Maybe it's because I am a mom... or maybe because I was incredibly blessed with a dad who wanted to be part of my daily life... or something... but I am very aware how often the dads in our society are portrayed horribly. Dad's are the backbone to the family - they help it function in ways no one understands until they aren't there. And yet TV and movies tend to give them the short end of the stick when it comes to roles and lines. I'm just not a fan.
So of course I pay attention to the dads that show up in literature! How they influence their kids, their families... I love authors who take the time to craft father-life figures into stories where characters don't have a dad...
And to be honest, there are many failures on this. Maybe because society hasn't been helping men to become dads - we're too focused on building up women to be strong and independent... I'm not sure what the problem is... but we need to be aware of it.
If like me, you want to see more strong men, stepping up to be loving fathers in your books, here's a list of some of the great dads in literature from a wide selection of genres and books!
10 Fabulous Fictional Dads
- Atticus Finch - To Kill a Mocking Bird Alright, I had to... this book might be as popular as it once was, but I truly believe everyone should read it, if not own it. Atticus is a great father, sure he works a ton, and maybe he makes mistakes. But he loves his family and wants to be honorable.
- Arthur Weasley - Harry Potter Series Serioulsy, the Weasleys are such a great example of a family that is loyal and loving. He might not be the strongest father even in literature, but he's there, he cares, and clearly his role is essential to the family.
- Mr Archeron - A Court of Wings and Ruin Alright... if you haven't finished A Court of Wings and Ruin you will not agree with me... because for the majority of the three books he seems like a horrible dad... but you know, people change... hope this doesn't spoil it for you
- Jared Adams - Defiance Have you read this series by CJ Redwine? I am just through the second book and am in love... Jared Adams is the father of the main character, and what a great influence he is on her!
- Jean Valjean - Les Miserables Alright, let's go back to a classic... do I need to explain this one?
- Mr Henry Brown - Paddington Bear Who else didn't love Paddington Bear growing up???
- Elrond - The Lord of the Rings So I'm not sure on this one completely... but Elrond does make all of his decisions because he loves his daughter... and sometimes that can be seen as acting rashly...
- Matthew Cuthbert - Anne of Green Gables Matthew isn't the typical father at all... I mean he wanted a boy to help him with the farm... but then he buys Anne puff sleeves... honestly... we need more Matthew's in the world.
- Gilbert Blythe - Anne of Ingleside And because Anne is my favorite series... I cannot make a list with Gilbert! He adores Anne... and that love clearly spreads over his children as the books follow their family.
- Bob Cratchit -A Christmas Carol Again... this is probably a gimme... but look at the sacrifice this man makes in order to support his family. And he's gracious and kind through it all.
Call out to hosts
Thank you, The Broke & the Bookish for this fun weekly prompt and chance to interact with the Bookish Blogger community.
8 coment�rios
What a cute idea to celebrate literary fathers! Love this post!
ReplyDeleteAW thank you... I can't take all the credit - top ten tuesdays is super fun!
DeleteAtticus Finch, my all time favorite! You're so right, Marissa; fathers are portrayed in the worst ways today. I'm not a fan of those shows either.
ReplyDeleteI wish it wasn't the case... I'm glad I was able to put some modern and new release books on this list, but it shouldn't have been this hard to come up with 10 good fathers in fiction
DeleteSome really good picks on this list! I'm with you - I think Dads are amazing and don't get enough credit!
ReplyDeleteThanks Sarah - I'm glad to hear from people who think dads need more credit ;)
DeleteThis is perfect for fathers day. Jealous I didn't think of this! <3
ReplyDeletehehe I can't really take credit for thinking of it... but it was fun! Thanks for stopping by Celeste
DeleteI love comments!!
Let me know what you thought of this one... don't forget to share your blog link so I can stop by!