In Then Again, Maybe I Won't, Blume places significant importance on the setting in which the book takes place. She emphasizes the roles of society and family and how useful these two things are in a young adolescent's development and in finding out who they are and what their place is within these two settings. Because Blume is so upfront with the issues that face young people, her novels face some scrutiny and criticism. The issues Blume addresses in the novel play major roles in what critics think should and should not be censored in young adult literature. Alice Phoebe Naylor and Carol Wintercorn remark, "Blume's books reflect a general cultural concern with feelings about self and body, interpersonal relationships, and family problems." (Estes 33) Each of these concerns play out in the family and social settings of the book and why it is censored.
The social setting is of great importance to this novel. Tony's family comes into sudden affluence when his dad gets the royalties from his invention of electrical cartridges. Tony's family is ecstatic that they won't have to worry about money anymore. When explaining this to Tony, his dad says, "This means money Tony. It means we don't have to worry. Can you understand that?" (Blume 17) Having money and being financially stable is a major concern in our society. This is a concern of children and parents, alike. Before this, Tony's family had always struggled to make ends meet. Tony, like many other children in our society today, was simply excited by the fact that he would get a pair of new jeans for school. This is in stark contrast to those families whose economic situations allow for their children to receive several new articles of clothing to wear to school. Now he has to deal with his family's sudden affluence. When it is time to buy Christmas gifts, Tony's father says, "I"ll tell you one thing. This is going to be the first Christmas I've ever had where I don't have to worry about the bills.