Cole Matthews Character Analysis

Cole doesn't understand why he feels trust. Cole tried to kill the bear, but yet the bear has trust toward Cole. Also Cole had, “...hated it with every fiber of his existence.” Even after he touched the bear Cole had a sensation. Cole realized that the world was beautiful.

In the text, the intrinsic factor that most influences the author is perseverance, while the intrinsic factor that most influences Wes is motivation. Early in the book we find out that the author’s father died and that his mother wasn’t “coping well with her husband’s death” she was “losing her grip.” (Moore, 37) And very soon after she’d realized that she moved everyone from Maryland to the Bronx in New York. The author was “apprehensive about moving away from my (his) friends, from the only world I’d (he’d) known.” (Moore, 38)  But still after his father’s death and moving so quickly from Maryland he was motivated and tried his best and later went on to do big things despite what would effect a lot of kids’ attitude on life. The intrinsic factor that affected Wes was motivation. He lacked motivation to be a better person even after he was arrested for carrying a knife to “send a message” (Moore, 34) to a kid who tried to mess with him and after “Tony tried to keep Wes in school and away from the drug game for as long as Wes could remember” (Moore, 71) But Wes continued to deal drugs and get arrested for trying to assault a person (and other reasons). These intrinsic factors are about the same thing but the author didn’t let obstacles get in the way of perseverance and Wes lacked in

I am assuming that these two men, Garvey and Edwin, had been much like Cole and they too learned how to control their anger and make their choices in life better.

People are unsure about sending juvenile delinquent, Cole Matthews, back to a remote island off the coast of Alaska, where Cole was assaulted by a wild bear and left to die, or if he should go directly to jail. In the text, it states, “When you’re released, you’ll still have your parents to deal with and you’ll still be facing a jail term. I doubt the Hearing Circle will consider returning you to the island after what’s happened.” In this quote, it is clear that Cole is facing quite the odds, Cole Matthews should go back to that island, back to where it all started. He should go, against people's opinions, he still has time on his Circle Justice sentence.

It is true that Cole Matthews has caused trouble and issues his whole life, but it is not Cole’s fault that he is the way he is. Cole does what he does because of his parents who never cared for him. His Dad beat him and his Mom just watched which caused Cole to be a juvenile delinquent. Cole Matthews accused parents, “My parents don’t have the time of day for me. I’m just in their

In the middle of the story, Cole goes back to the island and Edwin is trying to teach him how to dance for things like animals. “ … Garvey said, ‘Cole, what did you learn from your dance?’ Cole had been thinking. ‘A whale migrates but it doesn’t have a home.’ … ‘I feel like the whales,’ he said” (152). This and the other thoughts Cole has from his dances helps Cole change in the end because it helped him understand how other creatures and people feel (empathy). With this new skill, he learned he is able to figure out how to have a better relationship with all the people he comes in contact with. Later, Cole was soaking in the pond and notice something extraordinary about the soaks. “ He also noticed that in the water, his joints didn’t ache, nor did he feel pain in his blistered hands. His few thoughts seemed distant from his body” (164). Cole was able to use his thoughts to change himself because this thought helped him control his anger much more easily. This was because doing things like soaking in the pond and carrying the ancestor rock helped clear his mind and make him less

In the novel Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen, the main character,Cole Matthews, who beats up a innocent boy, Peter, Cole who is a troubled kid with the law. In the novel, the author is suggesting about how circle justice can change people. It can cause them to forgive, teach about ourselves from animals in nature, and healing. One way in which Cole transforms while on the island is that he learns to control his anger better.

It takes time to learn a new thing especially for Cole Matthews. Cole grew up with a roof over his head but not the parenting that he should of had. Both of Cole’s parents are drinkers, and when Cole dad is drunk he beats Cole for no reason. As Cole grew up he learned of that and thought it was ok. So he started doing it and beating up kids and breaking the law. Cole beat up a kid named Peter so bad that Peter is now suicidal and he has a stutter. Instead of Cole going to jail, he went to a circle of justice and the circle of justice decided that Cole needs to be banished to a island for a year. Well Cole is on the island he changes his physical thoughts, Taking other people's ideas, and looking out for others instead of just himself.

