Chapters #3-4

Chapters 3 and 4 – Questions 4 and 5

1-    In chapter 3, many different (sometimes little) events give us some insight about Mark and Bryon’s relationship.
Identify the elements that give us that insight on the boys’ relationship.
For each event that you list, explain what it says about their relationship.

        i.            Mark knows Bryon cares about his appearance and the way he dresses. He knows there is a dance coming so he gave a blue shirt, to the right size to Bryon. For a matter of fact, they both know blue is the color that fits well Bryon. Bryon is pleased. He doesn’t know if Mark stole it or bought it but it doesn’t matter, the point is that Mark brought it for him. It shows how connected they are: Mark definitely knows that Bryon will be happy and touched. Moreover,

      ii.             “-Listen Bryon, […] when we get there, at the hospital, stay with me O.K? […] -I’m not taking this trip for a ride, I said.” (p.60) 

            Obviously, Bryon is loyal to Mark and won’t abandon him. Moreover, Mark needs Bryon’s company and he is not shy to ask him to stay with him at the hospital. They are really like brothers; they take care of each other no matter what. Considering that they were at their dance, Bryon didn’t matter to leave with Mark without telling Cathy (his date).

  

2-   After reading chapter 4, explain the relevance and the meaning of the title of the book. Include two quotes from chapter 4 to illustrate your opinion.

“Do you ever get the feeling that the whole thing is changing? Like somethin’ is coming to an end because somethin’ else is beginning? ” (p.68)

“-But there’s a difference. I wonder what the difference is? […] “-The difference is, “I said evenly, “That was then, this is now”.” (p.69)

That was then, this is now: it explains well how things changes.  As we are getting older, we grow apart our friends and our gang to define ourselves.  In a certain way the past is over and we can’t change it but our action in the present represents well who we are. When we change, we don’t see things like we used to.  Mark and Bryon used to have a lot of fun with their gang. They were so close that they would do anything for each other. But time is flying and there comradeship changed. They are not as closed as they used to be with their friends. They don’t need each other as much as before to make who they are.

Chapters #1-2

1-      In chapter 1, when Mark and Bryon save M&M from Curly Sheppard’s gang and afterwards want to beat up on another innocent by-stander, M&M says:

“You make me sick!  You just rescued me from some guys who were going to beat me up because I’m different from them, and now you’re going to beat up someone because he’s different form you.  You think I’m weird – well, you’re the weird ones.”

· Discuss difference in Mark and Bryon’s world.  What does it mean and what does it cause? 

·      What does that event enable you to infer or predict about what will happen in the story? 

              In Mark and Bryon’s world, difference means danger. Unfortunately when you are different, you get beat up by some gangs. They have been raised in a certain way and to be different means they will get involuntarily into trouble. In the first chapter, M&M was confronted by a gang. This poor little boy was different and Curly Sheppard’s gang felt the need to beat him up. It doesn’t make any sense to me, why should we beat up somebody different than us? I predict than later on, in the book, somebody who seems different than the others will obviously be beaten up, even if he is innocent.

2-      In chapter 2, Mike’s story ends with the girl saying “kill the white bastard”.  Why do you think she said that?  Explain from the context.

            I think the girl said that to protect herself. She had cried earlier and we could still notice it. She probably did not want to explain to all her neighbourhood her story. It was easy for her to blame Mike, he was a white kid and he had given her a ride. She knew her story would make sense because it was suspicious that a guy, different than her, was kind and enough generous to take her back home safely.

3-      At the end of chapter 2, Mike says:

“I still don’t hate Negroes, least of all Connie.  I mean I can almost see why she did it. Almost.”

Mark later says about Mike:

“That is one stupid guy.  [… ] if anybody ever hurt me like that, I’d hate them for the rest of my life.”

What does that comment allow you to foreshadow about Mark?

          I think Mark will be confronted to a situation where maybe he will be the different guy that will be beaten up. He thinks Mike is stupid to forgive somebody that almost killed him. I believe that Mark doesn’t understand Mike’s position because he has never been in any circumstance similar. Bryon statement of the end of chapter two makes me predict that Mark will get beaten up by somebody and will never forgive his attackers. Maybe it will be a close friend or even Bryon that accidently will hurt him.