The Character Analysis of Cole Matthews by Gia M.
Cole starts out a narcissist bully who thinks all other people are fools
and idiots who should fear him. So when he gets caught stealing he makes
sure that the boy [Peter], who catches him in the act, pays for it. After almost
killing Peter, Cole goes behind bars. Then Cole hears about the Circle
Justice. Cole thinks it is just another way out of being in jail again. So as the
Circle Justice decides his fate, Garvey [his parole officer] tries to tell
Cole that this his last chance.
Cole just thinks this is his last chance out of a million because he thinks
his rich father will bail him out again,[the father is also the person who beats
Cole while Cole's mother just stands there doing nothing to help her own
son] yet this time he doesn't. Cole gets angry, and thinks if he just does the
poor kiddy act it will all blow over. So, as soon as Cole is told about going
to the island, he makes a plan. If he keeps swimming from Island to Island,
He would get on to Mainland and no one will ever again know, who Cole
Matthews ever was.
As soon as he gets on the Island, Cole burns the small hut, Edwin,
[Garvey's friend] made for him. But his plan goes all wrong. As he tries to
swim, the current catches him and pushes back to shore. Before long, it
becomes dark and now he regrets burning down the hut for spite.
As he tries to cope, he sees the Spirit Bear and thinks he can kill it and
hates it, for it's not scared of him. But as soon as he tries, the bear mauls
him, as he clings to life, he finally notices that there is beauty all around and
that life is more special than he ever imagined and that he suddenly wanted
to fight for it. So he eats his own throw-up and a small mouse to survive.
He realizes that he's not that special boy that he thought he ways and he
cries and cries for what he has done and hasn't done. He forgives his father
for beating him for all those pointless times and his mother doing nothing to
save him. Just as Cole believes he going to die, Garvey finds him.
When Cole gets saved, he learns to forgive and to love. He finds that he
needs to learn to show how he has changed and that he learns that not only
does he need to forgive his father and mother, but himself, before anyone
can forgive him for things that he's done. So then on Cole soaks, in cold
water, to be stronger than his animal-self and calms himself by carving on
his totem. Cole controls his angry with the method the of the ancestor
rock.
When Cole finally has changed and has been trusted, he learns someone
else needs help, Peter. Cole finds that after beating Peter, Peter has made
two failed attempts of suicide and Peter's parents do not know what to do.
Cole thinks Peter needs to go to the island and learn to forgive, love and to
trust others.
In the end, Cole and Peter become friends and Cole finds being the guy
who sees beauty first, caring and trusting others, other than hitting, beating,
and now he is helping instead of being mad at the world. Cole knows now
not to hurt others when he will just hurt himself. He has learned to be more
like the Spirit Bear.
Character Analysis of Cole Matthews by Elora C.
In the beginning Cole Matthews was a jerk, he wouldn't appreciate the
things around him, he's a narcissist and he wants people to be scared of him.
He doesn't feel for others and he feels like everything is about him. He
would rob stores and would think he can just start over, he thinks that it's all
a game. He just wouldn’t take things serious. He has even been in jail!!! The
reason Cole is in such bad shape is because his dad is an alcoholic and he
literally beats Cole up! Cole is a bully and is kind of spoiled he thinks he can
have everything but nobody can. He thinks everybody is a fool or an idiot
except himself. He is very irresponsible and he is just a bad person.
Cole got sent away to Circle Justice (a hippie circle); it’s a place where
people express their feeling and tell the truth. He hated Circle Justice and he
was bad there too so he would be sent to an island for his banishment
because he has been really bad and he is being severely punished. When he
got to the island he was really mad, he got so mad that he burnt all of his
supplies, including his hut! Before the people left him they taught him how
to survive in the wild and they also warned him about the Spirit Bear, but
Cole didn't know what kind of bear they were talking about, and said if he
ever saw it, he'd kill it!
A long while later... He saw the Spirit Bear coming toward him and he
didn't understand because he thought everybody was afraid of him...then...
HE GOT ATTACKED! The Spirit bear tore Cole to shreds, when the attack
was over Cole broke his ribs and was bleeding from head-to-toe. He was
coughing up blood, but the attack just fueled his anger.
When one of the people came back to check on Cole they found him lying
nearly dead, bursting with fury. They rushed him to the hospital, and called
together Cole's mom, dad, and the family lawyer. When Cole woke up the
next morning, he looked back at the attack and realized that not everything is
about him and that he isn't as precious as he thought. Then he looked back
and actually felt for others and felt bad for them and even felt sorry! After
that time, he became a better person and really changed his ways.
Character Analysis of Cole in Touching Spirit Bear -- Taliyah B.
Cole was a jerk who was a bully and utterly irresponsible. He didn't trust
anyone who wasn't afraid of him. Cole thought others were idiots and
complete fools blaming everything on others. For years, "help" had meant
sending him, to drug counseling and angry therapy sessions. Every few
months, Cole found himself being referred to someone else.
