Celebrate Father’s Day With Eight Memorable Literary Dads

Anahita Padmanabhan ’18/ Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer

With Father’s Day approaching, we not only get to celebrate the real ones, we get to celebrate the ones who exist on paper. So here are some of the most memorable fathers from literature!

1. Atticus Finch from To Kill A Mockingbird

Raising two children as a single father, while still maintaining his career as a lawyer, Atticus remains a solid moral figure fighting for racial equality. Never backing down despite the hatred thrown at him and his family, Atticus teaches his two children what is right. Atticus chooses to live his life so that he can face his children and garner their respect. He serves as an inspiring figure to both his children, and even to readers.

2. Mr. Bennet from Pride and Prejudice

The father-daughter relationship between Mr. Bennet and his daughters are quite important. Father to five rather difficult girls, Mr. Bennet finds himself detaching himself from his family. And while he provides comedic relief through dry humor, the readers may lose respect for him as a father. At crucial moments Mr. Bennet seems to fail his family, such as indulging Lydia’s rash behavior. But throughout the story Mr. Bennet’s deep connection to Elizabeth proves to be a truly loving one. He shares her personality, and more importantly supports her in major decisions such as marrying Mr. Collins.

3. Arthur Weasley from The Harry Potter Series

Working in the Ministry, specifically in Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office, and was an advocate for equality for all magical people. He was also a member of the second Order of the Phoenix and fought Voldemort. Arthur lost a son (R.I.P. Fred) but through it all remained brave. But beyond his own family, Arthur served as a father figure for Harry and Hermione, always making them feel included, and took pride in their achievements as much as his own children.

4. King Lear from King Lear

Perhaps one of Shakespeare’s most famous fathers is King Lear. King Lear is a flawed man, valuing the surface and appearances over reality. From starting off as a vain individual, Lear manages to grow and realize his true insignificance in the grand scheme of things and learns to put Cordelia above all else. Not all dads are perfect, Lear shows how much parents can learn from their children

5. Harry Wormwood from Matilda

Roald Dahl’s Harry Wormwood may be on of the worst fathers in literature. As a dishonest businessman, Harry cheats his customers and scams them into buying his cars. But even worse than that is his treatment of Matilda. He constantly berates her and criticizes her, calling her stupid. His favoritism of Michael is unfair, and his attitude towards Matilda is deplorable. Not all fathers are good and deserve to be cherished as Harry Wormwood demonstrates.

6. Baba from The Kite Runner

Khaled Hosseini’s emotional story is created through complex characters such as Baba. Baba is always afraid that Amir will not have the courage to stand up for himself and for others, which is Baba’s biggest value. While Baba may have been increasingly more distant with Amir, he still cares for his son and tries to teach him to always do the right thing. In the final years of Baba’s life, he and Amir learn to be more open and Baba dies genuinely happy and proud of his son.

7. Jean Valjean from Les Miserables

While Jean Valjean may not be Cosette’s biological father, for all intents and purposes he is. He raises her and learns to how to love through her. After going to prison and getting a chance at redemption thanks to M. Myriel, Valjean gives Cosette an education, raises her to be a good person. He teaches her to love and to trust. Cosette’s devotion to her adoptive father demonstrates the stellar upbringing Valjean provided, and that’s what makes a dad more than biology.

8. Eddard Stark from A Song of Fire and Ice

Eddard is father to six children and has a fierce devotion to them and to his wife Catelyn. Eddard has a strong sense of honor and justice, something he tries to instill in his children. As Lord of Winterfell, Eddard has an abundance of responsibilities and shoulders all of it while raising his kids. While he may seem cold to others, his family and friends know his true sense of loyalty and find it difficult to dislike the man.

Some of these fathers are good and some are not, but each are just as unique as the fathers in real life, and each have influenced their children one way or another. So this Father’s Day we say thank you to all the fathers, fictional or not, who have made us into the people we are today.