Cole never even had time to raise the knife before the bear was on him, clubbing him down with a powerful blow. After moving to Montana and becoming involved with his local Fish and Game office, Mikaelsen adopted a declawed black bear cub that was going to be euthanized otherwise. The hair was white. Content Warning: This guide contains references to substance use disorder, physical abuse and bullying, suicidal ideation, and incarceration. Nobodys going to baby-sit you here., Being invisible had nothing to do with being seen. Copyright 1999 - 2023 GradeSaver LLC. We had to read the book for school and most of my friends didnt like the book. The first day he burns down the shelter. When forced to confront Peter during Circle Justice after the attack, Cole thinks, ''It wasn't like he had meant to hurt anyone. Teacher Editions with classroom activities for all 1715 titles we cover. For all of us, quotes are a great way to remember a book "Touching Spirit Bear Summary". When they get there, though, Peter starts to shove Cole and to tell him that they'll never be friendsnot after what Cole did to him. "How come everything is always about you? Created by the original team behind SparkNotes, LitCharts are the world's best literature guides. It is in this book the native Justice Circle teaches Cole how to cope with the hurt inside that pushed him to hate, and through the mystical Spirit Bear, he comes to terms with who he is and learns some valuable lessons. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. LitCharts Teacher Editions. I wasnt very fond of Touching Spirit Bear. Lage, Daniel. You only tame it. Touching Spirit Bear is a great book to utilize when learning about symbols because much of the symbolism is deliberately explained in the story. GradeSaver, 10 June 2011 Web. Our, "Sooo much more helpful thanSparkNotes. (including. Left to die after the attack, Cole comes to realize his own vulnerability and need to change. This program is of Native American origin and seeks healing of the criminal for reintroduction to society. Welcome to the LitCharts study guide on Ben Mikaelsen's Touching Spirit Bear. The way the content is organized, A concise biography of Ben Mikaelsen plus historical and literary context for, In-depth summary and analysis of every chapter of, Explanations, analysis, and visualizations of, Mikaelsen was born in Bolivia to Christian missionary parents. From the creators of SparkNotes, something better. In his efforts the reader gets to reflect on his or her own faults and analyze the anger or animosity he or she may be harboring towards other. more via texts, memes and sound bytes, short but profound quotes from books have become Nobody had ever cared for him, so why should he care about anyone else?, Nobody cared about him. Why?, If someone is treated as if his life is worthless, he begins to believe it.. - The novel follows Cole as he undergoes a personal transformation while forced to live alone on an island in Alaska. But also happiness. - Cole gains this major insight during his second stay on the island when he is troubled because he has not seen the Spirit Bear again. It seemed a bizarre dream to be standing alone on this rocky hillside in Alaska with a round stone at his feet, his mind filled with thoughts so totally different from anything hed known running around on the streets back in Minneapolis. His words would become his only proof" (112). 1: The Last Vampire, Black Blood, and Red Dice, Larry Niven, quote from Lucifer's Hammer. It explores how Peter, Cole, and others are united in "the big circle" and how forgiveness was essential in order to see truth and healing. Faced with the prospect of being tried as an adult and sent to prison, Cole is offered the path of Circle Justice to avoid prison by a corrections officer named Garvey. Would not have made it through AP Literature without the printable PDFs. - 'Well, you're never deserving of any more respect in life than you give. This was his only alternative to going to jail. Struggling with distance learning? "That's because those people still think you can get rid of the left end of the stick." It inspects Cole, and Cole reaches out to touch it. The blood looked identical. Cole wiped his sweaty hands on his pants. Those who focus on anger will always be angry. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. Almost every chapter includes mention of a different animal, which either teaches Cole a . In the end, Cole helps not only himself, but also the young man that he once so brutally attacked. Ill admit that I completely judged this book by on its cover. Or did his? Remind you of anybody we know?, Your father isnt a bad person, but when he was younger, he had parents who beat him for everything he did. Many of the lessons Edwin and Garvey teach Cole. He suggests that Peter should begin to make his own totem, because ''when you carve, it gives you time to think.''