Did Hally learn anything from Sam and Will?

Despite the difference in their ages, Sam, and to some extent Willie, served as brothers for Hally when he was a child. Now, Sam has stepped in as a father figure and mentor. He has seen the problems in Hally's relationship with his father and quietly taken it upon himself to teach the boy a better way of living. This is most clearly demonstrated in his description of the kite incident. While Hally saw the experience simply as a fun afternoon of play, Sam reveals that he built the kite in order to give Hally something to look up to and be proud of.

Parents teach their children by the example of their own lives and in this respect, too, Sam proves to be a better parent to Hally than his real mother and father. The example set by Hally's dad is one of drunkenness and hatred, passing along his bigotry in the form of racial jokes that the two share. His is a legacy of shame, while Sam, despite his race and his station in life, serves as an example of pride, hope and forgiveness. Like any good parent, he forgives Hally for his behavior toward him and uses the experience as a teaching opportunity.