Question

They laughed at his wild excess of speech, of feeling, and of gesture. They were silent before the maniac fury of his sprees, which occurred almost punctually every two months, and lasted two or three days. They picked him foul and witless from the cobbles, and brought him home . . . . And always they handled him with tender care, feeling something strange and proud and glorious lost in [him]. . . . He was a stranger to them: no one—not even Eliza—ever called him by his first name. He was—and remained thereafter—"Mister" Gant. . . .
Based on this excerpt, what can be inferred about Oliver’s neighbors?

Answer 1

oliver's neighbors cared deeply for him, even though they didn't know him well

Answer 2

The correct answer is “They think he is a bit peculiar, yet they revere him”.

You can see this clearly in the passage: “they laughed at his wild excess of speech, of feeling and of gesture”… but you can see Oliver’s neighbors liked him “and always they handled him with tender care”