Garvey Character Analysis. Garvey is Cole’s parole officer after Cole is arrested for assaulting Peter. Garvey is built like a bulldog and annoys Cole, since he’s unwaveringly friendly, visits all the time, and seems to see right through Cole’s tough façade.

Who are Edwin and Garvey in Touching Spirit Bear?

In Ben Mikaelsen’s Touching Spirit Bear, Edwin is a Tlingit elder. Edwin meets Garvey and Cole in Drake, Alaska. He drives them to the dock and ferries them out to the island. Mikaelsen describes Edwin as quiet and patient, ‘like a wolf waiting.

What are some character traits of Cole in Touching Spirit Bear?

Cole Matthews, the main character in Touching Spirit Bear, is a young boy who is prone to violence. Throughout the course of the novel, Cole undergoes a radical transformation. Through suffering, loneliness, and the power of rituals, he learns how his anger has contributed to his violent behavior.

What did Garvey reveal to Cole?

By remaining a constant, supportive presence, Garvey gives Cole what he’s never gotten from his parents: an adult who believes in him and wants to see him succeed. He’s able to see himself through Garvey’s eyes, and in doing so, Cole realizes that he’s not such a lost cause after all.

What are Garvey character traits?

was a great influence on Garvey, who once described him as “severe, firm, determined, bold, and strong, refusing to yield even to superior forces if he believed he was right.” His father was known to have a large library, where young Garvey learned to read. At age 14, Garvey became a printer’s apprentice.

What type of character is Garvey?

Garvey is kind, funny, smart, and a loyal friend, but he is also overweight, teased by bullies, and lonely. When his only friend encourages him to join the school chorus, Garvey’s life changes.

Who was Rosey in Touching Spirit Bear?

Rosey is the nurse who cares for Cole after he’s mauled by the Spirit Bear. She’s the only—and according to Garvey, the best—nurse in the small Alaskan village of Drake. She’s short, has a round face, and is warm and jokey as she tends to Cole’s wounds.

Why does Edwin help Cole?

Edwin guides Cole through rituals like soaking in the cold pond and carrying the ancestor rock in order to get more in touch with himself and the world around him. Together, Edwin and Garvey really do form the perfect team to help Cole not only get back on track, but start down the path to a better, brighter life.

What are Cole’s fears in Touching Spirit Bear?

As Cole mentally reviews his situation, detailing where things hurt, what is broken, what he can and cannot do, he fears that his death might be delayed. He worries that the seagulls will begin to scavenge from his still-warm body when he is completely helpless.

What is Garvey role in Touching Spirit Bear?

Garvey is Cole’s probation officer, and Garvey believes that Cole can change if Cole chooses to. Garvey’s plan is getting Cole into a Circle of Justice program instead of getting a jail sentence. Throughout Ben Mikaelsen’s book, Touching Spirit Bear, Garvey is resilient. He yearns for Cole to be rid of his anger.

What is an at Oow?

At. oow are the most prized possessions of a clan. At. oow is literally translated as “an owned or purchased object” and can refer to land or sacred sites, celestial bodies such as the moon and sun, names, stories, songs, spirits and crests.

How does Garvey help Cole in Touching Spirit Bear?

Garvey, the parole officer in Ben Mikaelsen’s Touching Spirit Bear, seeks to help others. When he meets Cole Matthews, Garvey knows that he has a lot of work ahead of him. With persistence, he shows Cole what true support looks like. With his tough love, Garvey leaves lasting impressions on Cole.

What are the character traits of Edwin in Touching Spirit Bear?

Lesson Summary. The character of Edwin, in Ben Mikaelsen’s Touching Spirit Bear, is a Tlingit elder who lives in Drake, Alaska. He is the lifeline to the mainland while Cole is in banishment on the island. Edwin is a wise spiritual teacher who also bestows upon Cole survival skills. His most prominent character traits are patience and wisdom.

What is the theme of Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen?

Throughout Ben Mikaelsen’s book, Touching Spirit Bear, Garvey is resilient. He yearns for Cole to be rid of his anger. If Cole is ever going to improve and to rehabilitate, he needs a strong cohort by his side. Garvey may just be the man to help him. Garvey is introduced as a ”gravelly-voiced” Tlingit Indian parole officer from Minneapolis.

How old is Cole in Touching Spirit Bear?

Touching Spirit Bear Character List. Buy Study Guide. At the start of the novel, Cole is a fifteen-year old convicted juvenile delinquent from Minneapolis. He most recently has been put in detention for violently hitting and assaulting a classmate named Peter Driscal who had turned Cole in for robbing a store.