The kid, Peter Driscal, was a ninth grader Cole had picked on many times
Later, after school, Cole attacked Peter hitting him hard with his bare hands,
He jumped on him and smashed Peter's head against the sidewalk. It took six
other students to take him off of Peter. The police arrived and sent Cole to
the detention center while the courts decide what to do with him. Instead of
going to jail he had to attend Circle Justice which is a group if people who
come together and decide what they can do. A few weeks later, they
officially send him to a remote island in Alaska.
During his stay on the island he burned down the cabin Edwin and Garvey
worked on. H was so mad, he couldn't think straight. Cole hated the Circle,
he island and everything on it. After he burned down the cabin, he had tried
to escape by swimming but it didn't work because the tide pushed him back
to shore. He saw the Spirit Bear down the shore. It kept taring at him, not
afraid, so he tried to kill it. The Spirit Bear mauled Cole hard ad every
second was painful.
One day there was a lightning storm. The lightning struck the tree and the
baby sparrows from the nest died. He thought that they didn't deserve to die
which brought tears to him eyes. That was when he was really scared that he
might die and that was the first time he started thinking about his life and
cared about something besides himself.He finally noticed the beauty in the
world all around him, and his own errors, and his insignificance.
He enacted his new understanding by telling the truth with just his own
words coming out of his mouth and needing no proof. Cole does not only
forgive others but himself. To be stronger than animal-like he soaks n the
freezing pond and carries an ancestor roc up a slope and releases it as the
form of taking away his anger. Instead of reacting, he responds. Now he's
humble about learning, not like before.
Time in time, Edwin comes to check on Cole but instead he brought Peter,
Peter's parents, and companioned by Garvey. It has been he hardest decision
for them out of choosing Peter too stay on the island with Cole or for Peter
to live his nightmares after the suicides. Peter is first afraid of Cole and
doesn't want to be near anyone. Cole understand and lets it go. Later,
towards the end, the two forgive each other, and see the Spirit Bear one last
time. It ends as Peter carves a perfect circle into the empty space of Cole's
totem pole.
Character Analysis of Cole Matthews: TSB by Sophia M.
Part 1
Cole Matthews is a jerky narcissist who's also a bully who doesn't feel or
appreciate anyone or anything. He thinks life is a game and he takes nothing
seriously. He is utterly irresponsible and he thinks when he does something,
it's someone else's fault. He is spoiled to the point where he wants everyone
to fear him.
He was/is so mean, he committed a crime so bad that he had two
choices: Go to jail with real criminals, or he could be trialed by Circle
Justice and be sent to the island. One of the reasons he's all mean and rude is
because his Grandpa beat Cole's dad and then Cole's dad beat Cole. Also, his
mom is usually drunk and scared.
Part 2
The moment Cole changed was when the Spirit bear mauled him. Then,
when the tree got struck by lightning and the sparrow's nest fell, he actually
felt sorry for the sparrows. (Other Person: HE DID?!? Me: No need to
shout.)
Soon after, he notices beauty and his own error, and that he, Cole
Matthews, was insignificant, he was not important, not precious. Not
everything was about him. He was just another person in the billions that
surround him. He had been so arrogant, in fact, he wanted a giant bear,
weighing around 400 pounds, to fear him. Then, he finally notices life
outside himself. (E.g., the sparrows.)
Part 3
How Cole made a new Cole was by telling the truth, needing no proof but
his words to prove something, he forgives himself, and forgives others. He
redirected his angry energy into positive energy. He also soak in really,
really, really cold water to calm himself.
Then after all his anger and fighting, he becomes stronger then his animal
self, carrying an ancestor rock. He gives service to others, he's humble about
learning. HE RESPONDS, NOT REACTS! Plus, for the blank space on the
totem pole, he carves... you ready for this? Are you sure? Ok. He... carves...
a CIRCLE!
Deven I. Character Analysis of Cole in Touching Spirit Bear
Cole is an utterly irresponsible bully. I think of Cole as a narcissist because
he smashes a kid, Peter's head and put him in the hospital. He is a really bad
person because he has drunken parents and his dad abuses him. He abuses
Cole because his dad abused him. His mom on the other hand is scared of
her husband and she won't help Cole. Cole will then have to go to jail for
hurting Peter, but all that is about to change.
A man named Garvey is his caretaker, so Garvey gives him a choice to
either go to jail and do nothing or to an island in Alaska. So Cole thinks he is
given a break out of jail, so they go to the island on a boat. On the boat an
older man, Edwin, is going to help load supplies off the ship. Once they are
on the island, Cole is relieved he is on the island and not in a cell, but is
upset because he has to take classes to help him be a better person.
One day Cole is frustrated so he burns his shelter and all the supplies.
Now Cole has nowhere to live. soon he is thinking horrible thoughts. He was
thinking that Peter deserved to be hurt and soon he sees a white mist that
soon appeared to be a bear. Cole was so arrogant that he thought a bear
should fear him. Cole then throws rocks at it and the bear comes charging at
him. Then it was on him. Later he found himself unconscious with cuts and
wounds.
