The Derry Chronicles May Have Solved a Longstanding It Mystery
Pennywise's impact on the children of the Derry series molds them long into adulthood, twisting them into the very adults who perpetuate the town's pattern of hatred alive. It preys most easily on children from broken households — youngsters who frequently mature to repeat the same patterns as their guardians. But, the Hanlon family distinguishes itself as one of the few family unit that remains intact, which may explain why Mike Hanlon, even after choosing to stay in Derry, persists as the only Loser who doesn't completely succumb under the clown's influence.
The Hanlon Family's Distinctive Resistance
In the fourth installment of Welcome to Derry, Leroy at last grows increasingly conscious of the supernatural forces enveloping the neighborhood, especially when It begins tormenting his child, Will, during their fishing trip. The Hanlon family consists of some of the few adults who are aware that something is amiss with the town, notably Leroy, who was shown to be sensitive to psychic abilities when he was capable of sensing Dick Hallorann's employment of it in the third episode. Subsequently, he spots one of Pennywise's signature balloons outside his residence. The ability, alongside his failure to experience terror, combined with the base of his family, could be why he's capable of perceiving the entity's manifestations. However, consider if that shining is hereditary, and a key factor Mike Hanlon is among the few individuals in Derry who didn't lose themselves to the town's malevolence?
The boy is a member of the collective of children at his school being tormented by the clown. His classmates hail from broken homes, with caregivers who refuse to accept they're being haunted. The reason Will is being haunted is because of the cruelty of the town, combined with his potential sensitivity to psychic abilities, which renders him vulnerable. This family are ultimately strangers in Derry during 1962, which contributes towards the household sensing anomalies exist about the locality from the beginning. Additionally, they possess a good foundation that remains unbroken, unlike the residents who come from the area, with relationships that have deteriorated internally.
Historical Context
Based on the It novel, we understand the young Will will find himself at the infamous nightclub, where Hallorann will save him from a blaze that the local KKK members of Derry will ignite. In the recent film, we observe that he has a son named Mike and that the father eventually perishes in a fire, with his father outliving his own child and taking his grandson in. The public account in the motion picture is that the parents were on drugs, but given our current view of Will in Welcome to Derry, that's difficult to accept. Maybe the timid youth, once he became an adult, turned to alcohol to free himself of the hauntings, or maybe the corrupt environment got to him initially, with the hate group ultimately finishing the job it began long before. Be it via the fear of Pennywise or via the cruelty of the community, seeded by It, It eventually gets the last laugh on him.
The Father's Evolution
These occurrences would clarify how the elder Hanlon changes so radically from what we witness in It: Chapter 1 and Welcome to Derry. In his later years, Leroy appears resentful and much stricter with his discipline. Since he outlived his own son, it's understandable to observe such a profound shift. However, his statements hold greater significance since we are aware he's seen the clown's activities and the impacts they had on his child. In the opening scene of It, we see the boy hesitate to use a stunning device on a sheep at Leroy's farm. His grandfather reprimands him for hesitating and provides an analogy that leads to a survival-of-the-fittest situation.
“You have two options you can be in this existence. You can be out here like us, or you can be in there,” Leroy says as he gestures to the sheep. “You waste time hemming and hawing, and someone is going to make that choice. But you won't know it until you feel that projectile in your head.”
Looking back, this could be a bit of prediction, a lesson he wishes he had told his own son. Perhaps he wishes he had done something in his past, but for certain factors, he couldn't resist the repellent allure of the town.
