaking in a freezing pond to clear his head, carrying a large rock up a hill and

then rolling it down symbolizing his anger leaving him, and finally if he sees an animal he has to do a dance showing what he has learned from it. Cole finally understands why Edwin has taught him all these silly tasks, Cole states, “ ‘When I was carrying the rock this morning, I realized that I won’t ever get over my anger unless I quit blaming others for everything. That’s why I got mad the last two days. I was still blaming you guys’ ”(167). Cole realizes people hurt each other trying to figure things out. He says he hates how his dad abuses him, but he knows his dad is just scared. He doesn’t want to be mean he just doesn’t know any better because of how his dad also abused him as a child. Cole develops from careless to considerate by understanding the true meaning behind the rituals Edwin thought him and how they help him redeem himself.
The secondary way Cole changes is by earning trust from others. Cole lies many times to get his way or out of punishment. A big part of his rebellious behavior is because his parents don’t pay attention to him enough so he rebels to grab some, even if it is not in the best possible way. Cole’s dad is a very abusive person who beats up Cole and his mom drinks away all her problems. Before Cole’s banishment, Garvey asks Cole if he truly wants to change but he responds saying if it is an easier way out of jail. Garvey says in response, “This is about how you do something, not what you do. Even jail can be positive if you go in with a good heart” (12). Cole asks Garvey questions about trying to get out of punishment. Garvey says to Cole that he’ll only be Cole’s sponsor if Cole truly wants to change. Cole looking for the easiest way out of trouble says yes to dishonestly trick Garvey into sending him to the island instead of jail. Cole later goes on to change and shows that he truly wants to change. He wants people to know he has changed that and to show Peter he has changed. Cole gets worried when Peter tries to commit suicide and offers that he should come to the island. Cole states, “ Maybe if he meets me again face-to-face, he’ll see I’ve changed. And maybe he’ll see that he can heal, too.’ ”(206). Cole wants to prove to people he has changed and is trustworthy. He knows he has to show the person he hurt. He also believes Peter will benefit from performing all the rituals he has to control his mind and see how it has brought change to Cole. Cole has to show he has changed and how the Circle of Justice has helped him heal into redeeming himself into a trustworthy person.
Finally, Cole goes on to change from aggressive to passive. Edwin asks Cole what he would do if he had encounters an animal, Cole responds saying he would kill it. Cole does exactly this when he catches sight of the bear, “the Spirit Bear stood watching him with a fearless and passive stare. ‘You maggot!’ Cole yelled, leaping to his feet. ‘ I’ll kill you!’ ”(59). When the bear appears all Cole can think about is killing it. Cole had been really aggressive trying to scare it away. The spirit bear was a reflection of Cole’s spirit and shows how Cole changes the second time to the island. Cole later goes on to show his self-awareness and show he has let go of his anger as he patiently waits to encounter the bear once more. Cole explains to Peter that in order to see the bear he has to be invisible, “ ‘No,’ Cole whispered back. ‘We are not threatening it.’ Peter looked puzzled” (238). Cole explains to Peter in order to encounter the spirit bear they had to be patiently and respectful to its surroundings. Cole wants to see the Spirit Bear but without all his negative energy . He wants to see the reflection of his inner change to passive in the bear and shows that to Peter. Cole changes character from aggressive to passive on his way to redeem himself into a new and better person.
Cole goes on to change his past and show others how he has redeemed himself by turning aggressive to passive and careless to understanding and trying to earn trust from others. Everything which is done in the present affects the future by consequence and past by redemption. All events leading up to redemption of Cole’s past behavior and show others that he has truly changed from his past self at the beginning of the book.