The Gift of a Memory

Everything the father did for the boy is evidence of his love for his son. Helping him pull out the splinter, minimizing the pain with a story, and the bestowing the splinter as a gift all manifest the father's affection. It seems as if the father's affection is sealed in time with the gift of the splinter. The boy couldn't remember the 'tale' but he remembered bits and pieces of what happened. For example, he remembered the story the father used to comfort him. I think that the physical gift of the splinter led to him remembering his father's affection during that time. Thus, the gift acts as an important symbol. It acts as a symbol of the father's love for the boy and the device that helps the boy remember his love. The affects of this gift is apparent with the boy as he later helps a girl with a splinter.
I similarly don't remember too many stories from my childhood. However, one common element in all of my fragmented memories are the feelings that I felt. Just as a scar acts as something I can see and touch, physical things helps me remember my experiences from the past. Likewise the boy uses his metal splinter to remember how he felt about his father.