Answer:
What can be inferred from this excerpt from "Look Homeward, Angel", written by Thomas Wolfe, and which was first published in 1929, is, that despite all the vices, failures and strange behaviors that the neighbors of Oliver Gant saw in him, they tended to him because they could see that there was more to him, an inherent goodness, something that he tried to hide deep inside, that was good, and which made him deserving to receive at least a bit of human compassion. This can be explained when we read certain portions of the excerpt, specifically when it says: "And always they handled him with tender care, feeling something strange and proud and glorious lost in that drunken ruin of Babel." This piece shows that the neighbors were able to glimpse something more, something beyond, what Oliver showed by being always aggressive, and drunk.
