QUESTIONS

Question #1: If you were Garvey and/or Edwin, why would you want to help Cole? In the means of helping him heal, showing him how to do certain things, and taking precious time out of your schedule, for a person like Cole.

Answer #1: If I was Garvey I would want to help Cole, for a few reasons. A, because I'm a parole officer and it's a responsibility that comes with my job. B, I did bad things when I was a young kid like Cole, and I didn't like seeing another go through the same thing, and I know I can do something to help the cause. C, my last reason would be, because of my job as a parole officer, I've seen a lot of troubled kids. But Cole would have been the worst kid I've seen because, he was on his way to jail. If I was Edwin, I would help Cole, because I am wise. By being a wise person, they usually share their wisdom, and that's what I would do.

Quote:

"If I saw a Spirit Bear, I'd kill it," Cole said.Edwin tightened his grip as if in warning. "Whatever you do to the animals, you do to yourself. Remember that." Touching Spirit Bear; Page 18; By: Ben Mikaelsen.

Question #2: If you were Cole's father, William Matthews, how would you feel if your son called you out on being a horrible father, in front of the whole entire Circle Justice? Also what would you do?

Answer #2: Well if I was William Matthews, I would be so embarrassed, and be furious. Basically I would have mixed emotions all at once. I would have broken down right in the middle of the room, crying, and admitting what I had did. Also I would say this..."I realize that my horrid actions, is why my son is the way he is."

Quote:

It was the next voice that made Cole explode. His father held the feather, toying with it in his fingers. "We've always wanted the best for Cole," he said. "His mother and I have devoted our lives to him, but he---"

"That's bull!" Cole shouted suddenly, although he wasn't holding the feather. "You drink until you can't stand up, and you're gone all the time. A devoted parent doesn't whip his kid until a shirt can't hide all the bruises!" Touching Spirit Bear; Page 46; By: Ben Mikaelsen.

Question #3: If you had a voice,- in this particular situation, and if it mattered. What would you say and why?

Answer #3: This is what I would say if my opinion mattered." Cole has done some terrible things throughout out his life. For example almost killing Peter Driscal, and that's what put him in this situation that he is in now...the road to jail. That incident was a wake up call for everyone, even Cole. We can't rewind time, so where Peter wouldn't be in this condition. But there is something we can do, we can change Cole so he can have a second chance, a better life, and this is one less time something like this will happen in our community. So I think Cole Matthews should go into the Circle Justice program, and stay on a remote island, for a entire year."

Quote:

"Occasionally an elder would check on him. What makes banishment work is the extreme isolation. It allows the offender to spend a long period free of all friends, drugs, alcohol, and other influences that have gotten them into trouble. It's a time for them to think." Touching Spirit Bear;Page 56; By: Ben Mikaelsen.

OBSERVATIONS

1. My first observation would have to be Cole's parents. His mom and dad are very imperious people, and they show they care about Cole in very bizarre ways. By being imperious I mean they have a lot of money, and have connections. Multiple times Cole's parents have gotten him out of police custody before the word got around, on what kind of person Cole was. They thought they were doing the right thing for Cole, by insisting Cole's removal from the custody of the police repeatedly. But actually that was just for them so were, their picture perfect fake life was ruined. This was mistake because Cole never had a real consequence for his horrific actions. A since he never had a real consequence, he just kept up his atrocious actions. What I learned from this is Cole's parents only cared about themselves, and by doing what they thought was the right things was actually the cause of Cole's actions, which was hurting his parents, himself, and other human beings around them.


Quote:
What angered Cole the most after this latest arrest were his parents. In the past they had always come running with a lawyer, offering to pay damages and demanding his release. They had enough money and connections to move mountains. Besides, they had a reputation to protect. What parent wanted the world to know that their son was a juvenile delinquent? All Cole did was pretend he was sorry for a few days till things blew over. But that was how it had been in the past, before his parents got divorced.
Touching Spirit Bear, Page 8, By: Ben Mikaelsen



2. Throughout, at least half, of the book Cole has been accusing everyone else for his behaviors, along with his consequences. First he blames his parents because he is in police custody longer than he usually is. Then he blames his lawyer, and parents (again) because there is a tremendous chance of Cole being tried as an adult. My favorite would have to be is when Cole says this is all Peter's fault he is in this situation. Because if Peter would known how fight back, and defend himself , Cole would not even be in this predicament. But earlier in the book Cole knew that Peter had no chance against him. This was Cole's perspective, of the whole entire situation. What I learned from this is, Cole is not big enough to own up to what he did. But he is big enough to beat up on people.


