Themes: Gang Life
As Bryon grows and embraces his adult identity, Mark holds onto the gang lifestyle they once loved as children. Mark reflects, “It was great, we were a bunch of people makin’ up one big person, like we totaled up to somethin’ when we were together,” and adds, “it’s kinda sad, really, when you get to where you don’t need a gang.” Bryon tries to help Mark understand that it’s advantageous “when you know your own personality so you don’t need the one the gang makes for you,” but Mark remains sentimental, yearning for the days when “we were like brothers, not just you and me, but all of us together. We woulda died for each other then.”
Even though the gang isn't as tightly bonded as before, the violence in their surroundings still occasionally brings them together. For example, when someone attempts to attack Ponyboy Curtis with a bottle, Mark steps in, saying, “Hey, come on, man, fight fair,” and gets struck on the head with the bottle. Moreover, when Bryon is beaten by the Shepards, Mark immediately wants to strike back. This protective instinct extends to friends outside the gang as well. When Bryon and Mark face a beating from two Texans they’ve hustled, Charlie rescues them by threatening the attackers with “a sawed-off shotgun.” Even as the men shoot at Bryon, Mark, and Charlie, Charlie bravely “slammed both of us to the ground,” saving Bryon and Mark but losing his own life in the process.
Expert Q&A
True or False: In That Was Then, This Is Now, Bryon finds it hard to differentiate a greaser from a Soc?
True. Bryon finds it hard to differentiate a greaser from a Soc, as the distinctions between the two groups have blurred. While greasers used to come from poorer areas and Socs from wealthier parts, fashion trends in the 1960s led to both groups dressing similarly. Greasers wore their hair differently, and Socs adopted a "poor" look, spending money to appear less affluent. Despite appearances, social divisions still existed beneath the surface.
What did Bryon mean by "I was the hustler and Mark was the thief" in That Was Then, This Is Now?
Bryon refers to himself as "the hustler" and Mark as "the thief" to highlight their distinct roles in their youthful misdeeds. Bryon would lure in the targets, while Mark executed the criminal acts, indicating Bryon's lesser involvement in crime. This distinction underscores Bryon's relative moral awareness and potential for maturity, contrasting with Mark's deeper moral lapses and descent into criminality, such as drug dealing, revealing Mark's lack of a moral compass.
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