Literature Circle Extension Project

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• Literature Circle Extension Project
• Submitted by Rita Favata
• Professor Susan Silverman
• Language Arts and Technology EDLA-615 F01,
  FTU1/FTU2

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My understanding and appreciation of
Touching Spirit Bear, by Ben Mikaelsen, was
greatly enhanced through this extension project.
It provided me with countless opportunities to
revisit the story and dig deeper as I
thoughtfully sought and selected passages to
achieve my goal. My quest was to create a
visually-engaging PowerPoint version of the
story, its characters, events and themes through
authentic imagery and carefully chosen narrative.
Choosing to organize the project in ABC format
was ambitious, and at times, challenging (oh,
that letter x!). It is my ardent hope that this
culminating presentation not only captures and
effectively conveys to you the essence of the
literary work, but further stimulates and affirms
deep connections for you as well.
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• I selected this slide design because it evoked
  feelings of turbulence and disorder, symbolizing
  Coles pain, feelings of rejection, confusion and
  loneliness. The sharp strokes and grey-blue hues
  are full of emotion and are complex, like the
  literary piece itself. It is much like an ocean
  storm, paradoxically offering a sense of hope . .
  . for there is always a calm after a storm.

With upheaval comes opportunity for growth and
change. So, let the journey begin . . .
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Anger

• Anger keeps you lost. (Edwin, p 18)

Anger is a predominant driving force in this
story. Cole is a victim of his fathers violent
anger and his mothers emotional abandonment. He
struggles with his own feelings of hurt, neglect
and anger.
You drink until you cant stand up, and youre
gone all the time. A devoted parent doesnt whip
his kid until a shirt cant hide all the
bruises! (Cole, p 46)
Cole has will and courage, but he also has ugly
anger. So what do we do with him? Do any of us
know what caused that anger? And what if those
same events had happened to each of us? How would
we have reacted? (Garvey, p 49)
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Bullying and Blame

• Cole figured he wouldnt even be here if Peter
  Driscal had known how to fight back. (p 8)

Coles vicious, heinous attack on Peter Driscal
causes irreparable brain damage. Untold
emotional trauma
haunts Peter to the point of two suicide attempts.
Cole felt no regret for having burned the
supplies and the shelter. Nor did he regret
hurting Peter. This was somebody elses fault.
(p 45)
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Circles
Life is a circle. (Garvey, p 34) Themes of
circles resonate throughout the book . . .
Some are malevolent, cycling through untold
generations . . .
Your father isnt a bad person, but when he was
younger, he had parents who beat him for
everything he did. Thats all he ever knew.
(Mother, p 121)
Others are benevolent, like circles of friends,
who stand by you and support you in your hour of
need.
Why do you help me? (Cole, p 107)
Because were friends. (Garvey, p 107)
Still, other circles are life-affirming . . .
Coles gaze wandered in a big circle around him.
All of the landscape, the air, the trees, the
animals, the water, the rain, all seemed to be
part of something bigger. They moved in harmony,
bending and flowing, twisting and breathing, as
if connected. (p 70)
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Defiance and Death
A lifetime of hurt, a lifetime of proving
himself, a lifetime of anger controlled his
muscles now . . . He flung the spear with all his
strength, fully intending to kill. (p 64, 65)
After Cole defiantly challenges the Spirit Bear
and is savagely mauled, he lays for some time
facing death. In his desperate thoughts and
aloneness, he finds clarity and experiences a
revelation . . .

• It didnt matter who was at fault for his dismal
  life. All that mattered was living. Cole wanted
  to live and once again make choices. (p 84)

In death there was no control, no choices, no
nothing. To be alive was to have choice. The
power to choose was real power, not the fake
power of making others afraid. (p 83)
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Emptiness and Empathy

• Stars glistened overhead like frozen fireworks.
  Curtains of northern lights out over the bay
  danced wildly under the Big Dipper. Cole turned
  his head and stared into the black nothingness of
  the shrouded woods. That was how he felt inside
  empty. There was no beauty. (p 60)

The near-death experience and the storm were
life-changing events for Cole
As Cole stared at the tiny bodies, sadness
flooded through him.
The sparrows were so frail, helpless, and
innocent. They hadnt deserved to die. (p 82)
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Forgiveness
Forgiveness is essential for healing . . .
Being angry is giving someone else control of my
feelings so they own me. Forgiving gives me
control again. . . It isnt enough to be sorry
and forgive. Somehow I have to figure out a way
to help Peter. (Cole, p 196)
Cole fought back his own tears. Im part of some
big circle that I dont understand. And so are
you. Life, death, good and bad, everything is
part of that circle. When I hurt you, I hurt
myself, too. I dont think Ill ever heal from
what I did to you, but Im sorry, Peter. I really
am sorry. (Cole, p 237)
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Growth
People change two ways with slow persistent
pressure, or with a single and sudden traumatic
experience. Thats why people change so much when
they have a near-death experience. I believe
something significant happened to Cole on the
island. (Edwin, p 128)
Edwin was wise. Coles near-death experience
awakened profound insights in him that helped him
to begin to heal and to grow.
The storm raged on as Cole lay trembling . . .
Never in his life had he felt so exposed, so
vulnerable, so helpless. He had no control . . .
Cole blinked in stunned realization. He had
always been this weak. How could he have ever
thought he truly controlled anything? (p 78)
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Helping and Healing
There is nothing nobler or more rewarding than
giving of yourself to help others . . .
Why live if you cant help others and make the
world a better place? (Rosey, p 107)
Cole, . . . In a few months your body will heal,
but time wont heal your mind as easily. Helping
others can help heal your wounds of the spirit.
(Rosey, p 107)
Give me something to take away the monsters.
(Cole, p 108)
Only you can do that. (Rosey, p 108)
It will be up to Cole to fight his inner demons
and make right with the world, and with Peter.
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Isolated on the Island

