S. E. Hinton’S
Study Guide
That Was Then, This Is Now
Name: __________________________________ period: _______
Objectives:
 Relate title of book to theme of book
 Character study: trace the change in Mark from beginning to end of story
 Relate personal experiences of your life to similar experiences faced by Bryon, Mark, or
one of the other characters
 List basic survival needs of the average teenager; evaluate the presence of or lack of these
needs in the lives of the characters and how the characters are thus affected
 Increase comprehension of novel by learning new words and answering questions about
the story as you read. Answers may be abbreviated, note form
 Participate in class discussions
For each chapter do the following: work on new vocabulary, then read the chapter and answer
the discussion questions (during or after your reading). How to do vocabulary: read the sentence
and think about the meaning of the boldface word using the context clues. Then, look up the
definition and write it down. Highlight the words as you come across them in your reading.
Pre-reading discussion: What are the basic survival needs of teenagers? List them, and
explain why they are important.
Chapter 1 Vocabulary & Discussion Questions
1. Mark and me went down to the bar/pool hall about two or three blocks from where we lived
with the sole intention of making some money. _____________________________________
2. “Your’re right,” Mark said. “But I really sounded profound there for a minute, huh?”
___________________________________________________________________________
3. “Let’s go look for M&M,” Mark said abruptly and we left. __________________________
4. “Yeah, well, you’re on probation now for ‘borrowing,’ so I don’t think it’s such a great
idea,” I said. ________________________________________________________________
5. “Hey, flower child, turn around.” They were taunting him, but M&M just kept right on
moving. ____________________________________________________________________
6. The whole side of M&M’s face was bruised, but he gave us one of his rare, wistful grins.
___________________________________________________________________________
7. What is Bryon’s problem at the bar? How does he solve it?
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8. Where does Mark live, and why?
9. How does Bryon describe the relationship between him and Mark?
10. What ‘talent’ does Mark have, and what happened to him because of it?
11. How does M&M react when Mark says he wants to jump someone? What does this tell you
about the kind of person M&M is?
Chapter 2
1. As a result, I was putting on weight – I wasn’t in much danger of getting fat since it seemed
like I was growing an inch taller a week – and Mark was staying as slight and slender as ever.
___________________________________________________________________________
2. If there was a lame dog within three miles, she’d find it. ______________________________
3. I was five-ten at sixteen and still growing, but I went through my lanky period at fourteen and
I had a good build, of which I was proud. __________________________________________
4. “Well,” Mike began, “I always had this soft spot for chicks. I was always making like Sir
Galahad, opening doors for them and complimenting even the homely ones…”
___________________________________________________________________________
5. “The last time that happened, my brother busted a bottle over the guy’s head and got charged
with assault with a dangerous weapon.” __________________________________________
6. As we got into the elevator, Mark said, “I’m inclined to agree with his old man. That is one
stupid guy.” _________________________________________________________________
7. Where was Bryon’s mother, and why were the TV & car sold?
8. Who is Randy, and what does he tell the boys about?
9. Bryon says he has never been able to accept something. What is it? Why does he feel this
way?
10. Whom does Bryon’s mother ask him to visit? What does Bryon learn about this person?
11. What is Mark’s opinion of Mike? Who else has this opinion of Mike?
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Chapter 3
1. “You know good and well he’s not conceited. He can’t help it if he’s good-looking…”
___________________________________________________________________________
2. She was smiling with that sassy smirk, and I wondered why on earth I’d ever given a damn
about her. ___________________________________________________________________
3. Her face was contorted for a second, and she called me a few names and flounced off.
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
4. “Then the cops showed up. Right in the nick of time,” he added sarcastically.
___________________________________________________________________________
5. Charlie said Bryon was honest in most ways, except one. In what area was Bryon dishonest?
What was Bryon’s response to what Charlie said?
6. How did Bryon feel about Curtis, and why? What did Mark say the reason was?
7. How does M&M’s father treat him? Who shows the most concern for M&M?
8. What did Cathy say about Mark at the dance? How did Bryon react?
9. Describe the incident involving Mark, Angela, Ponyboy, and the other guy.
10. Take a moment to skim the chapter questions you’ve answered so far. Then, jot down words
and phrases that you would use to describe the two main characters.
Bryon
Mark
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Chapters 4 & 5
1. But Mark was always the hub of this circle of people, and I was always with Mark. ________
2. “We’ve had some good times, huh, Bryon?” Mark broke the silence. I guess we both had been
reminiscing. ________________________________________________________________
3. “That’s it!” Mark said excitedly, forgetting about his head and starting to sit up. He
remembered suddenly, because he yelped and lay back down with a rueful grin.
___________________________________________________________________________
4. I have a vague notion that the Left is Hippie and the Right is Hick, but I really don’t know
much else. __________________________________________________________________
5. “I happened to be standing around when the aforementioned incident occurred.”
___________________________________________________________________________
6. This was an invitation for me to buy her a soda, so I said obligingly, “Want a Coke?”
___________________________________________________________________________
7. “See ya ‘round, kids,” the Texans said as they sauntered out. _________________________
8. Two dark shapes stepped out of the alley next to Charlie’s and a voice drawled, “Step right
into the alley, kiddies.” ________________________________________________________
9. We couldn’t resist smirking a little as we walked past the Texans. Even in the dark I could
see the anger contorting their faces. ______________________________________________
10. What are some of the things Bryon and Mark reminisce about?
11. How did people at school feel about the fight?
12. Describe the incident with the principal’s car.
13. Describe, in order, what happened after Bryon & Mark hustled the two Texans.
14. Contrast the feelings Bryon and Mark had about the event with the Texans, and Charlie’s
death.
