The Spirit Bear and Nature

While the Spirit Bear is real in this story, it is also a symbol for Cole's quest for healing and forgiveness. He has to forgive others for their actions toward him and to forgive himself for having hurt others. Both are difficult and Cole himself stands in the way of reaching those goals. When Cole is finally able to lose his sense of self to the natural surroundings, the Spirit Bear begins to regularly show itself. With that, Cole begins the path toward healing.

Cole's first encounter with the Spirit Bear is deadly. The bear almost kills Cole before returning to stand near Cole. The bear is so close that Cole touches it. Initially, he tries to convince others that he really has seen the Spirit Bear but no one believes him. He realizes then that it doesn't matter if anyone believes...