Quote:
Later, after school, Cole cornered Peter outside in the parking lot. With anger that had been brewing all day, he attacked him and starting hitting him hard in the face with his bare fits. Peter was no match, and soon Cole had pounded him bloody.
Touching Spirit Bear, Page 7, By: Ben Mikaelsen.

Quote:
Cole figured he wouldn't even be here if Peter Driscal had known to fight back.
Touching Spirit Bear, Page 8, By: Ben Mikaelsen.



3. At the ending of the book, Peter Driscal and his parents come to the island, where Cole has been healing, and learning how to be a better person. Peter and his parents start to question, if Cole has really changed and became a better person. My observation is, how Cole is showing, meaning, and acting how he has truly changed. He has sympathy for Peter, and now he wants to help Peter heal, like he did, and he also wants Peter to forgive him. So my first observation in this area would be, Cole wants to help Peter get better. Second Cole showed, helped, and offered Peter on the island. Like with the totem pole, the ancestor rock, and being invisible to see the Spirit Bear. Third whenever Peter would make Cole angry, and upset, Cole didn't lash out like he would have a couple years back. Instead Cole would make a comment to himself, and let the anger pass. What I learnt form this is if you have good intentions for what lay ahead in the future, you may have a pebble in your way once and a while, but everything will work out fine, in the end. But if you have bad intentions for the future, it's not going to be an easy road. There's going to be pot-holes, that your going to get stuck in and it won't be easy getting out either. By that I mean if your like Cole-in the beginning of the book- you are eventually going to have a really bad life, which would be filled with hate, crime, and jail. But if you were like Cole- in the middle and ending of the book- in the future your life is more than likely, to be easier. Because you'll be spending your time living with people and having freedom, not being locked in a cage like an animal.


Quote:
Cole figured he wouldn't even be here if Peter Driscal had known how to fight back. Instead, Peter was hospitalized. Doctors' reports warned he might suffer permanent damage. "Serves him right," Cole mumbled when he was first told of Peter's condition.
Touching Spirit Bear, Page 8, By: Ben Mikaelsen.

Quote:
The final straw came when Cole returned from a walk alone around the bay. He found the bear carving on his totem destroyed. Someone had taken a hatchet and hacked the carving completely away. A familiar rage burned inside Cole. He confronted Peter in the cabin. "Why did you wreck my bear carving?". He tried to keep his voice clam
Peter shrugged. "You never really saw a Spirit Bear. Besides, what are you going to do to me? Beat me up again?" "No, I'm not going to beat you up. But can't you leave me alone?" "I suppose you've never done anything to me," Peter said bluntly. Garvey listened quietly. Cole had a sudden idea. "I know where there's another big log around the point that would make a good totem. If you want, we can drag it here for you to make your own totem." "Why would I want to do that?" "When you carve, it give you time to think."
Touching Spirit Bear, Page 228, By: Ben Mikaelsen

CLARFICATION

Cole Matthews is a 15 year old boy, with loads of trouble. He's abused by his father, and has no help because his mother is very quiet and lets things happen. Cole is a massive bully, hes been to a million police stations, at least one psychologist, a plethora of detention centers, more than enough counselors, and two residential treatment centers. As you can tell he has a troubled life. Finally his last straw was when he almost butchered Peter Driscal. This attack almost causes him to be tried as an adult. But he hears about Circle Justice which is a better alternative than jail, but harder.


1. Since Cole had his last strike, which was brutally beating up Peter Driscal, he's on the road to being tried as an adult and going to jail. But a man named Garvey really cared about Cole and gave him a better alternative than jail. That alternative was Circle Justice. Cole agreed to go, but for the wrong intentions. Cole wanted to go to Circle Justice, because he wanted to avoid going to jail. This is an example of positive success, because even though Cole wanted to go for the wrong reasons, he was bettering himself. By not going to jail, which would be much longer than Circle Justice, and also later on there are more good things to come, he just doesn't know it yet.

Quote:
Cole bit at his lip. "So this would get me out of going to jail?" "It isn't about avoiding jail," Garvey said "You go to jail angry, you stay angry. Go with love, that's how you come back. This all about how you do something, not what you do. Even jail can be positive if you go in with a good heart. I will say this, however. Usually the jail sentence, if there is one, is reduced under Circle Justice." That's all Cole needed to hear. He knew what game to play. "How do I get into this Circle Justice stuff?" he asked innocently.
Touching Spirit Bear, Page 12, By: Ben Mikaelsen


2. Cole's last arrest was breaking into a hardware store. Well the police had no idea who did it, until Peter Driscal spoke up. Peter had known that Cole did it, because Cole was boasting about his unruly deed. Obviously Cole denied it, and found out who snitched, Peter Driscal. Cole gave Peter no mercy, Cole was the tiger and Peter was the gazelle. When Cole was taken into custody he knew there was no getting out of this one, or so he thought. This is an example of negative success for 3 reasons, because Cole robbed a hardware store, he almost killed a person, and it wasn't Cole's fault, it was every one's fault why he was headed down this road( that's how he perceived the situation).

