Analysis Of Touching Spirit Bear

Banishment Essay

After reading the story, Touching Spirit Bear, I learned that the main character, Cole Matthews, is a stubborn, ill-tempered, bully that enjoys watching others suffer and or go through pain. Infact, it is is stubborn, ill-tempered, bullying ways that lands him in his very own jail cell at the age of fifteen. “He was an innocent-looking, baby-faced fifteen-year-old from Minneapolis who had been in trouble with the law half his life.” (pg. 5 Touching Spirit Bear) This piece of information is very important because this leads up to his proper punishment, but if I am correct that quote states that he has been in trouble with the law since he was seven and a half. Finally at the age of fifteen they figured out how to get through

Yes, he is responsible for his actions. Everyone has a conscience that acts as a so called ‘voice’ that leads them to do right things or wrong things, but in my opinion, your conscience is just you deciding whether or not to do something on your own. Cole didn’t have to steal from stores, and he didn’t have to beat Peter up. He didn’t have to do any of it and now his actions are his responsibility. “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 the fear in Peter’s eyes.” (pg. 7, Touching Spirit Bear) Cole didn’t have to do that, but he did anyway. If Cole only knew how to take responsibility for his actions or not even do them at all, life would be great for the characters in the story. But, if you were wondering, obviously if someone like Cole beat other kids up, their had to be someone or something making him behave like this. Like maybe someone was picking on him? Clearly we know it is not someone at his school, “He hated being called Champ. And he hated being touched. Nobody ever touched him except to hit him.

Clearly you saw the reason for Cole’s actions, being beat by his father and being ignored by both his parents. I still think Cole is responsible for his own actions because he could chose to be good and get attention, but he chose bad to get attention. But his parents definitely had at least a small part in the way Cole acts now, if they were more loving to him and actually knew how to discipline him the right way, like you're grounded for three weeks with no television or something instead of being him, maybe that would teach him a lesson. I mean I get that people are busy and they have work and everything, but you should always make time for your kids and your family. “‘Yes, Mr. Matthews, this is about responsibility. By the way, when is your son’s birthday?’ Cole’s father gulped a quick breath, and his face grew flushed. ‘Uh, well… birthdays have never been a very big thing around our house,’ he stammered. “I think it’s the beginning of July sometime.’” (pg. 52, Touching Spirit Bear) This just proves how badly Cole is treated at home. Obviously his dad drinks so much that he can’t remember the small, but important things. I’m pretty sure that every parent should at least know their kids birthday, even if they don’t love them 100%, which I find absolutely heart shattering. I also feel like destiny or fate had