Perhaps the forcing of that life onto some is a cause of mental illness.
I think so too. I do think some social interaction is necessary... not a lot, but I think it can have a very positive effect not to be shunted. But I agree, so much dis-ease is coming from this rigid sort of box of how it's supposed to be.
What happened to him, do you remember?
The book ended on his living a "normal" life, with a menial job, a house (his mother's), and regular visits from social workers. He avoided everyone else. I got the feeling he was unhappy, and that his treatment was very wrong.