Antagonist

Character Role Analysis

Cole Matthews

Although it may be tempting to call Spirit Bear the antagonist (the critter does maul Cole, after all), it's really Cole himself who keeps getting in his own way and presenting obstacles. Cole's insistence on blaming everyone else for his problems impedes his ability to change for the better at first, and his aggressiveness is what truly gets him mauled by Spirit Bear. In the end, Cole realizes that he has to overcome his own hang-ups and tendencies in order to have a better life and become the kind of person he wants to be. Spirit Bear might maul him on the island, but Cole only has himself to blame for being sent to the island in the first place.