• Nobodys going to babysit you here. If you eat
  youll live. If not, youll die. This land can
  provide for you or kill you . . . up here you
  live and die by your actions (Edwin, p 17, 18)

Time alone to reflect, live amongst Gods
creatures and find meaning in life . . .
Life is up to you now . . . This is a good place
to find yourself. (Edwin, p 18)
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Justice
Justice often fails because it seeks to punish,
not to heal. Jails and fines harden people.
(Circle Keeper, p 38)

• Cole is a rebellious juvenile delinquent. For his
  crime against Peter he is given the opportunity
  to choose between prison and the Native American
  Circle Justice. Cole chooses Circle Justice and
  is banished to a remote island for one year.

Justice should heal, not punish. If you kill my
cat, you need to become more sensitive to
animals. You and I need to be friends, and I need
to forgive you to get over my anger. Thats
Circle Justice . . . But healing is much harder
than standard punishment. Healing requires taking
responsibility for your actions. (Garvey, p 12)
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Karma
Karma is not fate. All of us, on our journey
through life, act with free will, creating our
own destinies. We are responsible for our
actions. Our choices can bring forth goodness or
they can bring forth suffering.

• You arent the only creature here. Youre part
  of a much bigger circle . . . Whatever you
  do to the animals, you do to yourself. Remember
  that. (Edwin, p 16, 17)

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Loneliness

• Nobody cared about him. Nobody understood him.
  Nobody knew what it was like living with parents
  who wished he wasnt alive. (p 26)

Then he became aware of another feeling.
Stronger than any burning in his arms and belly,
more haunting than the darkness that surrounded
him, was the realization that he was alone with
himself. And it scared him. (p 43)
A bitter loneliness swept over Cole as tears
clouded his vision. He felt so small here, puked
up on a remote forgotten shore and left to die.
Was this how the world was going to get rid of
him? (p 73)
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Meaning
All of his life he had squandered his choices,
wallowing in revenge and self-pity, keeping
himself down. Now, as he lay near death, those he
hated were safe and warm. Those he blamed were
still alive and well. He had hurt himself the
most. Life was empty and meaningless unless he
found some meaning. (p 84)
This is a story of an evolution of self Coles
self, yet not unlike many of our own. We are all
seeking to find our place in the world and
understand our significance. Without meaning, we
are lost.
We can find meaning by helping one another on our
journeys though life and by appreciating all of
natures beauty and gifts.
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Nature

• Yes the world was beautiful . . . Staring at the
  delicate patterns, he wondered why he had never
  noticed this all before. How much beauty had he
  missed in his lifetime? How much beauty had he
  destroyed? (p 97)

Through nature we can find serenity and wisdom.
Nature holds so many secrets, if only we would
listen.
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OpeningUp

• Edwin understands what it is like for Cole and
  teaches him a lot about life . . .

A person is never done being mad. Anger is a
memory never forgotten. You only tame it.
(Edwin, p 110)
Cole learns to trust Edwin and opens up to him .
. .
My mind gets to thinking and wont quit. Like
its chewing on tough meat. It wont swallow a
thought, and it wont spit it out. It just keeps
chewing it over and over. (Cole, p 110)
Edwin explains to Cole that anger will always
exist, it is not something you can rid yourself
of. But, we do have a choice of what to do with
it. We can focus on it and remain angry. Or we
can choose to focus on more positive emotions.
Its what you make of it. What you focus on
becomes reality. . . I can focus on the sunrise
or the dark clouds. It is my choice. (Edwin, p
145,146)
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Pain
Pain pervades our story and haunts our characters
. . .

