That Was Then, This Is Now is a coming of age novel. Through constant trials and tribulations of life, Bryon learns that there is a limit to the loyalty he can provide to others. Bryon suffers through pain and problems that plague many readers as they grow into maturity.
In this time period, gang violence was prominent. This relates to the authors, S.E Hinton’s, first novel The Outsiders. In the novel, gangs were an important part of society. People saw gangs as a comfort with the violent nature of the people within the community. As time progresses on, into the time period of That Was Then, This Is Now, the mindset on gangs changes. From the beginning of the novel and on, it’s known that people still stay together, in a pack like mentality, …show more content…
His death was a sudden understanding that being too loyal, can result in personal harm. Throughout the novel, Charlie was depicted as a tough young man, who owned a bar that the boys frequented for soda. Charlie was seen as a father figure in Mark and Bryon’s lives, as Marks real father was dead and Bryon’s was not mentioned in the text. Charlie showed them tough love but always had their back, especially in times of trouble.When Bryon and Mark found themselves standing at the barrel of a Texas cowboy’s gun, Charlie came to the rescue, giving his life to the boys he had cared for. On page 89 Bryon begins to come to terms with the death of Charlie. He states, “ … I knew that people close to you died the same as strangers did. I guess I just couldn’t see standing there- alive, talking, thinking, breathing, being- one second, and dead the next. It really bothered me. Death by violence isn’t the same…”(Hinton, 89). This was a pivotal moment in Bryons life as he comes to understand that Charlie is gone. He gave his life to save Bryon and Mark. It is clear that Bryon struggles with the constant guilt and burden of Charlie's death. He feels he could have shielded him from his death, if he hadn’t been hustling pool in the bar. This takes a toll on his mental health and blows his insecurities out of proportion. This became a turning point in Bryon’s life, unlike leaving gangs behind in the past, this was when he discovered he had to begin to put himself first. Readers from this point on, very highly relate to Bryons struggles. His grief is intriguing, as a character who acts tough constantly, he allows the reader to see him on a deeper level. This lead to the ultimate ending,as Bryon began to put himself first and understand the differences between himself and his once brother,
In this time period, gang violence was prominent. This relates to the authors, S.E Hinton’s, first novel The Outsiders. In the novel, gangs were an important part of society. People saw gangs as a comfort with the violent nature of the people within the community. As time progresses on, into the time period of That Was Then, This Is Now, the mindset on gangs changes. From the beginning of the novel and on, it’s known that people still stay together, in a pack like mentality, …show more content…
His death was a sudden understanding that being too loyal, can result in personal harm. Throughout the novel, Charlie was depicted as a tough young man, who owned a bar that the boys frequented for soda. Charlie was seen as a father figure in Mark and Bryon’s lives, as Marks real father was dead and Bryon’s was not mentioned in the text. Charlie showed them tough love but always had their back, especially in times of trouble.When Bryon and Mark found themselves standing at the barrel of a Texas cowboy’s gun, Charlie came to the rescue, giving his life to the boys he had cared for. On page 89 Bryon begins to come to terms with the death of Charlie. He states, “ … I knew that people close to you died the same as strangers did. I guess I just couldn’t see standing there- alive, talking, thinking, breathing, being- one second, and dead the next. It really bothered me. Death by violence isn’t the same…”(Hinton, 89). This was a pivotal moment in Bryons life as he comes to understand that Charlie is gone. He gave his life to save Bryon and Mark. It is clear that Bryon struggles with the constant guilt and burden of Charlie's death. He feels he could have shielded him from his death, if he hadn’t been hustling pool in the bar. This takes a toll on his mental health and blows his insecurities out of proportion. This became a turning point in Bryon’s life, unlike leaving gangs behind in the past, this was when he discovered he had to begin to put himself first. Readers from this point on, very highly relate to Bryons struggles. His grief is intriguing, as a character who acts tough constantly, he allows the reader to see him on a deeper level. This lead to the ultimate ending,as Bryon began to put himself first and understand the differences between himself and his once brother,