what is the theme of the book" That Was Then This Is Now"?

Question

by theme i mean lesson for example a theme of a kiddy book could be You need to work together. If you also know the inciting incident and the antagonist that would also be a big help.

Answer 1

Theme: Coming of Age

That Was Then, This Is Now is the story of Bryon Douglas's coming of age during his adolescence. When the story starts, Bryon is concerned only about himself and Mark.
Early in the story, however, he meets Cathy, M&M's sister, and falls in love with her. As they begin dating more, Bryon notes, "I had quit thinking only about myself." And when M&M runs away and Bryon comforts a crying Cathy, he realizes that "it was the first time I'd ever felt bad for anyone except Mark." Bryon also makes the transition from feeling that he can do whatever he wants to and get away with it to somebody who makes sacrifices and who understands that his actions have consequences. For example, in the beginning of the story, Bryon notes that he really needed a job, but that nobody would hire him. Charlie gives him a tip, saying that he should really look inside himself and he would see "the reason why you haven't gotten a job before now. . ."


"That Was Then, This Is Now is a novel by S. E. Hinton.It was later made into a film starring Emilio Estevez. The book (like Rumble Fish) takes place in the same universe as Hinton's first book The Outsiders. However, unlike Rumble Fish, which only hinted at a connection between the two books, in That Was Then, This Is Now the main character of The Outsiders, Ponyboy Curtis, is actually a minor character. He is often referred to as a sometimes rival of Bryon, the protagonist, and even makes a few cameo appearances in the events surrounding the dance. The characters of Tim and Curly Shepard from The Outsiders also appear, as does their sister Angela, who is original to That Was Then, This Is Now. Randy, who was in The Outsiders, also appears as a hippie in this book, which is appropriate to those who have read or seen The Outsiders, as Randy is an affluent kid who feels guilty about the class division and becomes repulsed by the violence, which was the background and beliefs of most hippies.
It is centered on the relationship between two best friends, Bryon and Mark, and how they begin to grow apart. Ever since Mark's parents shot each other in a drunken fight over who is Mark's real father, he has been living with Bryon Douglas, his best friend for as long as they can remember.
But now things are changing. Bryon is spending more time with his new girlfriend, Cathy Carlson, while Mark becomes more distant and isolates himself from Bryon while bringing in massive amounts of money. Bryon is also growing tired of the seemingly never ending street fights that plague their town, while Mark can't seem to live without them. When Cathy's brother, M&M who at this point Cathy thinks is smoking marijuana, runs away, Mark finds him in a free love commune under the influence of hippies. Bryon and Cathy find him there, take him to the hospital, and are able to talk to him, but M&M will never be the same again. Bryon then finds drugs under Mark's mattress, and discovers that Mark had been selling drugs to other young teenagers. Bryon is devastated and the only thing he can think about is M&M and while thinking about him, he decides to call the cops on Mark. This ruins both their lives and they are never the same again. At the end of the story, Mark is in jail for selling drugs and he and Bryon are not friends anymore. When Bryon visits Mark at the prison, Mark tells Bryon that he hates him. Bryon and Cathy just fall apart after what happened to Mark, (Cathy winds up going out with Ponyboy Curtis) Bryon just can't focus right, and M&M tells Bryon of the lasting effects the LSD had on him. Bryon is left miserable, wondering about everything that has happened but knowing nothing will ever be the same. At the end Mark states the famous quote that Bryon once told him - "that was then, this is now".
The book, itself an epilogue to The Outsiders, has a prologue of sorts in S.E. Hinton's book Tex, In which Mark appears as a hitchhiker, and Cathy is the protagonist's English teacher."

Answer 2

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RE:
what is the theme of the book" That Was Then This Is Now"?
by theme i mean lesson for example a theme of a kiddy book could be You need to work together. If you also know the inciting incident and the antagonist that would also be a big help.

Answer 3

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Answer 4

the theme is
life changes a lot as we go through it
things and even people back then will inevitablely change, even when we deny and wish they didn't
it is the unfortuate and realistic part of life that we all face eventually
at times it is hard to realize this change and all we try to do is vainly hold on to the past, of how it was like before, refusing to let go
and even when it hurts, the only way to break free from this intoxicating restaint of false hope and denial is to keep moving forward, and look to the future without looking back

Answer 5

How about the book Premonitions?

Answer 6

if you are asking this for homework, i suggest reading the book. only because s. e. hinton writes some gooood books. unfortunately i remember the outsiders more than this one