In That Was Then, This is Now by SE Hinton, Bryon matures throughout the novel and this influences his choices and actions in the absurd decisions that he takes, like reporting his "brother", Mark, to the police and into his relationship with Cathy. Bryon's "coming of age" lies in his analysis and recollection of everything he did as a teenager. However, other themes are influenced by this theme, such as maturity, alcohol and drugs. Unfortunately, Bryon will have to decide whether he will surround himself with people who give him a positive or negative influence. At the beginning of the novel, Bryon doesn't know what he wants to be when he grows up; he focuses only on the present. However, as the story progresses, he realizes that there is more to life than violence and drugs. At the end of the novel, Bryon is unsure whether he reached the correct verdicts. Bryon will have to make an important decision that symbolizes the beginning of his adulthood. Throughout the novel, the main theme of the story is Bryon's "coming of age" as he grows from twelve to seventeen years old. -old. Bryon remembers several past events when he was thirteen and later criticizes his actions. Bryon is learning on his own because his mother is busy with work and his father divorced his mother. Bryon is therefore forced to learn through the experiences he encounters on the street. Fortunately, Bryon's best friend Mark is in a similar situation since Bryon, his mother and father, both died in a shooting. Bryon's mother allows Mark to live with them, and this marks the beginning of their "brotherhood". At the beginning of the novel, Bryon and Mark do everything together; however, as the novel progresses... middle of paper ...... l when Angela's brother beats Bryon, at Terry Jones' house because Mark cut his hair while Bryon was in the car. When Mark arrives at Terry Jones's house, he finds Bryon lying on the steps and badly beaten. When Bryon sees Mark, he is quickly comforted by him and Mark informs him that he is going to get revenge on the Shepards. However, Bryon informs him not to provoke anything else as then they will be in endless conflict with each other. Mark is unable to understand what Bryon just said to him because it is very unorthodox of Bryon. Bryon remembers his confrontation with Mike and understands what he means by "forgiving them for what they did." (62) This is one of the rare moments when Bryon is mature enough to understand that violence is not the solution to everything. Works Cited Hinton, SE That Was Then, This Is Now. New York: Viking, 1971. Print.