15. Bryon said Mark was acting strange. What was Mark doing?
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16. Review your Pre-reading list explanations of basic survival needs. Which of these do the
main characters have, and which are missing? What connections do you see between these
needs and the actions of the main characters?
Chapters 6 & 7
1. He watched me closely at first – I guess he couldn’t forget that by the time the police had
showed up at Charlie’s I had been hysterical. He didn’t have to worry. I went through the
whole trial clam, collected, numb, empty. _________________________________________
2. I didn’t feel glad or vengeful, or anything. I really hadn’t much cared whether or not they
even caught those guys. _______________________________________________________
3. I was puzzled. “So what?” She gave me an incredulous look. “So what? Have you smoked
it?” ________________________________________________________________________
4. Cathy was sitting next to me, Mark on her other side, and M&M was hanging out the window,
gravely watching people…” ____________________________________________
5. I realized right then that whatever chance Mark and Cathy had of becoming friends was gone.
I had already sensed in Cathy the same hostility toward Mark that he had for her.
___________________________________________________________________________
6. “Then why didn’t you ever tell him so?” Cathy sobbed irrationally. ____________________
7. One night…Mark and me went goofing around by ourselves again. It was almost as if we had
never felt a gulf between us, never been separated by something we couldn’t see.
___________________________________________________________________________
8. What happened to the Texans?
9. Why did Bryon not feel vengeful about Charlie’s death?
10. What did kids do along The Ribbon? What did M&M do while they were cruising The
Ribbon?
11. Where did Bryon get a job, and what did he change to keep it?
12. Describe, in order, what happened when Bryon & Mark met Angela. Tell why Mark did what
he did.
13. Bryon compares Mark to a lion. Explain the metaphor – what he means with this comparison.
14. How did Bryon find where M&M was?
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15. Retell the story Mark told about his parents.
16. Bryon told Mark he couldn’t help something. What was it? Have you ever felt this way?
Explain.
Chapters 8 & 9
1. My whole face was throbbing and I couldn’t open my eyes. They were swollen shut.
___________________________________________________________________________
2. “Brother, you look like you been through a meat grinder.” “That’s what it feels like, too,” I
said, even thought this witticism cost me more stabbing pains in my sides. _______________
3. Mom nearly had a fit when she saw me. She was well by then, back at her job. I almost gave
her a relapse. I had never been so messed up. ______________________________________
4. “Yeah. Mark says he’s seen him at this hippie commune-house.” Cathy looked shocked.
“One of those free-love places?” _________________________________________________
5. Where did Bryon & Mark go to look for M&M? Did they find him?
6. Find the question you answered from Chapter 2 that foreshadowed this event. Circle the
number and write foreshadowing next to it.
7. What did Bryon and Mark discuss when they left the place?
8. What happened to Bryon while he was waiting on the steps at Terry Jones’s house?
9. Did Bryon want revenge? Explain the moral change he’s going through. What chance
encounter earlier in the story helps explain this change?
10. Describe two different feelings Mark has about what happened to Bryon.
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11. Reread the middle of page 131 to end of first paragraph on 132. What does Mark mean when
he says he now worries “what if?”
12. How did Bryon and Mark feel at the beginning of the story about getting even? How does
each feel now?
13. What did Bryon do at the cemetery, and why do you think he did that?
14. Where did Bryon and Cathy go, and who did they find? Write what they did about it.
Chapters 10 & 11
1. “Bryon, you know what something like this would do to me with my record. Bryon, tell me
you’re lyin’.” Mark was pleading desperately. {define each word}
___________________________________________________________________________
2. Mark had a hearing, or a trial, or whatever – I never paid any attention to the formalities.
___________________________________________________________________________
3. “O.K.,” he said, but he looked half-scared, and his old expression of complete trust and intent
interest was gone entirely. He looked like a little kid – I had forgotten he was just a little kid.
___________________________________________________________________________
4. I seemed to have become a mixture of things I had picked up from Charlie, Mark, Cathy,
M&M, Mom, and even obscure people like Mike and the blonde hippie-chick and the
Shephards. __________________________________________________________________
5. Mr. Carlson tells Bryon he’s proud of him. Why is that so important to Bryon?
6. What did Bryon find when he looked for Mark’s cigarettes? What did he do after he found it?
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7. Consider Mrs. Douglas’ response to her son on page 151. If you were in her shoes, what
would you have told him? Be specific about the words you would have used.
8. What punishment does Mark receive? Why did the judge give him that punishment?
9. What does Mark mean when he says, “Like a friend once said to me, ‘That was then, and this
is now.’”?
a. What theme is implied by this saying?
b. What other themes are in this novel?
10. How does Bryon feel at the end of the story (page 159, final 2 paragraphs)? Explain.
11. Consider your answer for question #10 from Chapter 3. How have Bryon and Mark changed
since the beginning of the story?
Changes in Bryon
Changes in Mark
12. Which character(s) did you find something in common with, and why? Explain.
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