The workers are illiterate or simply don't care what the rules say.
The book explores the burden of having a choice and the tragedy of having none. The Cider House Rules
The rules were written by people who don't live in the cider house. The workers are illiterate or simply don't care
Dr. Wilbur Larch is a man of dualities. By day, he delivers babies for women who want them; by night, he performs "The Lord’s Work"—illegal abortions for women who don't. He views himself as a "saint of the unloved," providing a necessary mercy in a world governed by rigid, often cruel, laws. The Cider House Rules
