The clown's impact on the children of Welcome to Derry shapes them throughout their adult lives, twisting them into the very adults who keep the community's cycle of hatred alive. The creature finds easy targets on kids from fractured homes — youngsters who frequently grow up to repeat the identical behaviors as their guardians. However, the Hanlon family stands apart as one of the few households that remains intact, which could clarify why Mike, even after electing to remain in the town, remains the only Loser who never fully falls under the clown's influence.
Hanlon Household's Unique Resistance
In the fourth installment of the series, Leroy finally becomes more aware of the supernatural forces enveloping the community, especially when It begins tormenting his child, Will Hanlon, during their fishing trip. The Hanlon clan comprises some of the few grown-ups who are aware that things are not right with the town, notably the father, who was shown to be receptive to psychic abilities when he was capable of sensing a fellow psychic's employment of it in the third episode. Subsequently, he spots one of the clown's trademark inflated orbs outside his residence. The ability, coupled with his inability to experience terror, combined with the base of his family, may be why he's capable of perceiving Pennywise's hauntings. However, consider if that shining is generational, and one of the reasons Mike Hanlon is one of the only adults in the town who resisted succumbing to its cruelty?
The boy is a member of the collective of children at his school being tormented by the clown. His classmates come from dysfunctional families, with parents who refuse to accept they're being targeted. The reason Will is being pursued is because of the cruelty of the town, combined with his likely receptiveness to psychic abilities, which makes him susceptible. The Hanlons are ultimately outsiders in Derry during the early sixties, which lends itself towards the household feeling anomalies exist about the town from the onset. They also have a solid base that remains unbroken, in contrast to the folks who originate in the area, with relationships that have deteriorated within.
Historical Context
Drawing from the It novel, we know the juvenile Will Hanlon will find himself at the infamous nightclub, where Hallorann will save him from a blaze that the local KKK members of the community will ignite. In the 2017 movie, we see that Will has a son named Mike and that Will ultimately dies in a fire, with his father outliving his own child and taking his grandson in. The public account in the film is that Mike's parents were on substances, but now that we see Will in Welcome to Derry, that's hard to believe. Maybe the shy boy, once he became an adult, turned to alcohol to free himself of the torments, or perhaps the corrupt town got to him first, with the hate group ultimately completing the task it started years ago. Whether through the fear of the entity or through the malice of the community, seeded by It, It in the end achieves the final victory on Will.
Leroy's Transformation
These occurrences would explain how the elder Hanlon transforms so drastically from what we witness in the first film and the prequel. In his older age, Leroy seems resentful and much harsher with his parenting. Because he outlived his own son, it's understandable to observe such a drastic change. However, his statements carry more weight since we are aware he's witnessed Pennywise's hauntings and the effects they wrought upon his son. In the initial sequence of It, we observe Mike pause to use a stunning device on a sheep at the family property. Leroy reprimands him for delaying and offers an metaphor that leads to a kill-or-be-killed situation.
“You have two options you can be in this existence. You can be out here like we are, or you can be trapped inside,” Leroy says as he points to the sheep. “You waste time hemming and hawing, and someone is going to decide for you. Except you will be unaware it until you experience that projectile in your head.”
In hindsight, this could be a piece of foreshadowing, something he regrets not imparting to his own child. Perhaps he wishes he had done something in his past, but for some reason, he was unable to avoid the repellent allure of Derry.