. Even while still in the hospital, Edwin warns Cole that ''a person is never done being mad. He gets sent to a island with nothing but a shelter and some clothes and other supplies. This thought drifted about in his head but failed to gain meaning. He agrees to attend Healing Circle with Garvey to avoid jail, but he does not take the healing process seriously at first. and to carry with us the authors best ideas. Cole Matthews. quote from Touching Spirit Bear, People change two ways --- with slow persistent pressure, or with a single and sudden traumatic experience. This forgiveness isnt for you. Cole is determined to do things right the second time around, and Edwin and Garvey teach him several moral lessons and practical skills he can use to heal and learn to forgive himself and others. He also provides Cole with a carving knife, which Cole uses to create his own totem pole. He had no control. Everybody carries anger inside. I suggest you make your time here on the island a celebration.. Life, death, good and bad, everything is part of that circle. Never in his life had he felt so exposed, so vulnerable, so helpless. And so worth your time, guy or girl. The author makes reference to supposedly Tlingit traditions, but they're not based on anything the Tlingit actually do. For some of us a quote becomes a mantra, a goal or a This insight is also deeply psychological and represents a sort of self-therapy that Cole had been conducted to understand better his own feelings and to cast out those that are negative. Nature is a pervasive theme in Touching Spirit Bear. To this storm, he was as insignificant as a leaf. No, said Cole, his voice trembling. Ben Mikaelsens novel Touching Spirit Bear is about a 15 year old boy named Cole. Peters parents bring him to the island. And I was never able to help those I hurt., Cole looked up, surprised. I love this book! The bear literally crushes his body but it also figuratively crushes his pride and his sense of anger and power over others. Peter tires out, and the first thing Cole says to him is ''Are you okay?'' BookQuoters is a community of passionate readers who enjoy sharing the most meaningful, At the beginning of the novel, Cole Matthews, a fifteen-year-old juvenile delinquent from Minneapolis, Minnesota, arrives on a barren island near the city of Drake in Southeastern Alaska in handcuffs. Beginning today, he would tell the truth. "You know, the stuff you just told me makes more sense than all the weird things the counselors and psychologist have told me in school and at the detention center." Edwin turned to Cole. Christopher Pike, quote from Thirst No. How could have ever thought he truly controlled anything? He hated her. Touching Spirit Bear, published in 2001, is an account of a young boy's experience with violence, forgiveness, and nature as he is banished to a remote Alaskan island as punishment for a violent crime. Those who focus on anger will always be angry. During this fight Cole smashes Peter's head into the sidewalk and causes permanent brain damage. By dawn, he's hanging on by a thread. "That's because those people still think you can get rid of the left end of the stick. The novel also includes graphic descriptions of injuries. Guided by Edwin and Garvey, two mentors to him, he returns to the island on a quest to once again see the Spirit Bear. Cole stays calm and gives Peter all the time and patience he needs. When Cole is alone on the island once again, he employs all of the advice that Garvey and Edwin gave him and begins his healing journey. Learn your place or youll have a rough time., Garvey shrugged. It kept changing what was happening and it was weird. Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. (including. Creating notes and highlights requires a free LitCharts account. As a child in Bolivia, Mikaelsen grew up speaking Spanish as his first language and experienced prejudice and discrimination for being one of the only white people in his village. Nobody is, he said. Animals feel the same way. After days he sees the Spirit bear and gets mauled (he deserved it). He probably sent her a brief text, saying, Over. 2) Edwin and Garvey tell him that he'll need something more substantial to eat before working, but he says "no" based on what's normal for What did Edwin's friend bernie see on an island near the one on which Cole had been placed? The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. Throughout this time, Cole tries to be supportive of the boy whom he once savagely beat and spat upon. This attack almost kills Cole, and he lies on the forest floor for hours wondering if he will live. Beginning today, he would tell the truth. Even if he did, he couldnt change what he did. I think youve already hung yourself, Garvey answered. Cole initially frightens Peter, and later Peter is emboldened by Coles passivity, even punching and shoving Cole on several occasions. I was dreading that this would be the typical young adult novel I was dreadingthe one that included mystical nature and a teenager with angst. Beginning today, he would tell the truth. I realized I couldnt change your father, but I could change me. Refine any search. 2) Edwin and Garvey tell him that he'll need something more substantial to eat before working, but he says "no" based on what's normal for What did Edwin's friend bernie see on an island near the one on which Cole had been placed? He is mauled by the Bear after Cole attempts to kill it, and lies on the island alone until some members of Circle Justice come to check on him. Although neither boy is fully healed, both are on their way to a place of reconciliation, forgiveness, and even friendship. The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. They hadnt deserved to die. world; conversely, gleaning the main ideas of a book via a quote or a quick summary is He didnt start school until age nine, when he was old enough to attend the boarding school where his siblings went. Those who focus on happiness will- Having had no education until his first day of school, Mikaelsen was punished, often physically, by his teachers for poor performance. This book was a young adult book. Cole's unchecked anger is a red flag that he too will be abusive like his father if the circle isn't broken. Frantic, Cole struggled to fly, but he couldnt escape the nest. Touching Spirit Bear: Chapter 10 Summary & Analysis