Questions: Chapters 3 & 4

1-   In chapter 3, many different (sometimes little) events give us some insight about Mark and Bryon’s relationship.

Identify the elements that give us that insight on the boys’ relationship.

For each event that you list, explain what it says about their relationship.

When Bryon told Mark that he was dating Cathy, he remembered that Mark told him that Angela was  not a great girl, but Bryon hadn't pay any attention about that, that he wanted to prove things to himself instead of listening to Mark. I think that Bryon feels like he has to prove himself to Mark, because he doesn't accept that his friend knows things before him.  Mark seems to be someone Bryon can count on, because he could advice Bryon, and stay understanding  about Bryon's feelings.  Their relationship is based on complicity.  When Mark told Bryon about his jealousy  about Curtis, Bryon was quite laughing, because  Mark knows him pretty well.  Also, when Mark came with Charlie's car at Bryon's house, I could figure that there is a lot of humour in their relationship, they are irritating a bit each other, but it turns to funny stuff.  Bryon consider their friendship as being lucky to have each other, I think that's because of the simplicity of Mark.  When Cathy said how Mark was beautiful, Bryon was feeling mad.  Even if there seems to be competition between the two friends, Bryon consider friendship has the most important thing, he couldn't imagine to hate Mark.  This feeling about their friendship  was more represented at the end of the chapter, when Mark has been found beaten up in the parking. Bryon stayed with him and went to the hospital with him, before they came back home.  That shows they want to take care about each other, but also, that they are like real brothers, because  Mark doesn't have any family, but Bryon's place is the most important in his life.

2-   After reading chapter 4, explain the relevance and the meaning of the title of the book. Include two quotes from chapter 4 to illustrate your opinion.

The title of the book, That was then, this is now, means many things about the two characters, Mark and Bryon, and the story.  It represents a period of time that Mark and Bryon have to cross over, the time when they were kids.  Being teenagers, they are constantly changing, and the time they pass toguether with their gang, is not the same, they have to face up their own life, with their personnality.  They have to accept the fact that life is changing, now that they grew up, like Mark said '' Do you ever get the feeling that the whole thing is changin'? Like somethin' is coming to an end because somethin' else is beginning? '' (p. 68)  More further, I analysed in a complete different way that quote from Bryon '' It's kind of a good thing too, '' I said, '' when you know your own personality so you don't need the one the gang makes for you. '' (p. 69) I think it means that they will pay less attention about the ''difference'' which is a main theme of the novel.  If they build their own personnality, I think that they will see the gangs and the races differently, like being a part of life, and not a ''difference''.  That was then, this was now, could means that times are changing, I think It will represent the society that will change mind, and open her mind to the difference (the blacks), without going back, but face the truth, that before was someting, and now it's something new. 

Questions: Chapters 1 & 2

1-      In chapter 1, when Mark and Bryon save M&M from Curly Sheppard’s gang and afterwards want to beat up on another innocent by-stander, M&M says:

“You make me sick!  You just rescued me from some guys who were going to beat me up because I’m different from them, and now you’re going to beat up someone because he’s different from you.  You think I’m weird – well, you’re the weird ones.”

·         Discuss difference in Mark and Bryon’s world.  What does it mean and what does it cause? 

·         What does that event enable you to infer or predict about what will happen in the story? 

I think that for Mark and Bryon, the difference make people act negatively. They are fighting against people that are different from them, because everyone is doing it. I think the difference in Mark and Bryon World is based on the social classes, gangs and races.  They recued M&M because he is their friend, but they are going to fight against people even if their friend was the victim of a battle.  I imagine that they think the difference is bad, that the people that are not like you are even not good people, because of their appearance that seems maybe different, not like them.  I think that this event will make Mark, but mostly Bryon think about what they do.  Mark seems to be someone who cares less about people than Bryon (Bryon feels bad about stealing a little further in these chapters).  Maybe that what said M&M will influence Bryon about not beat other people and gang because they are different.

2-      In chapter 2, Mike’s story ends with the girl saying “kill the white bastard”.  Why do you think she said that? Explain from the context.

First, she said that to a man at her house, which seems violent, and manipulative. I think she wanted to protect herself, because this man saw her being in Mike’s car.  In the context of the story, the difference between people, and mostly races, separate the others, and create problems, mostly between the black and white people. I think that to stay at her house, she has to think like the others living with her, and be provocative against the white people. She prefers to «lie» and invent something negative about Mike to keep her place there, than to be fighting between the two men, because I think she is afraid, and for now, in the society she lives, it is «better» to stay with your gang, or your race.

3-      At the end of chapter 2, Mike says:

“I still don’t hate Negroes, least of all Connie.  I mean I can almost see why she did it. Almost.”

Mark later says about Mike:

“That is one stupid guy.  [… ] if anybody ever hurt me like that, I’d hate them for the rest of my life.”

What does that comment allow you to foreshadow about Mark?

I think that what Mark says allows to foreshadow that Mark is racist.  He thinks that because one person of different race beat you, you need to hate all people of this race. I think that into the society he lives, he thinks something which is normal for all, because there is something very important with the difference.  I think that Mike, which doesn’t hate all blacks even if the man beat him, has an advanced thinking compare to Mark and the major part of people.  Mark is more generalist, and that relates to his personality, of beating people that are different of you, like mentioned in the question one.  He is influence by the general idea his society shows.