Table of Contents
What did Cole Matthews do?
Cole Matthews is a teenage delinquent who is in huge trouble for beating up a kid named Peter Driscal. He’s supposed to go to jail, but his parole officer, Garvey, somehow gets him into this program called Circle Justice, which is a Native American form of justice that emphasizes healing rather than punishment.
Why was Cole such an angry person?
Because he’s grown up with alcoholic parents and a father who beats him regularly, Cole is angry and thinks that violence is the only way to solve problems. His memories of his family aren’t happy—in fact, he remembers distinctly the times when his father beat him up: As Cole kept screaming, his dad kept hitting him.
Why did Cole touch the Spirit Bear?
When he regains consciousness, Spirit Bear is standing right next to him, staring at him. Strangely, Cole has lost his fear, and he decides to touch the bear so he can know what it feels like before it kills him. He feels the bear’s warmth, breath, and heartbeat, but Spirit Bear doesn’t move.
Where was Cole from in Touching Spirit Bear?
Minneapolis
The novel Touching Spirit Bear describes its main character, Cole Matthews, as ”an innocent-looking, baby-faced fifteen-year-old from Minneapolis who had been in trouble half his life.
What kind of character is Cole in Touching Spirit Bear?
Cole Matthews, the main character in Touching Spirit Bear, is a young boy who is prone to violence. Throughout the course of the novel, Cole undergoes a radical transformation.
What is the book Touching Spirit Bear about?
Edit Touching Spirit Bear is a 2001 young adult novel written by the American author, Ben Mikaelsen. The book is about a troubled Minneapolis teenager named Cole Matthews who completely changes after spending a year on an isolated southwestern Alaska island.
How does Cole’s anger affect his behavior?
Cole’s anger hinders his ability to make good decisions: in the Alaskan wilderness, he burns his shelter, attempts to escape the island, and tries to approach and kill a Spirit Bear. The Spirit Bear attacks, however, and in the days that follow, Cole is forced to admit that he’s not powerful—and that he needs help.
What is Cole’s relationship with Peter like?
Cole even refuses to fight back when Peter tries to hurt him—and following their sighting of the Spirit Bear, Cole and Peter begin a tentative friendship.