Next Chapter 11 Themes and Colors Key Summary Analysis Cole thinks about the sparrows as he struggles to stay alive. Cole is cynical, mistrusting, angry, and violent. Creating notes and highlights requires a free LitCharts account. This pond will help you., I just realized that Im not a bad person. ways as he's just lying on the goddamn floor for like 1/2 the book. Unless Peter forgives you, he wont heal., If the Driscals realize that the Circle allows them to have a voice in decisions, and that forgiveness can help Peter to heal, they may also join the Circle., You mean they might help decide my sentence?, Theyll hang me, Cole said. Just as he is growing in his own process of healing, Edwin tells him that Peter Driscal, the boy he had attacked, is not doing well. Circle Justice was a bunch of bull. Despite this, Coles choice to approach the bear in the novel is a great example of what not to do when confronted with a bearthough black bears are relatively small (most weigh less than 300 pounds), theyre still capable of killing a human. It reminds us that ultimately we are the ones that decide who we are and who we may become. When I hurt you, I hurt myself, too. One of the final scenes of the novel shows the extent of Cole's transformation. That was the only time the beaver ever came near. chapter, The bear continues to appear at dramatically appropriate moments. Cole tried to gather his wits. I honestly didn't feel sorry for him whatsoever in this book. Sophie Kinsella, quote from I've Got Your Number, You can never hate strongly unless you have loved strongly In this way, the author makes the lesson of the book go beyond a particular boy in Alaska who encounters a bear into a broader story of the man's search for self and meaning. But Cole felt alone and apart. All Quotes It takes nearly dying for Cole to begin learning his place in lifes circle. When Cole feels powerless, he acts out against others, often aggressively and violently. Studies have shown that restorative justice is extremely effective: it dramatically reduces the likelihood that an offender will reoffend or return to jail. choose the ones that are most thought-provoking. This time he truly changes. Peter is reluctant and cautious for months, but he slowly starts speaking to and allowing himself to be in the company of Cole. You'll be able to access your notes and highlights, make requests, and get updates on new titles. Back in Minneapolis, Cole was arrested and charged for violently assaulting a boy named Peter Driscal after Peter reported Cole for stealing. Peter and Cole carve a circle into Coles totem pole to symbolize the circular nature and interconnectedness of life. Cole plays along with the sentence. Nothing that has happened to him is due to his bad decisions; nothing is ever his faultor so Cole's thinking goes, anyway. Related Topics. ''As the blows pummeled him, Cole's own anger smoldered. Caught by the rising tide, he is unable to escape the island. Cole has been stealing and fighting for years. This includes his father (who beats him), his mother (who ignores the beatings), and the world in general. He drives them to the dock and ferries them out to the island. Try refreshing the page, or contact customer support. This time, though, Cole is prepared for change. How much beauty had he destroyed? p 114. Cole Matthews is a teenager with a troubled childhood. Sam. I would not have finished if it wasnt a class book. Ben Mikaelsen, Touching Spirit Bear, 6. Cole's unchecked anger is a red flag that he too will be abusive like his father if the circle isn't broken. Create your account, 6 chapters | I don't care anymore.'' Yours was simply food because that is all you chose for it to be. All because that is what I made it. "He turned to Edwin. ", all my parents do is drink. Not affiliated with Harvard College. there are only two things wrong with me-everything I do and everything I say. copyright 2003-2023 Study.com. Again, after burning his supplies on the island, Cole feels ''no regret for having burned the supplies and the shelter. His life is headed south when he violently beats up another young man in a brutal manner. "all my parents do is drink. Garvey teaches Cole that life is what he makes it, showing him how to turn a simple hot dog into a celebratory feast. Realizing this change in himself, Cole asks himself, ''How much of the world did people miss because they were not calm enough, empty enough, to experience it?''. Im dead.. Sodapop in "The Outsiders" by S.E. But helping others is how I help myself., Garvey nodded. But his life isnt worthless, Cole protested. Ben Mikaelsen, Touching Spirit Bear, 4. Finally, if he sees an animal, then that evening he must do a dance imitating that animal, to learn a lesson from it. As soon as Edwin, a Tlingit elder, and Garvey leave, Cole sets fire to his constructed shelter and supplies, and jumps into the ocean to swim to freedom. -Graham S. Restorative justice is, as the novel explains, a method of helping offenders and victims heal through communication. He may not be ready to forgive you., Garvey rubbed the back of his neck, then glanced up toward the ceiling. I never told him he was worthless, Cole argued. Standing beside the totems, he explained to Peter that being invisible was being a part of lifes circle and accepting it. It wasnt like he had meant to hurt anyone. As Cole imitated the breaching of the humpback whale, he thought of this insight. All of life is a hot dog. In the novel, Touching Spirit Bear, Cole Matthews is a teenager from Minneapolis who needs to learn how to control his anger. 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