The Totem Pole

When Cole sees a perfect log one day, he suddenly gets the idea to carve it into a totem, even though he doesn't have Native American roots and is afraid that means he won't be "allowed" to do so:

Edwin chuckled. "Indians don't own the trees or the right to carve. Carve anything you want. Your totem is your story, your search, and your past. Everybody has their own. That's why you carve. That's why you dance the dances. That's why you live life—to discover and create your own story." (21.45)

Thanks for breaking it down for us, Edwin. Sure enough, Cole's totem comes to represent "[his] story, [his] search, and [his] past." It's a way for Cole to work out his life, examining his past and carefully considering his future. Carving the totem enables Cole to really think about what he's learned so far, illuminating how he can continue to grow as a person.

Throughout his carving, though, Cole leaves one space blank on his totem: the one that he's reserving for anger. It's only when he gains Peter's forgiveness that they end up carving a circle in the space for anger together—because they're both letting go of the anger that's held them back up until this point:

When Garvey joined the boys, he stared down at the log and at what they had carved. "You carved a perfect circle," he said, a soft smile tugging at his lips. "Why a circle?"

Cole and Peter glanced nervously at each other, neither wanting to speak.

"Could it be because every part of a circle is both a beginning and an end?" Garvey asked. "And everything is one?" (28.72-74)

Through working on the totem pole together, Cole and Peter are able to let go of their differences and their anger, standing strong as they head into their next chapter.