I think this is a good post Lynx but I think you miss the most important part of why Neelix is how he is vs. the rest of the Voyager crew. Neelix doesn't have the benefit of a proper education. Everyone on Voyager was raised in a society that is well educated and multi-cultural. Federation schools educate their students in many of the ways and cultures of the Federation. Neelix is denied all this because he didn't recieve a proper educated because his society was wiped out during the age he would have been in schools. Also the DQ is very segregated. Other cultures don't interact with others in the DQ due to fear or mistrust. He learned what he knows from "living on the street". He's a war orphan. The Voyager crew understands this and tolerate him in the hopes their influences will rub off on him, which over time it did. Neelix is a better educated and more socially rounded person by "Homestead".
I think we can agree that Neelix did have some problems.
And I can also agree that his background story doesn't justify that behavior.
Still, I think that Janeway and the crew felt sorry for him and that's why he got away with lot of things he caused.
It was very important for Neelix to contribute and be useful. While Kes quickly settled into her new life on the ship and started to work with the Hydroponics Bay and as The Doctor's assistant, Neelix with his obssesion to be important for the ship and crew had to come up with own ideas about how to be useful, hence his role as cook, Morale Officer, journalist and all that. That was probably a reason why Janeway let him go along with all his whims. Not to mention that it was easier for Janeway to have him in the galley or pretending to be Morale Officer than to have him pestering her with constant visits in her ready room with suggestions for missions he could take part in.
"Fair Trade" is a good example of Neelix being so scared that he couldn't contribute anymore so he had to participate in illegal schemes to get things for the ship and contribute.
Here we also have clear examples why Kes and Neelix broke up. Their lives started to go separate ways as soon as they became members of the crew. Kes obviously had a crush on Neelix who she saw as her hero who saved her from the Kazon. But after a while, she started to see his dark sides, the jealousy, his over-protection of her and his constant interference in all her doings. Tieran may have finally ended the relationship but as we can see in the later half of season 2 and in season 3, the relationship had more and less ended with the two of them living separate lives.
As for Neelix's attitude to Naomi Wildman (or Greskrendtregk as I often call her), there are those who label Neelix as a pedophile. But I don't think so. I think he used Naomi as an excuse to come close to Samantha Wildman. Now wouldn't they had been a nice couple?
Neelix behaves the way he does because he wasn't taught any better. He didn't have the benefit of a Federation Education. If Trek fans and sfdebris understood what its like to be alone, hungry and homeless, they'd understand the character much better and quit thinking of the homeless as annoying.
You're right in your statement. Being not so well educated and homeless was a reason that Neelix became the person he was.
Anyway, I must also state that I actually like the character, mostly because his intentions were good. He knew what it was to be alone and sad and he did his best to cheer up and support those who neded it. Even if he over-reacted many times, his intentions were good and I think that the other crew members respected and liked him for that.
