Outsiders and That was then, This is Now have many similarities in their storyline, rather than only the same author, S.E. Hinton. Teal makes a great notice that the character, Ponyboy Curtis was present in both the Ousiders and That was then, This is now. In the Outsiders, Ponyboy Curtis was the main protagonist, while for That was then, This is now he played the friend of Mark and the desire of Angelina. I didn’t tend to notice that similarity. S.E. Hinton uses the characters from her earlier book to help bring out the message.
Teal also mentions the effect that killing leaves on youngsters: portrayed in both books. Killing of a friends (Charlie) and enemy’s (Bob) caused a significant impact on both the main characters. Bryon witnessed the killing of a friend, and bar owner, Charlie and this event changed his perspective of fighting and killing.
Mark wasn’t that bothered about it because he has seen this kind of ending many times, but it bothered Bryon. Later on in the book, Bryon stops Mark from beating up Angelina’s brother, as reprise for wounding Bryon badly. On the other side, Johnny (friend of Ponyboy) kills Bob to save Ponyboy. Even though, the blame was of Bob, Ponyboy’s behavior changed afterwards. Killings of friends or enemy’s leave a negative effect on youngsters. People that witness a killing, often move away from fighting. Their view on fights as a game moves away.
Teal makes great connections between the Outsiders and That was Then, This is Now. S.E. Hinton shows the difficulties that occur in the lives of gang members in these books. I would like to add onto the list of similarities. Another similarity between these two books is the theme of brotherhood. In Outsiders, two people that were as close as brothers were Johnny and Ponyboy. Johnny lost his life due to saving the life of Ponyboy. Their relationship shattered at the end of the story and left Ponyboy shocked. Similarly, in That was then, This is Now, Mark and Bryon are friends, but treat each other as brothers. Bryon turns Mark into the police for selling drugs. This was the right decision, but this step broke strong connection between these two characters. The relationships were lost at the end of both books.
Friendship between the character in both books can be described in a quote “A man’s growth is seen in the successive choirs of his friends” (Emerson, Ralph Waldo). Bryon and Mark, and Ponyboy and Johnny grew with the support of one another.
Emerson, Ralph Waldo. “Friendship Quotes.” Brainyquote.com. BookRages Media Network, n.d. Web. 7 Jan. 2012. .