• You dont know what its like being hit over and
  over until youre so numb you dont feel
  anything! (Cole, p 28)

When I saw him start doing it to you, I kept
telling myself things would get better. Drinking
helped me ignore reality . . . Can you ever
forgive me? (Mother, p 121)
How scared must someone be to actually go
searching for death? (Cole about Peter, p 203)
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Quietude
If animals existed in a world of instincts and
senses beyond the conscious thoughts of the mind,
what happened to people in their frantic worlds
of noise and hectic rushing? How much of the
world did people miss because they were not calm
enough, empty enough, to experience it? (Cole, p
189)
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Ritual and Reflection

• Were going swimming, said Edwin. Are you
  nuts?exclaimed Cole. Its freezing! Trust
  me, said Edwin. Half of being trusted is to
  trust. (p 143)How long do we sit here? Cole
  asked impatiently. Unitil your mind is clear
  and you have a choice between anger and
  happiness. (,p 154)

Almost every morning thereafter, Cole came to
this icy pond. In fact, this soaking ritual helps
save Cole. Here he learns to clear his mind and
reflect on the choices in his life. This
meditative practice helps him to focus his
thoughts and emotions and, ultimately, helps him
to heal and grow spiritually.
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Spirit Bear

• Off the coast of British Columbia, there is a
  special black bear called the Spirit Bear. Its
  pure white and has pride, dignity, and honor.
  More than most people. (Edwin, p 18)

The Spirit Bear saves Coles soul . . .
Coles fingers sank into the bushy white hair
until he touched solid body. With his fingertips,
he felt warmth. He felt the bears breath and
heartbeat. And he felt one more thing. He felt
trust. (p 95)
He felt content. Before the end of life he had
seen beauty. He had trusted and been trusted. (p
97)
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Totem Pole

• What are totems for? They tell ancestry,
  Edwin explained. And they tell stories. . . Your
  totem is your story, your search, and your past.
  Everybody has their own. Thats why you carve.
  Thats why you dance the dances. Thats why you
  live life to discover and create your own
  story. (Edwin, p 183)

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Uphill with the Ancestral Rock

• Pretend that rock is your ancestors, said
  Edwin. Climbing this hill is your life. With
  each step, you carry your ancestors with you, in
  your mind, in your heart, and in your soul. If
  you listen, your ancestors reach out from the
  rock and teach you the lessons of their
  struggles. Hear your ancestors. Someday, youll
  pass those lessons on to others. (p 155)

Every day after Coles icy soak, he carries the
ancestral rock up the hill thinking on all of the
things Edwin told him and reflecting on his life.
Once Cole reaches the top and sets the rock down,
its meaning changes. It becomes his anger. He
then symbollically rolls the rock and his anger
down the hill. He learns valuable lessons
When I was carrying the rock this morning, I
realized that I wont ever get over my anger
unless I quit blaming others for everything. (p
167)
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Violence
Mom said his parents beat him up, too. I dont
know where the anger all started. All I know is I
dont ever want to have a kid and beat him up.
(Cole, p 132)
I know that my dads not going to ever come back
to say hes sorry. Even if he did, he couldnt
change what he did. He couldnt take away the
memories. (Cole, p 132)
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Wisdom
All around us there are powers. There are
animals like the whale, the bear, the wolf, and
the eagle . . . We can feel all of these and
dance to them. They all have much to teach to
us. (Edwin, p 150)
Cole gains much wisdom from the animal dances and
learns about himself in the process . . .
A whale migrates but it doesnt have a home. . .
I feel like the whales. (Cole, p 152)
He wished that somehow he could always stay part
eagle in his mind. How could he remember to stay
strong and proud, seeing everything from a
distance? (Cole, p 181)
. . . you need the help of others, like a wolf
pack. (Cole, p 162)

• Patience, gentleness, strength, honesty. Animals
  can teach us more about ourselves than any other
  teacher. (Edwin, p 17)

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eXperiencing Invisibility

• To be invisible he had to clear his mind. That
  was the secret. . . Being invisible had nothing
  to do with being seen. Being invisible meant not
  being sensed or felt. (p 189)

. . . Even the present, ceased to exist. He no
longer thought of himself as Cole Matthews, a
juvenile delinquent from Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Instead he was part of the landscape, without a
beginning or end. Rain dripped off the rocks that
lined the shore the same way it dripped from his
forehead and flowed down across his cheeks and
lips. (p 191)
. . . Being invisible was being part of lifes
circle and accepting it. (Cole, p 239)
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DiscoverYourself
Discover yourself, Edwin said. Celebrate being
alive! (p 139)
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Zen
Coles experiences on the island, his
relationships, and his reflective and
meditational practices help him heal and grow and
eventually lead to his spiritual growth and
transformation.
Let go of self to find self.

• . . . he breathed more deeply, feeling the
  rhythm of the world around him, an endless rhythm
  where time disappeared. As the past, present, and
  future become one, the droplets on Coles cheeks
  dripped to the ground, melting into the landscape
  to which they belonged. (p 190)

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Resources

• Touching Spirit Bear, Ben Mikaelsen, Harper
  Collins Publishers, New York, 2001.
• Book images http//www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0380
  80560X/refsib_dp_pt/102-3133015-3048115reader-li
  nk
• Unless hyperlinked to its source, all images are
  royalty free from
• http//creative.gettyimages.com/source/frontdoor/D
  efaultRfLanding.aspx

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The End
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