Is young Richard alone in his cravings? The answer is no. Even though the book doesn't tell us much about Richard's brother, he is always there whenever Richard commits a wrongful act. His brother observes and serves as a bystander when Richard sets the curtains on fire. When Richard tries to look for comfort, his brother had already tattled to their parents about the fire. His brother preys on Richard's wrongdoings and use it as a way to grab the attention of the adults in the house.
It is no surprise for a four year old to crave for attention. Without the food provider of the family (Richard's father), the mother has to work in difficult conditions and long hours to get barely enough to feed her children. Because of her long work hours, the children would most definitely be deprived of parental love and lacked attention from their parents. Using brutal methods, Richard's mother is trying to teach her two boys to survive in the society more independently. She is trying to tell them that there is no longer a father behind them protecting their backs. From this, Richard gets exposed to the society's influence at an early age. He wasn't certain of the consequences of the things he did. Craving for attention and curiosity, Richard always find himself in trouble.
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