At the beginning of Touching Spirit Bear, it seems like Cole is never going to accept responsibility for his actions—instead, he's pretty good at pushing the blame onto other people. But as he goes through Circle Justice and learns from Edwin and Garvey, Cole realizes that he has to start acknowledging his wrongs and the ways his actions have affected others around him.
Even though Cole wants to blame his parents—and especially his abusive father—for messing him up, he comes to recognize that he (and only he) can change himself if he wants to. Cole begins the slow process of taking responsibility for himself and his actions by going through Circle Justice, listening to Edwin and Garvey, and even working with Peter, the kid he beat up.
Questions About Guilt and Blame
- Who does Cole blame all of his problems on at the beginning of the book? Are there ways in which he's correct? How is he incorrect?
- How do both Cole and Peter shirk from responsibility in their lives? Do you notice any patterns?
- Does Cole's father ever take the blame for what he's done to his son? Does his mother?
- Why does Garvey take so much responsibility for Cole?
Chew on This
In blaming everyone else for his problems, Cole can't move on and become a better person. Unless he can take responsibility for his actions, he's just going to be stuck in a cycle of crime and punishment.
Even though Cole knows his father's abusive behavior has messed up their family and Cole's perspective on life, he decides to forgive him and let go of the past. This is what truly enables Cole to move on.