A genre can best be described as a
category of something, usually art, music, or literature. In music, there are divisions
such as jazz, classical, and rap, and these are called genres. There are plenty of
categories subdividing art, as well.The young adult novel Touching Spirit Bear
by Ben Mikaelsen is a coming-of-age novel, and that is also its genre.
In this genre, the main character (protagonist)moves from
a place of innocence to a place of maturity in some form. In this novel, Cole Matthews
is fifteen years old and thinks he knows everything. He beats another boy nearly to
death--literally--and is put in prison. He is offered a rare opportunity to experience
Circle Justice, a Native American method of finding both healing and justice for
everyone involved. Cole is stubborn and has no interest in changing until he has an
encounter with a bear know as the Spirit Bear. Though it nearly costs him his life, this
encounter is the beginning of healing, understanding, and
forgiveness.
Through the course of this novel, Cole
Matthews grows from an angry, selfish, stubborn boy into a young man who recognizes his
sins, is willing to ask forgiveness for the wrongs he has done, and will go on to be a
better person for having had this experience. A character making that kind of
realization is the crux of a coming-of-age novel.
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