How did the people of the town manage to ignore the pecan children for so long? Who in your community is most like the pecan children?

The pecan children, like Wyn and Neel, are marginalized outsiders in the town, overlooked by the residents and easy victims to dark forces. How did the people of the town manage to ignore them for so long? Who in your community is most like the pecan children?

It is easy to ignore something that may provoke guilt, but is out of sight. In my mind, they are the most like homeless people. We don't really want to see them, and think we should do something about it, but never really do.

Sad that the people ignored the children. I guess it was easy to say it is not my problem. If the children were hiding away some people were possibly not aware. In my town it is the homeless. Okay we do a some for them but not enough. I was a librarian and the homeless came in our library all year, cold winters and hot summers. Many places for them to eat but we need more housing.

The pecan children to me represented all those marginalized children who have no voice due to choices their parents or guardians have made, this to me was a heartbreaking turn in the novel.

I feel they thought if they ignored the children, they didn’t exist and it wasn’t a problem. It was very sad.

Sadly, human nature shows us that we often ignore what is difficult to admit to. The Pecan children, out of sight for the most part, remind me of the homeless people that most of us walk past every day, choosing to ignore. It's not because of cruelty but rather a feeling of helplessness.
In the book and in real life, libraries are often a refuge for the lost and lonely.

I agree with paggyann - the first thing I thought about when I read this question was those who are homeless in our community. We're kind of aware of them, but mostly ignore them and just hope they'll go away. And I agree that much of it is helplessness, but also a certain amount of simply not wanting to get involved with someone else's problems. We already feel so burdened, I think, that it's tough to step into a situation you know will be ugly. And then there's the fear factor - fear of the unknown, fear of others' reactions if you try to help them. (A homeless advocate in my city was recently talking to someone he was trying to get off the street when the dude suddenly stabbed him.)

The townsfolk didn’t seem to give much thought to the children living scary, hardscrabble lives in the forest. It’s not too hard to marginalize the poor, the homeless, the hungry or mentally ill in today’s society. Just don’t visit that part of town where these people gather. Many of us seem to believe these people wouldn’t be in such a predicament if they worked harder or were smarter. As a nation we do a very poor job taking care of our most vulnerable citizens.

"Out of sight, out of mind"
I think the characters in this book don't want to know there were children in the wilderness. "Ignorance is bliss." The people didn't have to become problem solvers and deal with the situation. The children were victims on many levels - The Hungry Man as well the others they simply chose to ignore them.

This attitude reminds me somewhat of homeless people we see on the streets. True, homelessness represents a serious problem in our society. Somehow, if we make rules that keep them moving around from city to city, we don't have to deal with solutions.

I think Peggyann pretty well answers the question of how so many people manage to ignore the pecan children. It is far too easy to ignore the homeless, even when they sit in front of us with a sign that indicates their need for help. So many people think that giving them money simply feeds an addiction and thus have an excuse to ignore their presence. Autumn and Lou are good representatives of how people who don't come from particularly good situations can live successful and fulfilling lives when given the opportunity. With their help, Wyn has a chance to "win" that successful and fulfilling life as well.

I agree with the others who referred to the homeless. My question though is that there must have been more pecan children that Theon didn’t get or who were adopted and escaped. An unanswered question for me.

I agree with many of the above, "outside, out of mind" That's how these townspeople handled the pecan children. And don't we also do that with your community homeless population? It's far too easy to donate your money and ignore the situation, even though you may be confronted by one in the local Target parking lot. Money is NOT the only answer, we as a nation need to make the homelessness a priority. Change some of our laws, but provide decent rehab programs, put a stop of incoming flux of drugs and simply become a "kind" nation to the less fortunate.

The townspeople knew the pecan children were there. They took them in early on ie Autumn and Lou. However the children tried to stay hidden - they feared the town and the people. I would say the homeless today are the closest to the pecan children.