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The clown's influence on the young residents of Welcome to Derry molds them long into adulthood, transforming them into the exact individuals who perpetuate the community's pattern of hatred alive. It preys most easily on kids from broken homes — children who often mature to replicate the same patterns as their parents. But, the Hanlon household distinguishes itself as a rare example of a households that remains intact, which may explain why Mike Hanlon, even after choosing to stay in the town, remains the only Loser who doesn't completely succumb under Pennywise's sway.

Hanlon Household's Unique Resistance

In the fourth installment of the series, Leroy at last grows increasingly conscious of the paranormal entities surrounding the community, particularly when the entity begins tormenting his son, Will, during their angling excursion. The Hanlon clan consists of some of the few adults who are aware that things are not right with the town, especially Leroy, who was shown to be receptive to the Shining when he was capable of sensing a fellow psychic's use of it in the third episode. Subsequently, Leroy sees one of Pennywise's signature inflated orbs outside his residence. This gift, coupled with his failure to feel fear, combined with the foundation of his household, may be why he's able to see the entity's manifestations. However, consider if that shining is generational, and a key factor Mike Hanlon is among the few adults in the town who didn't lose themselves to its cruelty?

Will is a member of the collective of children at his educational institution being terrorized by the clown. His classmates come from dysfunctional families, with parents who don't believe they're being targeted. The reason Will is being haunted is because of the viciousness of the community, paired with his potential sensitivity to shine, which renders him vulnerable. This family are ultimately outsiders in Derry during the early sixties, which lends itself towards the household sensing anomalies exist about the town from the beginning. They also have a good foundation that isn't fractured, unlike the residents who originate in the town, with bonds that have decayed within.

Historical Context

Based on the It novel, we know the juvenile Will will end up at the infamous nightclub, where the psychic will save him from a fire that the local KKK members of Derry will cause. In the 2017 film, we see that he has a son named Mike and that the father ultimately dies in a fire, with his father surviving his own child and taking his grandson in. The official story in the film is that the parents were on drugs, but given our current view of him in the series, that's hard to believe. Maybe the shy boy, once he became an adult, turned to drink to free himself of the torments, or perhaps the rotten environment affected him initially, with the hate group ultimately completing the job it started long before. Whether through the fear of the entity or through the cruelty of the town, seeded by It, the creature eventually achieves the final victory on Will.

The Father's Evolution

This chain of events would explain how Leroy changes so drastically from what we see in the first film and Welcome to Derry. In his older age, he appears bitter and much harsher with his discipline. Since he outlived his own offspring, it's comprehensible to see such a profound shift. Nonetheless, his statements hold greater significance since we are aware he's seen the clown's activities and the effects they had on his son. In the opening scene of It, we see Mike hesitate to use a stunning device on a animal at the family property. His grandfather chastises him for delaying and offers an analogy that leads to a survival-of-the-fittest scenario.

“There are two places 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 will be unaware it until you experience that bolt between your eyes.”

In hindsight, this could be a piece of prediction, a lesson he wishes he had told his own son. Perhaps he wishes he had acted differently in his youth, but for some reason, he couldn't resist the repellent attraction of Derry.