Issues In Touching Spirit Bear

Imagine a person, lying on his or her deathbed. Throughout life, this person accomplished nothing whatsoever because there was no instance where he or she needed to leave his or her comfort zone or figure out life. Often times, situations like these can happen to people because they spent their entire lives avoiding scenario after scenario. In Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen, one of the central topics addressed in the novel is finding solutions to problems in life. The protagonist, Cole, overcomes serious problems he has and, in turn, makes his life more agreeable. Not only does Cole tackle tough situations, but other supporting characters such as Peter and Cole’s mother do so as well. Peter has to overcome the damage that Cole has inflicted

If a person spends his or her entire existence avoiding problems, this person will never learn and, in turn, never become a better person. In Touching Spirit Bear, Cole’s mother overcomes two huge obstacles in her life. Prior to the beginning of the novel, she never stood up for her son while he was being abused by her husband. Although she didn’t enjoy the violence that was inflicted on her son, she never said a word about it to a soul. First of all, Cole’s mother had to accept that her husband was violent and cruel towards Cole. As she must have loved her husband, this has to have been a major hindrance for her to surpass. After she accepts this fact, she can almost be free of her guilt, but not completely. Proceeding this realization, the greatest obstacle she had to face was the fact that Cole’s mother has to file abuse charges against her husband. In her eyes, this is a difficult impediment in her path, but it is necessary for her to conquer it to be free of her guilt and fear. In real life, cases may not always be as severe as this one, but there are many instances where someone has to either succumb to a terror of theirs and live restricted by it, or they could overcome it and live a happier, self-oriented life. This person could also do things they had never imagined before, because their fear or drawback had been in their way. When one overcomes obstacles in one’s

This statement is upheld for all. Peter, a secondary character in Touching Spirit Bear, demonstrates the importance of stepping out of one’s comfort zone, or overcoming an obstacle, in order to surpass fear and loneliness and succeed on the path of healing. Although it wasn’t his choice, Peter had to travel to the island with Cole in order to heal both himself and his abuser. This is certainly an obstacle for him, as Cole was the one who injured him prior to the beginning of the novel. Peter is afraid of Cole, and this is an obstruction in his path. Were he not to go to the island, his life would have most likely continued to be miserable, and he would have continued to live in fear. Above all, Peter had to go to the island in order to recover from what had happened to him, and he had to get away from himself. Some time after joining Cole, Peter shows serious change. He goes from detesting Cole to almost being close friends with him. It is also proven that nearing the end of the novel, he becomes more cheerful. For Peter, this is healing. Overcoming an obstacle, which is coming to the island and being forced to lodge with people he doesn’t like, is healing. In real life, this could work for many people. These people, just like Peter, could overcome their fears and sadness and mend themselves. To prove that these claims don’t only apply to Peter, Cole also