He was, but it's still good to remember not to argue from fictional evidence. There must be plenty of real-world examples of what happens to young boys fending for themselves; for example, we could look at the Ik who reportedly do basically that with their kids:

Children are minimally cared for by their mothers until age three, and then are put out to fend for themselves. This separation is absolute. By age three they are expected to find their own food and shelter, and those that survive do provide for themselves. Children band into age-sets for protection, since adults will steal a child's food whenever possible. No food sharing occurs within an age-set. Groups of children will forage in agricultural fields, which scares off birds and baboons. This is often given as the reason for having children.