...In the novel "Touching Spirit Bear" by Ben Mikaelsen, one of the main characters is Cole Matthews. Cole is a 15-year-old boy from Minneapolis, Minnesota. However, unlike most 15-year-olds, Cole has been in trouble with the law for most of his life. Throughout the plot, Cole goes through several dramatic changes. As the plot unfolds, it reveals how Cole thinks, looks like, sounds like, what Cole does, and how others think of him. These are the five elements that define characterization and describe Cole as a character. First, one way of characterizing Cole is by describing how he thinks. At the beginning of the story, Cole has a negative attitude toward the people around him. He thinks that he is this tough guy and that no one can stand up to him. Cole is blinded by his emotions, rather than thinkings things out thoroughly. An example of this is when he attacked the Spirit Bear purely out of hatred and seeing that the bear wasn't afraid of him. This ends up getting him nearly killed! Up until...
Words: 1018 - Pages: 5
...giving forgiveness and gaining it requires an effort from both sides to be made in order for the emotional healing process to begin. The concept of forgiveness is shown in many areas throughout the book, Touching Spirit Bear. There are a couple different instances in the story where one of the characters, recognizes how they’ve impacted another character, whether it be they were affected physically or emotionally. Some characters in the book tried fixing their problems and gaining that forgiveness, but others walked away from it as if it could be forgotten. The author built up...
Words: 1400 - Pages: 6
...“Anger is never without a reason, but seldom with a good one” by Benjamin Franklin. In the fictional novel Touching Spirit Bear, written by Ben Mikaelsen, one of the characters choices and consequences of those decisions impact how Cole had developed. Edwin decision to help him by showing him everything isn't always about him helped him heal and he also learned to learn from his mistakes .Edwin made decision to show him that everything isn't always about him.Another decision Edwin made was to help Cole learn from past mistakes not only by him. Edwin’s decision to show Cole that everything isn't always about him helped him heal. In the article it states that “ ‘I danced...
Words: 361 - Pages: 2
...Recently I have finished a novel written by an award winning author named Ben Mikaelsen. In his novel “Touching Spirit Bear” it describes a journey of a juvenile boy who committed a felony. For his punishment he was banished to an Alaskan Island so he was unable to hurt but himself. On the island our main protagonist heals and changes by carving a totem pole. Therefore, I was assigned to create a totem pole to unravel my life with you today. First of all, I've chosen a camel to represent my early years. According to Kathy Weiser Alexander, camels are to known have endured from the harsh environments and actions they have a face. Like a camel I too had endured as an infant. Aside of minor injuries, I dealt with major injuries as well, such as getting impaled by glass shards and breaking my skull. But even after all those incidents I am alive and well. Camels also have the symbol of positivity. As I stayed positive through all of my procedures or better known as surgeries from my mistakes. This was why I chose a camel I represent my infant years....
Words: 529 - Pages: 3
...There are many similarities in both Touching Spirit Bear and Devil’s Arithmetic but let's just focus on the similarities There are many similarities in both books Like the characters The character Cole ( Touching Spirit Bear) and Hannah/Chaya ( Devil’s Arithmetic) One of the similarities is that in both characters Chaya and Cole are faced with life or death situations. Cole is faced with a life or death situation when he fights the Spirit Bear and is nearly killed by it but survives. Chaya faces a life or death situation when she sneaks out with Griddle and is nearly caught by the Nazi soldiers. Both characters were sent somewhere they didn't want to be. Cole in Touching Spirit Bear is sent to an island in Alaska, where he must stay...
Words: 350 - Pages: 2
...Name Isaiah Wiggin Teacher Mrs. Feller Class ELA Date Literary Analysis of Touching Spirit Bear and The Devil’s Arithmetic “ Often those that criticise others reveal what he himself lacks” said Shannon Alder. Often strong inter conflicts lead into deeper inner conflicts. “Touching Spirit Bear” and “Devil's Arithmetic” have similar conflicts they separate when the conflicts lead into the deep inner conflicts. They both face disapproval from people they love. In “Touching Spirit Bear” Cole faces disapproval from his father and his father abuses him and isnt close with him cole says “ … I bet my dad can’t tell you when my birthday is.”.This proves his father isnt close with him. In “Devil’s Arithmetic” Chaya faces disapproval from her Grandpa...
Words: 294 - Pages: 2
...Touching Spirit Bear Summary and Analysis There are many aspects of the Touching Spirit Bear novel that highly correlate with the subject we are learning about the psychological developments of adolescents. Along with the readings completed in class, there is a lot of valuable insight that has been brought forth and can be interpreted as essential for obtaining a better understanding. The story begins somewhat in the center of the action, with Cole on the island as a result of the decision made by the circle. A troubled kid, this is his last chance before being sentenced as an adult for the past transgressions that he has committed. On the island, he is told about a “spirit bear” which from a psychological standpoint can be viewed as an animal representation of Cole, and forebodingly suggests the possibility of a future interaction with the animal. We begin to learn a little more about Cole in the subsequent chapters, as he attempts to escape the island and begins to have flashbacks to how he arrived there in the first place. His vicious attack of Peter has left him with very few options, one of which is being sent to Alaska to participate in the various “circles” which ultimately should help to decide if he is going to change, or if the path of prison is the right one for him. He facetiously feigns remorse in order to get to go to the island. Once there, he resists the whole idea and plans to escape. This is where we begin to understand Cole as a more complex character...
