#TBT Post – Great Dads in Literature

I wrote this #ThrowBackThursday post for The Great Novelizing Adventure blog and it was originally published on June 15, 2014. 

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As today is the day we get to celebrate the great father figures in our lives, I thought I’d take a moment to pay homage to some of the fantastic literary dads that inspired, encouraged, and just made our favorite stories all the better for us having known them. As my dad was the one who instilled the love of reading in me, I dedicate this list of five great fictional dads to him.

Happy Father’s Day!

Arthur Weasley – The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling.Although he wasn’t Harry’s father, nor did he try to be Harry’s father, he played a very important supportive role. (He also taught us that not every great father figure has to be one’s actual father.) Arthur Weasley held a special place in his heart for Muggles and he taught his children that there were more important things in life than power or wealth. In an early confrontation with Lucius Malfoy where Lucius makes a disparaging remark about his family, Arthur states, “We have a very different idea of what disgraces the name of wizard, Malfoy.”

 

Clementine’s dad – CLEMENTINE by Sara Pennypacker.Clementine is such wildly beautiful character. She reminds me of my daughter in some ways, with maybe a few more visits to the principal’s office under her belt. And her dad knows just what to do when she comes home from school after a really bad day, so bad that she doesn’t even want to talk about it, because her best friend’s mom sent a note to school saying, “Watch out that my daughter isn’t left alone with Clementine”.

When her dad comes in and sees her still wearing her mad face, he hands over the keys to the service elevator because he knows the only thing that will make her feel better is riding the service elevator. When she comes back, she overhears her parents talking about the note. Her mom is upset because they are treating Clementine as if she is a common criminal. Her dad laughs and says, “Well, that is insulting. There is absolutely nothing common about Clementine!”

 

Ken Dietz – PLEASE IGNORE VERA DIETZ by A.S. King.Ken Dietz is a high school drop out, turned accountant, and a recovering alcoholic. He believes he can keep Vera from making his mistakes by being brutally honest with her and by making her earn her way through life, regardless of whether or not the brutal honesty of finding out her mother worked as a stripper before she abandoned her when she was twelve might be utterly devastating or that making her work 40 hours a week while going to school to earn her own way may leave her virtually no time to do her homework.

He devours self-help books trying to be the best dad he can be and when Vera fails, he thinks these are his failures. He doesn’t give up and he still pushes and is still with her through her darkest moments. “With Vera, I’m trying to find ways to teach her how to grow her own self-esteem. I’m not sure if it’s working, but it’s all I have. Because my father left when I was three, I have no idea what a father is supposed to do, so I’m winging it.”

 

Atticus Finch – TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD by Harper Lee.Atticus is the epitome of compassion, and courage. He teaches Scout and her brother Jem that they should not shoot mockingbirds with their air rifles because it’s a sin. Mockingbirds never harm other living creatures. He defends a black man accused of rape, even though he knows it won’t end well. He also discourages Scout from fighting with others to defend him because of backlash from the trial. He tells Jem, “I wanted you to see what real courage is. Instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin, and but begin anyway and you see it through no matter what.” He also teaches Scout that you can’t judge someone until you see from their point of view, “until you climb around in his skin and walk around in it.”

 

Eddard Stark – A GAME OF THRONES by George R.R. Martin.This character’s untimely demise sparks off a war and chaos of monumental portions, which speaks to his character’s regard, not just from his family, but those who followed him. Eddard Stark, the Lord of Winterfell, teaches his sons that to understand what it’s like to disperse justice, they must be the hand that directs the blow. “The man who passes the sentence should swing the sword.” When he is asked by the king to leave home and come to the capital to help run the entire country, he does his duty, against his heart. When he sees corruption, he speaks out and tries to address it. Although he is not without fault, he does seem to be the only one there with good intentions.

That’s that’s my list of five honorable fathers of literature. I know that’s just a starting place. I’m sure there are many more.

Can you name any of your favorites?