“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 from you. You think I’m weird—well, you’re the weird ones.”

M&M’s comments to Bryon and Mark after they fend off his attackers but subsequently consider staging an attack of their own reveal the hypocrisy and contradictions at the heart of their carefree attitude. They don’t care about the consequences of their actions—until something happens to them or someone they care about. Notably, M&M and Bryon each think of the other as being “weird,” a social construct revealing the landscape over which cultural wars were being waged.

“I never have been able to accept authority. I don’t know why. I figure it was because of this cop—these two cops—who beat me up once when I was thirteen years old. […] I never forgot it. It didn’t stop me from drinking, but it sure ruined any respect I ever had for cops.”

Questioning authority is a hallmark of coming-of-age literature, and Bryon is no exception. The lingering effects of his encounter with the officers who beat him demonstrate that violence only breeds resentment. It takes a long time and opportunities for practice for Bryon to gradually accept that some respect for authority can be helpful, as when he seeks employment.

“I got the idea that she was fed up with getting walked all over by white people. I could see that. I get fed up with getting walked over by the fuzz, teachers, my old man, and the upper-class kids at school. So I could see that.”

Here, Mike describes Connie’s hurt and anger at the racist treatment she experienced in empathetic terms. His unwillingness to condemn Cathy demonstrates a maturity and wisdom that leave a lasting impression on Bryon, showing him the way forward toward breaking the chain of violence. At the same time, Mike’s injuries show that even the best intentions can’t prevent others from acting cruelly.