A young boy growing up expects and needs his father to be a best friend that he can approach throughout his formative years. In T. Coraghessan Boyle and Ernest Hemingway's short stories, "If the River Was Whiskey" and "Indian Camp," two young boys are shown with their desire to be close to their fathers. Throughout the stories, these young boys, Tiller and Nick, undergo a sort of coming of age as they begin to see the flaws of their fathers. Tiller realizes that his father is an alcoholic who has let his addiction take over and waste his life away. Nick, whose dad is a doctor, experiences first hand his father's prejudice towards his patient. As a result of their realizations, both boys become a little detached from their fathers.
The first similarity between the two boys is that both yearn to be close to their fathers. Tiller from "If the River Was Whiskey" wanted to have that close relationship with his father so much that he would go out of his way in order to please his dad or keep a conversation going. On the day that his father got fired, Tiller came home and heard his father playing his guitar, and Tiller "dropped his bookbag on the telephone stand. 'Hi Dad, 'he said" (Boyle 4). Greeting parents upon one's arrival at home is always a custom for everyone, and usually, their parents would greet them back. After greeting no response from his father, Tiller sat down on the sofa and continued to listen to the song until he was able to make out the lyrics. He sat there for half an hour until his father finally acknowledged his presence, calling him "ladykiller Tiller" (5). The nickname made Tiller blush and he went on to compliment his father, telling him "I really liked the song, Dad" (5). .
Tiller did not really have a liking for the song. He did not even understand what it meant. Upon hearing the compliment, Tiller's father offered him an open beer as if it was some prize for liking the song.