Pennywise's influence on the young residents of Welcome to Derry molds them throughout their adult lives, twisting them into the exact individuals who perpetuate the town's pattern of hatred ongoing. It finds easy targets on children from broken homes — youngsters who often mature to replicate the identical behaviors as their parents. However, the Hanlon family stands apart as one of the few households that remains intact, which may explain why Mike, even after choosing to stay in Derry, persists as the only Loser who never fully falls under the clown's influence.
Hanlon Household's Distinctive Resilience
In the fourth installment of the series, Leroy at last grows more aware of the paranormal entities enveloping the neighborhood, especially when the entity starts haunting his son, Will, during their angling excursion. The Hanlon clan consists of some of the few grown-ups who are cognizant that something is amiss with the municipality, especially Leroy, who was revealed to be receptive to the Shining when he was capable of sensing Dick Hallorann's employment of it in episode 3. Subsequently, Leroy spots one of Pennywise's signature balloons outside his residence. The ability, alongside his inability to feel fear, combined with the foundation of his household, could be why he's able to see Pennywise's hauntings. However, consider if that psychic sensitivity is hereditary, and one of the reasons Mike Hanlon is among the few individuals in Derry who didn't lose themselves to the town's malevolence?
Will is a member of the collective of kids at his educational institution being tormented by Pennywise. His classmates come from dysfunctional families, with parents who don't believe they're being targeted. The reason he is being haunted is due to the viciousness of the community, combined with his potential sensitivity to psychic abilities, which makes him susceptible. The Hanlons are fundamentally outsiders in the town during the early sixties, which contributes towards the household sensing anomalies exist about the town from the onset. They also have a solid base that remains unbroken, in contrast to the folks who come from the area, with relationships that have deteriorated internally.
Historical Context
Drawing from the It novel, we understand the young Will will end up at the infamous nightclub, where the psychic will save him from a blaze that the town bigots of the community will ignite. In the recent movie, we see that he has a boy named Mike and that Will eventually perishes in a fire, with Leroy outliving his own child and adopting his grandchild. 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 hard to believe. Perhaps the shy boy, once he became an adult, turned to alcohol to free himself of the torments, or perhaps the corrupt environment affected him first, with the hate group ultimately finishing the task it began long before. Whether through the fear of Pennywise or through the malice of the community, instigated by Pennywise, the creature eventually achieves the last laugh on Will.
The Father's Evolution
These occurrences would clarify how the elder Hanlon transforms so drastically from what we see in the first film and the prequel. In his older age, Leroy seems resentful and much stricter with his discipline. Because he survived his own son, it's understandable to see such a drastic change. Nonetheless, his words hold greater significance now that we know he's witnessed the clown's activities and the impacts they had on his son. In the opening scene of the movie, we see Mike hesitate to use a bolt gun on a sheep at Leroy's farm. Leroy chastises him for hesitating and offers an analogy that leads to a survival-of-the-fittest situation.
“You have two options you can be in this world. You can be out here like us, or you can be trapped inside,” Leroy states as he points to the creature. “You dawdle hemming and hawing, and someone is going to decide for you. But you won't know it until you experience that projectile between your eyes.”
Looking back, this could represent a piece of foreshadowing, a lesson he wishes he had told his own child. Maybe he wishes he had done something in his youth, but for some reason, he was unable to avoid the repellent allure of Derry.
