That Was Then, This Is Now

As the novel opens, Mark is Bryon’s best friend. While the two were raised as brothers in Bryon’s home for the last six years, Mark is highlighted as a foil character to Bryon when Charlie characterizes him as being honest in his speech but deceptive in his actions, while the opposite is true of Bryon. Smaller than Bryon, Mark is nevertheless just as strong, and his golden hair and eyes are frequently compared to those of a lion. Mark is also intelligent, but not in an academic way, as he struggles to read. His mother and her husband killed each other when Mark’s mother admitted that Mark’s biological father was an award-winning cowboy at a rodeo. Hinton occasionally characterizes Mark as a kind of cowboy as well, with his lawless inclinations and swagger. Indeed, Mark is an accomplished thief and later turns to drug dealing to increase his income with little thought for the consequences. Somehow, despite his frequently risky behavior, Mark manages to escape unscathed from almost every dangerous and immoral situation, at least until Bryon betrays him.

Mark differs from Bryon in that his traits and beliefs remain essentially constant throughout the novel, making him a static character. Mark’s stubborn resistance to change opens an ever-widening chasm between them as Bryon’s beliefs change to support moral and nonviolent behavior. Mark maintains his composure and carefree attitude even after Bryon turns him over to the police, but as it becomes clear to Mark that he can no longer get away with anything, he changes from the regal, protective friend he once was to become an “impatient, dangerous, caged lion” (157). The transformation suggests that, however long Mark might have been able to carry on as he had if Bryon had not intervened, there was a real risk that he would perhaps inevitably reach such a desperate point sooner or later; his potentially threatening self was present all along, just under the surface.

Cathy Carlson is Bryon’s love interest who becomes his girlfriend. As a member of a large family that includes her younger brother, M&M, she prioritizes her family above almost everything else. She is also intelligent, having recently returned from a private school, which she left after her family ran short of funds. Despite this setback, Cathy remains optimistic and takes a job in the hospital cafeteria, which is where she first encounters Bryon after returning from school. The two hit it off immediately, with Cathy’s good looks and sensible manner winning Bryon over, while she appreciates his thoughtfulness and sincerity.

Cathy serves as a foil character to Angela, Bryon’s previous girlfriend, and provides a competing influence on Bryon to that of Mark. Compared to Angela, Cathy is more academically successful but less “street smart.” Bryon is particularly struck by the contrast between Cathy’s home, “where everybody cared about each other and tried to act like decent people” (109), and Angela’s dysfunctional family. Similarly, Cathy’s influence leads Bryon to oppose violence and recreational drug use, setting her in opposition to Mark’s influence. The biggest change for Cathy comes near the end of the novel, when Bryon turns against her after his falling out with Mark; Cathy is deeply hurt and, although she begins to date someone else, Bryon remains her favorite, as M&M reveals. The dissolution of their relationship shows the shattering, lasting effect of Bryon’s guilt and confusion at turning in Mark.

M&M Carlson is Cathy’s younger brother and a friend of Bryon and Mark. Only 13 years old, he is notable for his kind and trusting manner; Bryon and Mark approach him on multiple occasions in the hopes of borrowing money. M&M’s interest in reading news, eating his favorite candies, and babysitting his younger siblings is matched only by his love for “hippie” culture. He is particularly passionate about promoting peace rather than war or violence of any kind, as his wearing of a peace symbol suggests.

M&M’s character development is tragic in nature. Due to misunderstanding and disagreement with his father, who is critical of M&M’s academic performance and “hippie-influenced” style choices, M&M leaves home for several days. By the time Bryon and Cathy track him down, it is too late: He has lasting damage from taking LSD. As a result of the frightening hallucinations he experiences, M&M is left a more suspicious and fearful person than he was before; his memory may also be negatively affected. M&M’s arc shows the risks posed by certain types of drug use, as well as the factors that can sometimes impair the relationship between parents and children. As such, M&M’s character is key in developing the theme of Risk Factors for and Consequences of Substance Use.

Charlie is the owner of a bar where Bryon and Mark like to hang out. Just 22 years old, Charlie has a reputation for being tough and is respected by gang members and police officers alike. As the older brother of a girl Bryon used to date, Charlie serves as something of a mentor and example to Bryon. Despite dropping out of high school and having an upbringing that Bryon describes as “even rougher” than his own, Charlie is highly intelligent, even well read, and runs a successful business. Bryon’s admiration for Charlie is mixed with some fear as well, as he wonders what Charlie would do if he failed to pay his bar tab on time. Bryon’s fear deepens when he learns that Charlie was released from draft duty due to his criminal record.

Ironically, Bryon should be afraid for Charlie instead of being afraid of him. When Charlie protects Bryon and Mark from some Texans whom they hustled, Charlie is killed. His death becomes a turning point for Bryon as well as a point of reflection for readers, illustrating as it does the potential and promise that can be wiped away in a moment of senseless violence.

Mike Chambers is a young man, about Bryon’s age, whom Bryon encounters when he visits his mother in the hospital. They only chat for a few minutes, with Mike sharing his experience that ended with him getting injured, but the encounter leaves a lasting impression on Bryon, He sees Mike’s painful experience as emblematic of a larger truth: that bad things sometimes happen even to people who are acting from the purest motives, just as Mike had been when he offered a ride to a Connie.

Uniquely within the novel, Mike’s experience also hints at the complex interactions between race, gender, and the threat of violence. His ultimately empathetic response to those who hurt him is ridiculed by both his father and by Mark, in connection with the repercussions and choices involved in The Vicious Cycle of Revenge, but Bryon finds merit in his views and even begins to adopt them as his own.