The Lisbons haven’t reached out to their community for any sort of support or help. To the contrary, Mr. and Mrs. Lisbon seem to actively
avoid any sort of conversation with their neighbors about what happened with Cecilia. And yet, the neighboring fathers take it upon themselves to remove the fence that Cecilia fell on, assuming the Lisbons must want it gone. In some ways, this is a kind gesture that shows the local fathers’ eagerness to somehow support the Lisbons. In another sense, though, the entire effort to take down the fence simply underscores how desperate everyone in the neighborhood is to somehow
fix the situation—something that obviously can’t be done. The Lisbons haven’t even expressed a desire to take down the fence, but the neighbors still feel compelled to do so, perhaps as a way of feeling useful in a somewhat self-serving way, as if doing something ostensibly helpful will free them of the burden of having to dwell much longer on the tragedy.