Words: 782 - Pages: 4
...Paradise Lost By John Milton The Book note Table of Contents Introduction Cast of Characters Plot Summary An Analysis of Major Characters Satan Adam Eve Chapter Summary and Analysis Book 1 Book 2 Book 3 Book 4 Book 5 and 6 Book 7 Book 8 and 9 Book 10 Book 11 and 12 Symbols and Themes Quotes The Quiz Introduction John Milton was born in London on December 9, 1608. He was the son of a successful Protestant merchant, and was provided with an excellent education that included the opportunity to travel widely throughout Europe. He was fluent in a number of classical as well as modern languages, including Greek, Latin, Hebrew, Aramaic, Spanish, Italian, French and Dutch. In 1625, he began his attendance at Cambridge University with the intention of becoming a clergyman in the Church of England, but was disillusioned by what he considered the arrogance and ignorance of his fellow students. He decided that his true calling was to serve God and his country as an author and poet. Inspired by Roman poets of antiquity, and particularly Virgil, Milton aspired to create a great epic poem in the English language. He considered two other distinctly British topics for his epic—the story of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, and the military exploits of the general Oliver Cromwell—before settling on the Biblical story of Adam and Eve and their fall from God’s grace through disobedience. Milton was politically active throughout his life, and was outspoken...
Words: 15072 - Pages: 61
...07/10/12 Karla Roman Ms karigian “of mice and men” book summary The novel opens with two men, George Milton and Lennie Small, walking to a nearby ranch where harvesting jobs are available. George, the smaller man, leads the way and makes the decisions for Lennie, a mentally handicapped giant. They stop at a stream for the evening, deciding to go to the ranch in the morning. Lennie, who loves to pet anything soft, has a dead mouse in his pocket. George takes the mouse away from Lennie and reminds him of the trouble Lennie got into in the last town they were in — he touched a girl's soft dress. George then reminds Lennie not to speak to anyone in the morning when they get to the ranch and cautions Lennie to return to this place by the river if anything bad happens at the ranch. When he has to take the dead mouse away from Lennie a second time, George chafes at the hardship of taking care of Lennie. After calming his anger, George relents and promises Lennie they will try to find him a puppy; then he tells Lennie about their dream of having a little farm where they can be their own boss and nobody can tell them what to do, where Lennie will tend their rabbits, and where they will "live off the fatta the lan'." Lennie has heard this story so often he can repeat it by heart. And George emphasizes that this dream and their relationship make them different from other guys who don't have anyone or a place of their own. They settle down and sleep for the night. The...
Words: 3813 - Pages: 16
...About Things Fall Apart Chinua Achebe's college work sharpened his interest in indigenous Nigerian cultures. He had grown up in Ogidi, a large village in Nigeria. His father taught at the missionary school, and Achebe witnessed firsthand the complex mix of benefit and catastrophe that the Christian religion had brought to the Igbo people. In the 1950s, an exciting new literary movement grew in strength. Drawing on indigenous Nigerian oral traditions, this movement enriched European literary forms in hopes of creating a new literature, in English but unmistakably African. Published in 1958, Things Fall Apart is one of the masterpieces of 20th century African fiction. Things Fall Apart is set in the 1890s, during the coming of the white man to Nigeria. In part, the novel is a response and antidote to a large tradition of European literature in which Africans are depicted as primitive and mindless savages. The attitudes present in colonial literature are so ingrained into our perception of Africa that the District Commissioner, who appears at the end of the novel, strikes a chord of familiarity with most readers. He is arrogant, dismissive of African "savages," and totally ignorant of the complexity and richness of Igbo life. Yet his attitude echoes so much of the depiction of Africa; this attitude, following Achebe's depiction of the Igbo, seems hollow and savage. Digression is one of Achebe's most important tools. Although the novel's central story is the tragedy of Okonkwo...
Words: 12560 - Pages: 51
...Journal of Postcolonial Writing ISSN: 1744-9855 (Print) 1744-9863 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/rjpw20 “He does not understand our customs”: Narrating orality and empire in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart Jarica Linn Watts To cite this article: Jarica Linn Watts (2010) “He does not understand our customs”: Narrating orality and empire in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart , Journal of Postcolonial Writing, 46:1, 65-75, DOI: 10.1080/17449850903478189 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17449850903478189 Published online: 27 Jan 2010. Submit your article to this journal Article views: 501 View related articles Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=rjpw20 Download by: [Indiana University Libraries] Date: 24 February 2016, At: 16:43 Journal of Postcolonial Writing Vol. 46, No. 1, February 2010, 65–75 “He does not understand our customs”: Narrating orality and empire in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart Jarica Linn Watts* University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA Downloaded by [Indiana University Libraries] at 16:43 24 February 2016 jarica.watts@utah.edu Jarica 0 100000February 46 2010 &Article OriginalofFrancis 1744-9855 (print)/1744-9863 JournalandPostcolonial 10.1080/17449850903478189(online) RJPW_A_448194.sgm TaylorLinnWatts 2010 Writing Francis This article delineates different strains of...
