That Was Then, This Is Now Group

Question:

syarjrtg
syarjrtg
Student
High School - 9th Grade

In That Was Then, This Is Now, what was Mark's opinion of Mike? Who else had this opinion of Mike?

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Posted by syarjrtg on Thursday May 14, 2009 at 6:37 PM and tagged with bryon, mark, mike, that was then, this is now.

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  1. syarjrtg
    syarjrtg Student
    High School - 9th Grade

    Mark' opinion that he won't go to see Mike, and Bryon had this opinion too.

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    Posted by syarjrtg on Thursday May 14, 2009 at 6:39 PM

  2. bullgatortail
    bullgatortail Teacher
    High School - 12th Grade

    eNotes Editor

    Mike Chambers is the young gang member from a different neighborhood who is badly beaten by a group of black people. Mike stops to help a black girl who is being threatened by white teens and drives her home. But when he stops his car, he is accosted by her friends. When they ask her if he has hurt her, she nods and says, "Kill the bastard."

    Bryon is enthralled by the story and remarks, "That's a rotten thing to happen to anybody." Mark, who has already met Mike in the hospital and has gone to buy him comics, agrees. "It sure is," he says. But when the two friends leave the hospital room,

        As we got into the elevator Mark said, "I'm inclined to agree with his old man. That is one stupid guy."
        "You mean it?" I said. I had been thinking about Mike's story, and I could see his point about not hating the people who beat him up.
        "Yeah, I mean it. Man, if anybody ever hurt me like that I'd hate them for the rest of my life."
        I didn't think much about that statement then. But later I would--I still do. I think about it and think about it until I think I'm going crazy.

    Mark and Mike's father both agree that Mike is "dumb" not to hate the people responsible for his beating. This attitude plays a major part in the final scenes of the novel when Mark and Bryon part ways.

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/was-then/
    http://www.enotes.com/was-then/characters

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    Posted by bullgatortail on Saturday December 5, 2009 at 9:01 AM