Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in That Was Then, This Is Now, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Humility, Responsibility, and Coming of Age
Brotherhood, Loyalty, and Betrayal
Rules and Consequences
Violence and Revenge
Love and Selflessness
Summary
Analysis
The next day, when Bryon returns Charlie’s car, he learns that Charlie has received his draft notice. When Bryon goes home, Mark still isn’t feeling well. Mark suggests that Bryon read him a book, as Bryon used to do when they were little. They then spend the afternoon talking about their childhood—how they used to play a game based on gang fighting called “Civil War” and before they got caught up in real gang fighting. Bryon thinks that he used to look forward to a fight, but now it’s getting a little boring.
The fact that Mark and Bryon used to play a game in which they emulated gangs illustrates how even as children, they viewed fighting as entertainment—which has led them to view fighting in the same way as teenagers. Yet Bryon also exhibits a degree of growth here, as he recognizes that fighting is immature.
Themes
Mark brings up other stories: once, he and Bryon got caught sneaking into a drive-in movie. The manager drove them to the police station, but they jumped out of the car when it was going 30 miles per hour. In another story, they shot water pistols at cops from the roof of a mall. They discuss the poker and pool games they played and the dates and parties they attended. Bryon reflects that other boys would come in and out of their friend group, but he and Mark always stayed together.
Bryon and Mark’s antics built up their brotherly bond, particularly as they did risky and even illegal things together. To them, brotherhood isn’t just about sharing activities, but also making sure that they maintain solidarity whenever they get into trouble.
Themes
Mark tells Bryon that he feels like things are changing, and Bryon agrees. Mark points out that they used to think their gang fights were important, and that they and the other boys would have died for one another. Now, he laments, the others have slipped away. Mark says that it was as though the boys all made up a single person; it’s sad that they don’t need a gang as much now. Bryon says it’s kind of a good thing too—that they don’t need a gang to define their identities or personalities. Mark wonders what’s changed, and Bryon simply says, “that was then, and this is now.”
Here, Mark and Bryon begin to diverge in their attitudes about growing up. Mark desperately wants to cling to the dynamics of their childhood, implying that he doesn’t want to face adulthood. Bryon, on the other hand, recognizes their immaturity and sees some benefits of growing up and taking on more responsibility. The titular phrase, “that was then, this is now,” indicates that the boys have changed and will continue to change as time goes on and they approach adulthood.
Themes
Mark still doesn’t feel well on Monday, so Bryon goes to school alone. There, everyone is mad at Angela, sympathizes with Curtis, and views Mark as a hero. Bryon feels like he’s standing apart from the rest of the kids and like he can see through them—what they are thinking and why they do things. He also gets the sense that his friends don’t actually like him for who he is. The next day, when Mark returns, Bryon shakes off this feeling, and everything seemingly returns to normal.
Bryon’s feelings on this day of school suggest that Mark is holding him back from maturing. Without Mark, Bryon recognizes some of the immaturity of his classmates and has a heightened awareness of their motivations. With Mark, however, Bryon prefers not to question his life others’ feelings, and he clings to his more naïve understanding of the world.
Themes
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One day the following week, Terry Jones stops by the house and tells Bryon that Mark got caught driving the principal’s car that day. Terry assures Bryon that Mark was able to get out of punishment because he said he was driving to see his probation officer—he couldn’t make his appointment with the officer without a car. Bryon worries that Mark will be in jail the rest of his life, but Terry assures him that the principal laughed it off.
Mark isn’t concerned with how his actions affect others—he doesn’t care that the principal needs his car. Mark cares about avoiding punishment, and he’s often able to escape the ramifications of his actions, as he does here. Thus, he is enabled to flout the rules. While cars have shifted to symbolize responsibility for Bryon, they still symbolize irresponsibility for Mark.
Themes
Just then, Mark walks in. Bryon is relieved that Mark isn’t in trouble but is furious about what he did. Mark tries to say sorry, but Bryon doesn’t believe he’s being sincere. Bryon concedes that as long as Mark isn’t in trouble, what he did was fine—figuring that Mark can get away with anything. Mark smiles like “an innocent lion” and agrees.
More and more, Bryon is shifting away from Mark’s attitude toward rule-breaking. Bryon is less assured than Mark is, and he wants Mark to be more responsible. Bryon’s concern also stems from the fact that Mark’s crimes could have significant ramifications for him, as Bryon would lose his best friend and brother if Mark were sent to jail. Additionally, the image of the “innocent lion” once again evokes a cartoonish guiltlessness—yet as an apex predator, a real lion is anything but innocent. This symbol thus hints at the meaner underside of Mark’s personality.
Themes