Quote:
The police might not have caught him, but after a week passed, he bragged about the break-in at school. When someone ratted on him, the police questioned Cole. He denied the break-in, of course, and then he beat up the boy who had turned him in. The kid, Peter Driscal, was a ninth grader Cole had picked on many times before just for the fun of it. Still, no one ratted on Cole Matthews without paying the price. That day, he caught up to Peter in the hallway at school. "You're a dead man," he warned the skinny red-haired boy, giving him a hard shove. He laughed when he saw fear in Peters eyes.
Touching Spirit Bear, Page 7, By:Ben Mikaelsen


3. The reason why Cole keeps getting in trouble, is beause of his parents. His dad beats him to were Cole's shirt can't hide all of the bruises, and his mother is to scared to do anything about it. His parents have a great abundance of money, and a reputation to protect. They have the money to keep getting him out of jail, and they don't want anybody to know their son is a juvenile delinquent. So instead of Cole doing the time and learing his lesson, they do everything in their power to make sure he's out one, two, three. That's one of the reasons why Cole does all of this crime over nd over again, because he always gets a second chance. This situation are examples of negative and positive success,(well at least I think so). It's negative because they keep on taking Cole out , and worrying what will happen to them, if anybody found out what kind of trouble Cole got into, on a regular basis, and how peolpe see them as parents. Another reason why it's negative is because Cole still does crime over, and over again. It's positive because Cole is not in jail, he's still being able to walk around freely.

Quote:
What angered Cole most after tis latest arrest were his parents. In the past they had always ame running with a lawyer, offering to pay damages and demanding his release. They had enought move to move mountains. Besides, they had a reputation to protect. What parent wanted the world to know their son was a juvenile delinquent? All Cole did was pretend he was sorry for a few days till things blew over. But that was how it had been in the past, before his parents got divorced.
Touching Spirit Bear, Page 8, By: Ben Mikaelsen.


4. Towards the end of the book, Cole wants to heal completely, but to do that Peter also needs to heal. This is because healing, is also about forgiving, Peter needs to forgive Cole. Peter needs to heal for two reasons, sowhere Cole is healed all the way, and also because he is commiting suicde. Cole's new mission is finding away for Peter to heal, while Cole is on the island still. Cole now has good intentions, he want's Peter to get better, and he won't harm Peter anymore, all he wants to do is help. His idea is for Peter to come on the island, Cole think's this is a really good idea, because it helped him out alot, and he wants the same for Peter. This is an examlpe of positive success , because when Cole fisrt hurt Peter, he didn't care what happend to Peter. He had thought that was a good punishment for Peter. Now Cole want's Peter to live, get better, and to forgive him.

Quote:
Cole figured he wouldn't be here if Peter Driscal had known how to fight back. Instead, Peter was hospitalized. Doctors' reports warned he might suffer permanent damage. "Serves him right," Cole mumbled when he was fisrt told of Peter's condition.
Touching Spirit Bear, Page 8, By: Ben Mikaelsen

Quote:
Edwin picked at the rough edge of the table with his thick chipped thumbnail. "Peter tried again last night to commit suicide. His parents are desperate." Edwin placed both hands flat on the table. "Yesterday, when I left here, you said that you could help Peter. And you hollered after me that I wasn't listening. Well, now I'm Listening. Tlee me what you meant." Cole took a deep breath. "I think Peter should come here to the island." "Thats not possible," Edwin said firmly. "And you know that." "No, I dont know that." "His parents would never allow him alone with you." "Then you come and stay, too,'' Cole countered. "Peter needs to soak in the pond and carry the ancestor rock. He needs to learn how to be invisible and how to dance and to carve his totem. He needs to see the Spirit Bear." Edwin shook his head. "I have fishing season starting. And besides, I'm not sure being around you is what Peter needs." "I know that he's afraid of me and what I did," Cole said. "He thinks I'm a monster that's coming back to get him. 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."
Touching Spirit Bear, Pages 205-207, By: Ben Mikalesen.