One of his strengths is that he is strong and he just loves to get in trouble. He hates to be called champ. Cole has a very strong will. He has had some experience with fighting, he fought a lot of kids in school, he recently just beat up a kid named Petter. Cole hates his parents and is afraid of his father. Apparently his father beats him when he does something wrong, or gets in trouble. So far we don't know all Coles weaknesses but he hates being touched, called names, and hates getting told on. On page 15 of Spirit Bear it says why cole doesn't want to be called champ, it says, “”quit calling me champ,” cole mumbled “that's not my

In society, people tend to follow the people's footsteps and apply new characteristic or methods that they obtain from there person. In the story, Into the Wild, Chris McCandless was a boy who favors several literacy heroes. He was able to understand each hero and apply there knowledge that they obtain from other people. He was favoriting Henry David Thoreau, Jack London, Leo Tolstoy and much more. Henry David Thoreau was an American poet and an essayist and wrote numerous books based on his philosophy. However, in the book, he plays a crucial role in giving Chris McCandless life lesson throughout his journey. Jack London is a worldwide celebrity and a famous novelist and journalist. He also has some characteristics that Chris has also obtained from him. In addition, Leo Tolstoy was one of the greatest Russian authors of all times. He has inspired Chris with some of his quotes which reflects him during his journey. There are more heroes that Chris mentions in the story but these are three which he tends to reflect more on.

Learning is a strong aspect in the novel. The characters learn who they really are and choose their own path. Gene, in the beginning was a character of self doubt, jealousy and greed. He never took a step back to realize that he had traits that others wished they had. Nothing was ever good enough for him, not even his best friend. He had to learn who he should be just like his companion Finny did. Finny chose to be a man of forgiveness, loyalty and strength even before the clock ran out of time. He truly did succeed in shaping Gene to be a good person. And Finny learned about himself as he held Gene’s hand along the rocky road. Gene started to learn about himself when he said in the novel on page 59, “Now I knew that there never was and never could have been any rivalry between us. I was not of the same quality as he. I couldn’t stand this.” Gene was finally realizing that he was not going to be the best at every single thing he does, but that he has someone who can be the tour guide for him in his own life and who can show him who he really should be. This exact situation happens in our modern day lives. We see the things and characteristics that others have and we never take a step back to take in and learn that we are each different and we all have strengths and we all have weaknesses. Everyone shouldn’t be greedy for the ear to ear smile we “don’t have” or the blond hair that we can’t have. But what we can get, that we may not have is the ability to be accepting or forgiving. We can learn to acquire these traits as we learn from example and try these traits on.

Through it all there can be a factor/difference that can be daunting in a person’s life and the way they handle it is eventually up to them and will effect in some way, shape, or form.

Cole Matthews is a fifteen-year old teenager from Minneapolis. He is a baby-faced person with dirty blonde hair, and he is considered big for his age. Cole is a generally rude person and he doesn't care what other people think about him. For example, on page three in the book Touching Spirit Bear states, “Cole Matthews knelt defiantly…” Cole might not seem

While this is an agreeable statement, they forget that Garvey and Edwin both guide Cole because even though they both feel anger, they use it to help and guide others, rather than abusing them. Also, the Skeptics forget to take into account Cole himself, has used anger in a positive light. Cole uses his knowledge and new understanding to help Peter overcome his hatred towards him. This proves anger is a choice and not bound to the aspects of hatred and

There are many words to describe Cole Matthews. Most of them aren't good. Cole is a bully, violent, and disrespectful. Coles parents don't care that much about him. They are divorced. His dad beats him when he's drunk. His mom acts fake. Cole had robbed a hardware store and bragged about it. A student named Peter Driscal told the police. Cole found out who told on him so one day he beat up Peter and smashed his head on the sidewalk. Causing him to have permanent brain damage. Cole joined this thing called Circle Justice it's a group that helps criminals. They helped decide what to do as Coles punishment. They decided for him to go to the island for a year. I think he deserves a second chance and go to jail of the rest of the time