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Chapter 6
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
Bryon and Cathy return to her house to tell her parents about M&M’s disappearance. Mr. Carlson isn’t worried, assuring them that M&M is a sensible kid and is just going through a phase. When Bryon returns to the car, where Mark has been waiting, Mark says that the Carlsons shouldn’t be worried because nothing bad happens when you’re a kid. Mark says that he’ll never be afraid of anything as long as he’s a kid. Bryon is skeptical but agrees that Mark can get away with anything. Mark says that Bryon used to be able to get away with anything too, and Bryon feels like he is looking at Mark across a chasm.
Hinton uses the metaphor of the chasm to illustrate the emotional distance between Mark and Bryon. Mark asserts that he will never face negative consequences as long as he is a kid—a view which bolsters his resistance to growing up and taking on responsibility. But Bryon knows that even if Mark specifically escapes punishment, those around him still face consequences—a lesson that he learned after Charlie’s death.
Themes
M&M doesn’t come home for a week. Every day, Cathy and Bryon drive up and down the Ribbon to look for him, with no luck. Meanwhile, Bryon gets a job at a supermarket and keeps his attitude in check. Mark starts bringing in money too, but Bryon doesn’t ask him where he gets it. He figures that Mark is gambling at poker and stealing.
By getting a respectable, lawful job at the supermarket, Bryon shows that he has been able to humble himself and take on more responsibility. Additionally, he is putting the needs of Cathy and his mom over his own as an extension of the love he bears for them. He sacrifices some of his independence in order to earn money to cover his mother’s operation, and he also prioritizes looking for M&M in order to help Cathy.
Themes
A few weeks later, Bryon and Mark go out together, driving up and down the Ribbon like old times. They spot Angela and pull up next to her—she’s very drunk. She joins them in the car, sobbing as she relays that she hates her husband. Mark gets someone to buy some rum for them, which Bryon and Angela start drinking. Angela soon passes out on Bryon’s shoulder, and Mark pulls out a pair of scissors and starts cutting off all of her long hair. Bryon still hates Angela, and Curly and doesn’t stop Mark as he cuts off Angela’s hair. They drive home at three a.m. and dump Angela in her front yard without waking her up.
This is another example of how violence only breeds more violence, especially where revenge is concerned. Because Angela’s actions led to Mark getting 10 stitches in his head, he feels the need to get even with her. Even though getting Angela drunk and cutting off her hair doesn’t represent the same kind of physically harmful violence as hitting someone with a bottle, it is still a very violating and aggressive act that doesn’t solve anything.
Themes
Mark drives home, since Bryon is drunk. Bryon starts crying as he drunkenly rambles about Mike, frustrated that Mike got beat up because he cared about someone. Bryon wonders why that had to happen. Mark says that he doesn’t know, because nothing bad has ever happened to him. Bryon realizes that what Mark truly means is that nothing has affected him, and that Mark doesn’t really care about anyone except Bryon. Bryon realizes why everyone wants to be Mark’s friend: he can stand between them and the world, like a lion. Bryon says that Mark is his best friend and his brother.
Bryon’s thoughts illustrate that Mark is as selfish and untroubled as ever. It’s not that nothing bad has ever happened to him, it’s that he simply refuses to let it bother him and instead maintains his immature, cocky attitude. And unlike Bryon, Mark doesn’t seem to care about other people—even his bond with Bryon has been fraying. However, Bryon’s lion metaphor suggests that he is still focusing on the positive aspects of their relationship, choosing to view Mark as a protector rather than a dangerous predator.
Themes
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Bryon continues to cry, wishing he knew where M&M was. Mark promises that M&M is okay. Bryon is furious when he realizes that Mark knows where M&M is, explaining that Cathy has been really worried. Bryon then tells Mark that he wants to marry Cathy. The boys pull up to their house, and Bryon realizes that Mark didn’t drink any of the rum—he and Angela drank it all. As Mark drags Bryon into the house, Bryon thinks that they shouldn’t have cut Angela’s hair. Mark leads Bryon into their bedroom, takes off Bryon’s shoes, and tucks him into bed. Bryon drunkenly thanks Mark.
Although Bryon’s anger is softened by his drunkenness, and he feels grateful for Mark taking care of him, Bryon truly feels betrayed by Mark in this moment. This adds even more tension to their already fraught dynamic. By withholding information about M&M’s whereabouts, Mark has let Cathy and Bryon panic about M&M’s well-being.
Themes
Bryon then asks Mark why his father shot his mother—something he’s never asked before. Mark explains that it’s because she revealed that Mark wasn’t her husband’s son—that Mark was illegitimate. Bryon says that he’s glad that Mark came to live with them.
Mark’s explanation proves why his and Bryon’s brotherhood was and remains so important to him. From an early age, Mark was able to take refuge in his brotherly friendship with Bryon—it gave him both a roof over his head and emotional support after he lost his parents.
Themes
Bryon then starts talking about Charlie, again feeling guilty over his death. Mark says that they couldn’t have known what would happen, and that sometimes people get unlucky. He tells Bryon that he can’t go through life saying “if.” He says that trying to figure out why things happen is “what old people do,” and that then he won’t be able to get away with things. Mark says that he feels like Bryon is leaving him, because he used to have all the answers. Bryon drowsily says that he can’t help thinking about what might have been different, and soon he falls asleep.
Humility is a key part of coming of age, as Mark’s speech and reference to “old people” implies. Mark argues that self-assurance helps him get away with things and maintain the irresponsibility of childhood. Bryon, on the other hand, has acquired some humility: he knows that he doesn’t have all the answers. Rather than taking life as it comes, he has a more mature understanding of responsibility. He wrestles with how his choices have affected the lives of others, like Charlie.
Themes
