Ghost Of Spirit Bear

Peter is Cole’s best friend. Through Peter, Ben Mikaelsen demonstrates the power of forgiveness. In spite of Cole giving him a permanent brain injury, he joins him on the island and they become best friends. Like Cole, Peter misses the island and the peace and comfort that he found there. Peter now has a stutter and stumbles or falls occasionally because of his injuries; each time reminds Cole of what he did.

Cole feels a strong moral obligation to protect Peter and is always trying to empathize with and understand him, even if they disagree. Peter is brave and has an inner strength that emerges when bullies confront him. He is attacked multiple times; this forces Cole to find a way to handle Keith. With Cole by his side, Peter eventually learns to forgive Keith for harassing and attacking him. Peter is extremely loyal and always there to support Cole in his endeavors. He is also the one who takes the most interest in the Spirit Bear man.

While Peter does not experience any major personal changes in the story, he is an important figure who is always by Cole’s side. He also reminds Cole about the value of friendship and forgiveness, which become central to Cole.

Keith is the antagonist in Cole’s life. He represents who Cole used to be and fears again becoming. Keith approaches Cole and Peter on multiple occasions, antagonizing, bullying, and physically assaulting them. Keith picks on Peter because of his disability. He targets Cole because Cole represents something that Keith wants to be, but is not sure he actually can attain.

Through Keith, the novel again demonstrates the importance of forgiveness and empathy. At first, Cole and Peter try to get Keith caught or arrested. Garvey reacts with disappointment when he hears how Cole is handling the situation, and urges him to fight with his heart instead. Cole has to figure out what this means on his own, and when Keith is injured, Cole comes to his aid. While holding Keith’s head in his hands, “Cole felt as if he were holding himself” (79). In forgiving and caring for Keith, he also forgives the person he used to be. He demonstrates empathy,

hoping it will rub off on Keith. Keith starts to learn from Cole, ditching his old group of friends in favor of a better path. He attends the Circle meeting and participates in the effort to turn the school around. Eventually, Keith apologizes to Peter and reports his friends for attacking him. In this way, the novel shows how Cole—and Cole’s compassion—are powerful influences.

Ms. Kennedy is the school principal at Cole’s school. She is a dynamic character who shifts her perspective, motivation, and actions over time. In the beginning, Ms. Kennedy is hired as the school’s new principal and thrust into an environment that is chaotic, disorganized, and violent. Rather than addressing the students and their needs, Ms. Kennedy works to appease the school board, parents, and staff. However, Cole can sense that she might feel differently underneath.

Through Ms. Kennedy, the novel shows how authority figures can positively impact youth and teenagers. Ms. Kennedy trusts Cole and does not judge him for his past; instead, she gives him opportunities to prove himself and show his leadership skills. She becomes instrumental in helping the movement to change the school mascot, and even threatens to resign if the students’ wishes are not met. Ms. Kennedy comes to realize that the students are her main priority, that sending them the message that they have the power to control their own destinies matters more than appeasing the bureaucracy. Cole often turns to Ms. Kennedy for advice and encouragement, and Ms. Kennedy helps Cole remember how brave he truly is. For example, she tells Cole: “You did a lot of gutsy things as a troublemaker, but you’ve done even more daring things to turn your life around” (129). While Cole is the driving force behind change at his school, Ms. Kennedy is the reason that he is able to approach and utilize the system to create change.

Garvey is another example of how adult figures can have a positive and lifechanging impact on youth. He is Cole’s parole officer and mentor. He is a member of the Tlingit tribe and took an interest in Cole because Cole reminded him of his own youth and the mistakes he made. In Touching Spirit Bear, Garvey’s role is to remind Cole of what he learned on the island and to help him put his newfound skills and wisdom into action. Garvey guides Cole in Transforming One’s Inner and Outer Reality by helping Cole find ways to transform his own life. When Cole looks to Garvey for guidance, Garvey urges Cole to see the truth on his own, giving him subtle nudges in the right direction. He helps Cole remember that he can only control himself, not others, and encourages him to fight Keith (and his school) with his heart. When Cole misses the island and the inner peace it brought him, Garvey reminds him that these things are always within him: “The island taught you where that place was. Now all you have to do is be there” (54). Garvey advocates for Cole after his banishment, allowing Cole to return to his normal life and prove to himself and the world that he has truly changed.

Cole’s mother and father are divorced and in many ways absent from his life. For most of his life, Cole has had to take care of himself; his parents frequently fought and his father was physically and emotionally abusive. Since the divorce, Cole lives with his mother, but she is often working. While Cole’s mother supports him and encourages him, she is too busy to really be there for him most of the time. Cole’s father is almost entirely absent from his life and refuses to engage when Cole tries to reach out to him. The novel shows Cole’s maturity and compassion through the way he treats his father. He offers his father love and forgiveness despite the abuse he experienced, even though his father is wrapped up in his own trauma and pain. Garvey tells Cole that his father asked about having his own Circle healing. The thought is encouraging to Cole, who hopes he can have a relationship with his father again one day.