Themes and message

Relationship between adults and children

“The Splinter” by Ron Carlson revolves around Rick and the narrator, who have lost Amelia, Rick's mother and the narrator's wife. The author uses the incident of a splinter in Rick’s foot to show the many faces of adult-child relationships. 

At first, the narrator does not seem to know how to deal with Rick's splinter - just as he seems to have trouble dealing with Rick's grief over his mother's death. The narrator sometimes feels powerless in the face of Rick’s refusal to cooperate or his son’s pain. Rick also refuses help, probably also because he does not want to allow his father - or anyone else - to take on the role as caregiver, since that role probably belonged to his mother.

Veronica takes on the role of companion and listener...