Cole spends a lot of time in Touching Spirit Bear mulling over his family life—or rather, the lack thereof. Even though his parents buy him lots of presents and bail him out whenever he gets into trouble, they aren't actually present in his life. They're not there to talk to him about his problems or to show him love and compassion. They basically ignore him unless he's acting out…in which case they act like they're the martyrs for having such a terrible son.
As Cole reflects on his life, though, he realizes that he can't blame everything on his parents, and instead he has to forge his own path regardless of his family circumstances. In the end, through a process of forgiveness and growth, Cole mends his relationship with his mother, who comes to his defense and testifies against her ex-husband for child abuse.
Questions About Family
- Why doesn't Cole trust or depend on his parents for anything? How legit is his mistrust?
- Does Cole find a new family through Circle Justice? If so, who's in it? If not, why?
- How does Cole's relationship with his mother change over the course of the book?
- Does Cole ever make amends with his father? Why or why not?
Chew on This
Cole hates Peter Driscal at the beginning for being a snitch, but he hates him even more when he realizes that he has parents who love and care about him…something Cole doesn't have in his life.
Even though Cole thinks his parents don't care about him, when he goes through his near-death experience he comes to realize that his mother does care—she just doesn't know how to show it.