Touching Spirit Bear The Hero's Journey Essay

Anger can get to people, and that happened to Cole Matthews the main character in the book Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen, cole has a history of hurting or beating up people because of the way his dad beats him and his mom never pitches in to help. When he gets told on by Peter Driscoll, a freshman, tells on cole when he sees cole break into a hardware store cole gets in trouble and is mad at peter so he beats him up. Peter gets very injured. Cole is then sent to alaska as part of circle justice. Among this cole learns many lessons like how to forgive anger, honesty, and the circle of healing.

Literary Analysis of Touching Spirit Bear and The Devil’s Arithmetic Chaya and Cole are two kids fighting different battles to help save their own lives. Chaya and Cole are both going through tough times in their lives. While Touching Spirit Bear and Devil's Arithmetic characters have different conflicts throughout the story. Chaya and Cole are going through the same thing. Having to survive in harsh conditions and are going through life or death situations.

“The Hero’s Journey Defined” is an article written by Joseph Campbell. In the article, Campbell writes about the characteristics a hero possesses and the stages of his journey. The author also writes about the different challenges the hero must overcome, as well as the the aftermath of the journey. In the article, Campbell talks about the hero’s call that initiates his journey.

There are many themes being shown throughout Touching Spirit Bear, but one that stood out the most is change. I learned about change mainly through Circle Justice. Circle justice is different than a regular court system because it gives opportunities to help someone heal and become a better person. It helps both the victim and the person who caused harm by trying to help the two. Circle Justice teaches to forgive, and to become better, rather than just giving out a punishment. Out of the many examples of change, one which had a major effect on everyone was when Cole was given the chance to be sent to the island. This had a lot to do with the change in Cole’s personality. After Cole was mauled by the bear, he realized that he wasn't as powerful

The idea of Hero’s journey is used widely in many literary texts, books, and movies. The Hero’s Journey can be expressed by the call to adventure, mentor/ helper, and test/allies/enemies. In Jewell Parker Rhodes’s book Ghost Boy, she uses the Hero’s Journey into this sad novel, about how Jerome, a 12-year-old boy who gets shot and killed by a police officer for the wrong reasons. Jerome has to overcome being dead and starts to realize the smaller details about Chicago that he wouldn’t have noticed if he hadn’t been dead. To begin, at the beginning of the story the call to adventure is set out and this sign takes the character on an adventure.

Some people may get into long complex discussions about “The Hero’s Journey” and it may start sounding like a complex thing. The hero’s journey is not so complex. A simple definition is: a character’s mental, and possibly physical, growth in a story through their experiences. The character doesn’t have to go on a physical journey but usually does. This “journey” consists of the ordinary world and the special world.

Cole Matthews asks readers, “’Do you know what it's like waking up every morning knowing you're not good enough?’” and many young adults do. Young adults will relate to the characters in Touching Spirit Bear. “Touching Spirit Bear” is a young adult novel written by Ben Mikaelsen. It is about a teenager named Cole who, instead of going to prison for beating someone up, does a program called ‘Circle Justice’ where he is sent to a remote Alaskan island to heal. When he gets to the island he tries to escape, and attacks a bear, which almost kills him. After recovering in the hospital, he goes back to the island and tries again, this time with a willingness to change. While he’s there, he learns about himself, nature, and gains a new appreciation for life and for himself. He learns to be a better person, and forgive himself, and he realizes to fully heal he needs to help Peter, the person he beat up, heal too. Peter and Cole heal together, and eventually become friends. Touching Spirit Bear is a compelling piece of young adult fiction that will do well on the shelves, and should be published. It will do well because it is relatable, it is well written, and it fulfils a need in the genre for realistic fiction in young adult literature.

First, the call to adventure means in a story that the character is faced with an event or conflict that starts off the adventure and the story. At the beginning of the story, the part that goes with the call of adventure is when Cole beats up Peter and so Cole goes to court and he finds out if he is going to the island or jail. How that shows that it is connected to the call to adventure is in the beginning of the story and is when Cole is still mad but doesn't want to go to jail and so he picks the island because he thinks that nobody wants to see him and they just want to get rid of him.

In life, people have made mistakes, but it doesn’t matter how far down the wrong road you go, you can always turn back. In the book, “Touching Spirit Bear”, by Ben Mikaelsen, Cole has always made bad choices, but goes to Circle Justice for it. He learns his way there because he realized that he can control his emotions. Also, when he soaks in the pond and throws the ancestor rock, he feels his mistakes and anger forgiving him because his feelings are no longer taking control of Cole. Finally, Cole can forgive and help his victim (Peter) heal after he learned his way at Circle Justice.

Cole Matthews, Peter Driscoll and Garvey show that people can change for the better or the worse. Cole shows this by learning how to control his emotions throughout the book. garvey controlled his emotions throughout the book even when Cole was trying to get on his nerves and Peter lost being able to control his emotions after what has happened to him throughout the book. Cole Matthews

The “Hero’s Journey” is a common template in stories that involve a hero who goes on an adventure, wins a victory in a decisive crisis, and then comes home changed or transformed. This template has been used in tales throughout history to convey the journey that a protagonist goes on. The universality of the struggles and conflicts these heroes overcome allows this template to become as popular as it is today. Many of the stages that exist within the “Hero’s Journey” can be applied to my journey as well as yours. The stage of my grandfather’s death in my journey is comparable to “The Ordeal” in the “Hero’s Journey.”

To play a role given to us, isn’t fun once we learn of it, however, breaking away pushes us further into the journey. The Hero's Journey, a repetitive process that seems to be in the basic natural structure of every human, and despite any efforts are often replicating it ourselves. Following the journey is simple and sometimes unavoidable. The whole journey is mapped out by Christopher Vogler's The Writer's Journey. Then seen in Dracula, Bedazzled, and Noah. Also, in a easier way Howl's Moving Castle and The Game.

A Closer Look A tale of a hero is truly thrilling. They take on the risk of their unseen journey, with challenges, and transformations, in hopes of return. The life of a hero is exhilarating. Each story provides different incite, meaning, and purpose, but yet every hero’s journey manages to apply the same concepts.

Cole Matthews is not an uncommon young man that one would find in today’s society. Cole has not had a life I would call “easy” or “fair.” He had parents that as Cole stated, “all my parents do is drink.” (p27) His father beat him profusely. This is evidenced in the Circle Justice meetings when Cole said, “Or you’ll what?” “Beat me?” …..” “You’re still lying!” he shouted. “You’re usually too drunk to know your own name!” Cole knew these words guaranteed him a terrible beating next time he was alone…(p47-48) Cole didn’t feel he had any other emotions other than anger and fear. Many of us have had the same feelings as Cole, “He didn’t trust anyone who wasn’t afraid of him.” (p4) This is an

Watching a film, one can easily recognize plot, theme, characterization, etc., but not many realize what basic principle lies behind nearly every story conceived: the hero’s journey. This concept allows for a comprehensive, logical flow throughout a movie. Once the hero’s journey is thoroughly understood, anyone can pick out the elements in nearly every piece. The hero’s journey follows a simple outline. First the hero in question must have a disadvantaged childhood. Next the hero will find a mentor who wisely lays out his/her prophecy. Third the hero will go on a journey, either literal or figurative, to find him/herself. On this journey the hero will be discouraged and nearly quit his/her quest. Finally, the