She accepts this as her due. They are not crazy and would not come after her, forcing her self-imposed illness which is keeping her isolated. Thus, the girl's growth and development in the story is influenced by Manny. He is the unknowing and unrecognized catalyst who triggers the change and sets in motion the maturing of this girl. Crazy Manny is also a product of the same deviant neighborhood.
Violence is a way of life.
Manny himself carries a hammer in his fatigues. The confused Manny is an easy target for this girl to practice her bullying. He tries to respond with violence, the only way he knows and sanctioned by all those around him. However, after he is injured in a fall from a roof, he is unable to retaliate in this way. He was almost forgotten by the narrator and the other neighbors who get on with their lives.