The next day a tree falls and baby sparrows lay dead and Cole feels sad.
Then he says, "But that's part of life.” Cole couldn't move and he even ate
his own vomit.
After he laid there and tried to let himself die and now he saw life outside
himself, he could see others. Then he started to see beauty. Just as he was
about to die Cole heard a noise, it was Garvey! Cole is then taken to a
hospital.
Six months later Cole is better, and now he wants to go back to see the
Spirit Bear. Cole is fully changed and he regrets what he did. So they head
back to the island, now Garvey and Edwin are going to stay with him. After
a few days they left, butt Cole stayed and before they left Garvey said to
bathe in the pond and do spiritual dances to learn how to be stronger than his
animal self. So the next few months Cole does dances and bathes in the
pond. By winter he carved a totem pole to show the dances he did.
Then one visit Edwin asked Cole how he can help cure Peter and Cole
suggested bring him to the island. A few days later Peter is onn the island
and he tries to make him mad, but he is being stronger than his animal self.
One day Cole and Peter go to the pond together and Peter starts beating
him up. Cole is trying not to fight back and Peter stops and looks at the
Spirit Bear after a few minutes it left and both were healed.
Leah I.
Character Analysis, Cole: TSB
I believe that Cole acts like a jerk, is cruel, unkind, and only thinks of
himself. Because he has not learned how to love. Why has this occurred?
Does he come from a family or a home where love is never shown? He
thinks that others are fools and that everyone should fear him, and anyone
who doesn't he will beat up. Cole has a criminal record because he beat up
someone named Peter. Because of that incident he was sent to jail, but was
given a chance at a facility called the Circle Of Justice. Yet he did not
succeed and went to a island as a punishment instead. You were able to pass
a feather along and tell your story. The one who runs the facility is called the
keeper. Cole says that nobody cared for him. So maybe that was the reason
he has such a sour attitude.
Cole comes from a violent house. His father beat Cole, only because
Cole's grandfather beat Cole's father. This is what happens when a child is
raised and grows up in this kind of environment. His father used to abuse
him when he was young. Cole's mother is no better than his father. She
doesn't speak up for Cole, and is afraid of her own husband. Cole
believes that everyone should fear him, he got this from his generations
before him, his ancestors. Cole is rotten and will jerk away from everyone
that tries to hug him, even touch him. He is spoiled and thinks everything is
a game. He is not serious.
When Cole goes to the island he meets the Spirit Bear. He sees how it is
not afraid of him so he tries to spit on it. The bear simply licks up the spit
with no reaction. Cole eventually tries to kill it. Still, the bear has no reaction
and shows no emotion of being scared. Cole gets very angry at the bear and
he sees him several more times. Garvey and Edwin get Cole and his parents
to the Circle Of Justice but it doesn't help much. Cole learns eventually what
it's like to actually love soon.
Cole is still rotten until he tries to kill the Spirit Bear. The bear mauls
Cole. I thought it was a good lesson because, Cole's father beat Cole. Cole
beat Peter. And the Spirit Bear beat Cole. Cole sees some baby sparrows
about to die, and that really changed him. He also saw a caterpillar but he
still had some anger in him, and he squishes the poor thing. Cole has to eat a
mouse too. He only did it because he still had anger in him.
After that incident, Edwin and Garvey tells Cole, that to release his
anger is to do activity's like, soaking in a freezing pond, and carrying this
rock, called the ancestor rock. It was said that it could calm you and release
your anger. Cole sits in the pond but only for a couple of seconds before
jumping out. He knows he needs to calm the animal that was controlling his
body for so long.
Cole finally changes. It took so very long, and it took til the moment of
death until he realized the real meaning on life and how beautiful the world
was. The colors dashed through his head and he saw what a big jerk he was
really being. Cole gets into the pond and knows he must keep steady and
calm and keep the animal inside him. On quiet days Cole would say sorry to
everything and everyone. And he knows that he did so many bad things to
people.
Cole would do his dances called many diffrent animal names. Like the
seal dance, the wolf dance, and the salmon dance. Cole would carve a totem
pole and he would have alot of diffrent animal heads from the diffrent kinds
he would see walking at night. But only one spot remained at the bottom of
the pole. He would have to dance the dance of anger. But he couldn't bring
himself to dance it. He just couldn't.
Cole finally dances the dance of anger. Yet he doesnt know what to
carve. Peter tries to commit suicide 2 times and Cole suggest he comes to the
island. Peter comes to the island but it takes him awhile to coop with the
island. But eventually he tells Cole the simplist thing he could think of to
carve on the totem pole, a simple circle is all Peter could think of and the
only thing he could carve. But at the end, Cole was healed. And so
was Peter. He didn't think of suicide again, and it ended all happy. And in
the end, they became friends, and Cole doesn't go to jail again. He really
changed.