Words: 6891 - Pages: 28
...though we should hardly have understood the promise had not the fulfillment explained it. The shorter pieces have a lyrical quality, but the longer romances express more than a mere combination of lyrics; they have a rich, multifarious life of their own. The material is so wrought as to become incidental to something loftier and greater, for which our previous analysis of the contents of the egg had not prepared us. The Scarlet Letter was the first, and the tendency of criticism is to pronounce it the most impressive, also, of these ampler productions. It has the charm of unconsciousness; the author did not realize while he worked, that this "most prolix among tales" was alive with the miraculous vitality of genius. It combines the strength and substance of an oak with the subtle organization of a rose, and is great, not of malice aforethought, but inevitably. It goes to the root of the matter, and reaches some unconventional conclusions, which, however, would scarce be apprehended by one reader in twenty. For the external or literal significance of the story, though in strict correspondence with the spirit, conceals that spirit from the literal eye. The reader may choose his depth according to his inches but only a tall man will touch the bottom. The punishment of the scarlet letter is a historical fact; and, apart from the symbol thus ready provided to the author's hand, such a book as The Scarlet Letter would doubtless never have existed. But the symbol gave the touch whereby...
Words: 9242 - Pages: 37
...how he estimates art and artists. Liszt is a man of extensive culture, vivid imagination, and great knowledge of the world; and, in addition to their high artistic value, his lines glow with poetic fervor, with impassioned eloquence. His musical criticisms are refined and acute, but without repulsive technicalities or scientific terms, ever sparkling with the poetic ardor of the generous soul through which the discriminating, yet appreciative awards were poured. Ah! in these days of degenerate rivalries and bitter jealousies, let us welcome a proof of affection so tender as his "Life of Chopin"! It would be impossible for the reader of this book to remain ignorant of the exactions of art. While, through its eloquence and subtle analysis of character, it appeals to the cultivated literary tastes of our people, it opens for them a dazzling perspective into that strange world of...
Words: 44889 - Pages: 180
...rather than extracurricular. There were students talented in many other fields besides academics, but they were praised only on the field not in the class, the teachers would inform us that extracurricular is important for all round development but rarely any action was taken to support this statement. Moreover they were constantly told to focus on their academics more. I also found that the school failed to present extracurricular in more attractive manner. For example: During dance class the boys would rarely appear and were found to bunk class as they did not seem to find dance class worth their time and requested the teachers for excuse on gender basis. Visual arts were usually spent skipping, only the interested students could not bear to bunk class. Sports were popular obviously, but no one enforced mandatory participation to passive students who preferred to study in class instead of exercise. In music class, which was once a week most students rarely showed any intrigue towards learning their instrument and practicing them, so much so that when a survey was made by the principal, about 80% of the students in music class did not possess any knowledge of playing the national anthem or school song on their respective instrument. Moreover switching instrument classes were also forbidden, this only fueled the lack of interest creeping around the school. The classes were compulsory but...
Words: 4008 - Pages: 17
...ISSN 1798-4769 Journal of Language Teaching and Research, Vol. 1, No. 5, pp. 632-635, September 2010 © 2010 ACADEMY PUBLISHER Manufactured in Finland. doi:10.4304/jltr.1.5.632-635 An Analysis of the Factors Affecting Huck’s Growth Yanxia Sang Basic English Department, Dezhou University, Dezhou City, Shandong Province, China Email: dz_syx@126.com Abstract—Huckleberry Finn is one of Mark Twain’s outstanding masterpieces. Superficially, it tells a story about a 13 or 14 year old boy’s adventures with Negro Jim on the Mississippi river. In fact, it reflects the growth process of Huck through adventures. His growth is embodied by his choice on independence, his change of attitude towards Jim, his moral growth, and the different social roles he plays. Huck’s growth is influenced by the inner and outer factors. On the one hand, friendship, nature and society make up the outer environment for Huck’s growth. They have great effect on the development of his growth. On the other hand, his own instinct and his sound heart finally decide the direction of his growth. Index Terms—growth, the influence of Jim, nature and society, instinct, sound heart I. INTRODUCTION Mark Twain is a giant in American literature. He is a great realist and satirist in late 19th century. His delicate familiarity with children’s psychology, his thorough understanding of Americans and American society, his great contribution to American English and his immense witty humor have won great respect and reputation...
Words: 3622 - Pages: 15
