That Was Then, This Is Now

Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 1971

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-3

Chapters 4-7

Chapters 8-11

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

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Background

Authorial Context: S. E. Hinton

American author S. E. Hinton is best known for her debut novel, The Outsiders, which she wrote while she was in her teens. With its realistic depiction of teenage life as she knew it in Tulsa, Oklahoma during the 1960s, the novel became a bestseller and remains an important text within the young adult genre. That Was Then, This Is Now, Hinton’s second novel, shares several themes and a few characters with the earlier novel. Ponyboy Curtis, the protagonist of The Outsiders, briefly appears in That Was Then, This Is Now as does Randy, a wealthy young man who feels guilty about class divisions. Tim and Curly Shepherd likewise appear in both novels, while their sister Angela first appears in the second novel.

By including recurring characters in supporting roles, Hinton establishes continuity and connections between her works while allowing room for new perspectives. While The Outsiders centers on the tensions between rival social and economic classes—the greasers and the Socs—That Was Then, This Is Now centers on the fractured relationship between two people from similar backgrounds. It also reveals a slightly later timeframe, allowing Hinton to draw attention to subtle cultural and historical shifts, such as the wealthy students’ superficial friendship with the poorer students, as well as their painstaking efforts to dress like the poorer students, even at great expense. That Was Then also explores issues related to the rise of counterculture.

Hinton went on to write several other novels within the same continuity. Rumble Fish (1975) touches on themes of alienation and abandonment, mirroring Bryon’s distancing and disillusionment at the end of That Was Then, This Is Now. Tex (1979) adopts a rural setting to explore family bonds, ultimately reaffirming those bonds, in contrast with That Was Then. Tex also features Cathy Carlson as the protagonist’s English teacher, while Mark appears as a dangerous escaped convict later killed by police. Taming the Star Runner (1988) continues Hinton’s exploration of the teenage years as a critical period for identity formation, with the protagonist finding inspiration from an indomitable horse. Overall, Hinton’s work reveals her sensitivity and empathy for the challenges facing youthful readers, as well as her willingness to discuss difficult issues openly.

Historical Context: 1960s Counterculture

In the United States during the 1960s and 1970s, a movement arose described as “countercultural” in that it opposed the norms and establishments of the past. Many youths during this period questioned and rejected widely held beliefs of prior generations. Adherents of this movement, commonly known as “hippies,” opposed the Vietnam War, supported civil rights for people of color, and endorsed a laid-back, nonmaterialistic lifestyle; they came to have a reputation for experimentation with psychoactive drugs and engagement in casual sex. Particular styles in fashion and design, such as long hair, bell-bottom jeans, and psychedelic colors, became associated with counterculture ideological developments.

Within the novel, countercultural issues are explored primarily through the character of M&M. M&M wears a peace symbol and views Bryon and Mark’s propensity for violence negatively. Tension rises between M&M and his father, who criticizes M&M’s style choices and poor academic performance, notably ignoring M&M’s superior performance in English class. This association between the counterculture movement and poetry, literature, and the arts is echoed when Bryon, searching for M&M in the communal residence, stumbles across a group of people discussing a book.

While Hinton appears to applaud the countercultural movement for its peaceful outlook, she also critiques what she sees as some of its weaknesses, such as its implicit connection to dangerous substance use. Most of all, she suggests that the generational chasms between parents and children can only be addressed when parents take the time to appreciate and listen to their children, instead of dismissing their concerns, as M&M’s father does in the novel.