Character Sketch Jazzlynn Fenton
Cole Matthews is a 15 year old, baby faced, innocent looking boy. He is the main character in the book Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen. Cole is tall and lanky. He has no siblings and lives with his parents. His mom is like a Barbie doll and his dad has a bad temper. “His mom acted like a scared Barbie doll, always looking good but never fighting back or standing up to anyone.” (pg.9) “His dad was a bullheaded drinker with a temper.” (pg.9)Cole doesn’t have many friends because he doesn’t trust anyone. As far as I know Cole doesn’t have a job but he goes to school. In the past Cole has committed lots of crimes and is known as a delinquent. “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) Lots of people say he is a disgrace to the town and society. The kids in school are scared of him because they know he will beat then up. “Still, no one ratted on Cole Matthews without paying the price.” (pg.7) “Nobody crossed Cole Matthews and got away with it.”(pg.7)
Cole Matthews is an extremely agitated teenager although lots of his anger issues are results from a lot of problems. Cole is indeed stressed and discouraged. Cole is rude and has no manners. He is also ungrateful for what he has. Cole is selfish and inconsiderate. He only cares about himself. He lies all the time which makes him dishonest. Cole hates when people aren’t afraid of him. Cole also dislikes jail. He doesn’t like when people pretend to care and pretend to want to help him. He also disapproves when Garvey, who is Cole’s probation officer, calls him champ.”… Garvey, the stocky youth probation officer…” (pg.10) “he hated being called champ.”(pg.11) another thing Cole hates is being touched because the only time someone touches him it’s to hit him. “And he hated being touched. Nobody ever touched him except to hit him.”(pg.11) Cole is afraid of his father and also himself. Cole believes that his best trait is being manipulative. Cole is always able to get people to believe his lies.
Cole is a very bad behaved teenager. He has a sad behavior. He misbehaves in school and bullies kids just for the fun of it. Cole robs stores and steals. ” After robbing the place, he had totally trashed it.”(pg.7) He always talks about stealing and littering. “…he bragged about the break-in at school.”(pg.7) Cole is conceited and only cares about one person, himself! He isn’t trusted because of his actions. That was before he went to the island. Now he talks about peace, trust, forgiveness and love. He learned that life is a circle. “Could it be because every circle is a beginning and an end?” (pg. 239-240)
Cole has had to subdue a lot of obstacles. The banishment to the island taught him a bunch of life lessons and things that will be helpful in the near future. The island taught him to forgive himself. “‘Being angry gives someone else control of my feelings so they own me.’” (pg.196) “‘Forgiving gives me control again.’”(pg.196) He learned how to forgive himself and to forgive his father for beating him. His father only beat him because his own father did the exact same and that’s all Coles dad knew. Cole also was taught that living gives you choices. “In death there was no control. No anger, no one to blame, no choices, no nothing. To be alive was to have choice.” (pg.83) “Cole learned that he was just a piece of landscape. Cole figured out that to be able to see the spirit bear he had to become invisible and to become invisible he had to clear his mind and not think of anything. ” To be invisible he had to clear his mind.”(pg.189). Also for animals to near him and to trust him he had to clear his mind and become invisible.” The fish and the beaver had come close until he thought of hurting them.”(pg.189) By subduing these obstacles Cole changed. He forgave himself which helped him forgive others. Also Cole helped Peter and that helped Cole get over some of his anger and helped him heal. All the lessons and life threatening adventures changed Cole for someone better. Cole can now be trusted a little bit more. Not all of his anger is gone because anger never leaves you are just able to control it and find ways to control it.
Cole Matthews is a 15 year old, baby faced, innocent looking boy. He is the main character in the book Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen. Cole is tall and lanky. He has no siblings and lives with his parents. His mom is like a Barbie doll and his dad has a bad temper. “His mom acted like a scared Barbie doll, always looking good but never fighting back or standing up to anyone.” (pg.9) “His dad was a bullheaded drinker with a temper.” (pg.9)Cole doesn’t have many friends because he doesn’t trust anyone. As far as I know Cole doesn’t have a job but he goes to school. In the past Cole has committed lots of crimes and is known as a delinquent. “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) Lots of people say he is a disgrace to the town and society. The kids in school are scared of him because they know he will beat then up. “Still, no one ratted on Cole Matthews without paying the price.” (pg.7) “Nobody crossed Cole Matthews and got away with it.”(pg.7)
Cole Matthews is an extremely agitated teenager although lots of his anger issues are results from a lot of problems. Cole is indeed stressed and discouraged. Cole is rude and has no manners. He is also ungrateful for what he has. Cole is selfish and inconsiderate. He only cares about himself. He lies all the time which makes him dishonest. Cole hates when people aren’t afraid of him. Cole also dislikes jail. He doesn’t like when people pretend to care and pretend to want to help him. He also disapproves when Garvey, who is Cole’s probation officer, calls him champ.”… Garvey, the stocky youth probation officer…” (pg.10) “he hated being called champ.”(pg.11) another thing Cole hates is being touched because the only time someone touches him it’s to hit him. “And he hated being touched. Nobody ever touched him except to hit him.”(pg.11) Cole is afraid of his father and also himself. Cole believes that his best trait is being manipulative. Cole is always able to get people to believe his lies.
Cole is a very bad behaved teenager. He has a sad behavior. He misbehaves in school and bullies kids just for the fun of it. Cole robs stores and steals. ” After robbing the place, he had totally trashed it.”(pg.7) He always talks about stealing and littering. “…he bragged about the break-in at school.”(pg.7) Cole is conceited and only cares about one person, himself! He isn’t trusted because of his actions. That was before he went to the island. Now he talks about peace, trust, forgiveness and love. He learned that life is a circle. “Could it be because every circle is a beginning and an end?” (pg. 239-240)
Cole has had to subdue a lot of obstacles. The banishment to the island taught him a bunch of life lessons and things that will be helpful in the near future. The island taught him to forgive himself. “‘Being angry gives someone else control of my feelings so they own me.’” (pg.196) “‘Forgiving gives me control again.’”(pg.196) He learned how to forgive himself and to forgive his father for beating him. His father only beat him because his own father did the exact same and that’s all Coles dad knew. Cole also was taught that living gives you choices. “In death there was no control. No anger, no one to blame, no choices, no nothing. To be alive was to have choice.” (pg.83) “Cole learned that he was just a piece of landscape. Cole figured out that to be able to see the spirit bear he had to become invisible and to become invisible he had to clear his mind and not think of anything. ” To be invisible he had to clear his mind.”(pg.189). Also for animals to near him and to trust him he had to clear his mind and become invisible.” The fish and the beaver had come close until he thought of hurting them.”(pg.189) By subduing these obstacles Cole changed. He forgave himself which helped him forgive others. Also Cole helped Peter and that helped Cole get over some of his anger and helped him heal. All the lessons and life threatening adventures changed Cole for someone better. Cole can now be trusted a little bit more. Not all of his anger is gone because anger never leaves you are just able to control it and find ways to control it.