That Was Then, This Is Now Characters

Bryon is the protagonist of the novel. When the story opens, he’s 16 years old and lives with his mother and his best friend, Mark. Bryon is initially driven by an immature selfishness and… read analysis of Bryon Douglas

Mark is Bryon’s 15-year-old best friend. When Mark was nine years old, his parents killed each other during a drunken fight and Bryon’s mother subsequently took him in. Since then, Bryon and Mark have… read analysis of Mark Jennings

Charlie is the owner and bartender at Charlie’s Bar, a local establishment that Bryon and Mark frequent. Charlie allows them to sneak in despite being underage, though he refuses to serve them alcohol. Bryon and… read analysis of Charlie

Cathy is Bryon’s girlfriend and M&M’s older sister. Bryon describes Cathy as very honest and sensible. At the beginning of the story, Cathy returns to Tulsa from a private school because she ran… read analysis of Cathy Carlson

Angela is Bryon’s ex-girlfriend and Curly and Tim Shepard’s sister. Bryon describes Angela as very beautiful, with long, dark curls—but also as very bitter and mean. He explains that their relationship largely consisted… read analysis of Angela Shepard

Bryon’s mother is characterized primarily by her selflessness. Bryon frequently states that she puts others ahead of herself—proven by the fact that she takes Mark in when he is nine years old, after his parents… read analysis of Bryon’s Mother

Curtis is a classmate of Bryon and Mark. Initially, Bryon dislikes Curtis because Bryon’s ex-girlfriend Angela broke up with him in order to pursue Curtis. Curtis ignores Angela, however—and one night at a party… read analysis of Ponyboy Curtis

The Texans, Dirty Dave and his unnamed friend, are two men whom Bryon and Mark hustle at pool at Charlie’s Bar. When the Texans realize that Bryon and Mark cheated them, they hold the… read analysis of The Texans

Mr. Carlson is Cathy and M&M’s father and Mrs. Carlson’s husband. Mr. Carlson makes fun of M&M for his long hair and poor grades, and when his son goes missing, he dismisses the… read analysis of Mr. Carlson

Curly is Bryon and Mark’s classmate and Angela’s older brother. Like Bryon and Mark, Curly enjoys fighting and belongs to a gang headed by his older brother Tim. At the beginning of… read analysis of Curly Shepard

Mike is a young man who’s staying in a hospital room across the hall from Bryon’s mother at the beginning of the novel. Bryon’s mother points out that Mike never gets visitors, so Bryon and… read analysis of Mike Chambers

Connie is a young woman who features in Mike’s story of how he got badly injured. Mike’s friends, who are white, were harassing Connie, who is black, in a drugstore. Mike intervened and offered… read analysis of Connie