Father’s Day is coming, and Xlibris Publishing wants to celebrate the holiday with Fictional Fathers, a blog entry where we talk about famous fathers in fiction. Fathers in literature come in all kinds, from the good and the caring, to the apathetic and the mad.
Atticus Finch
Atticus Finch of Lee Harper’s To Kill A Mockingbird, is widely regarded as one of the finest examples of fatherhood in fiction. Atticus proves his fatherly credentials both in how treats his own children and in the example he sets for his children. Father to Jeremy “Jem” Finch and Jean Louise “Scout” Finch, Atticus always holds himself to the same standard of speaking and conduct he strives to instil in his children. Not once, whether or not in his children’s presence does Atticus Finch lose himself to anger, crudeness, or cowardice, always acting and speaking with restraint, wisdom, and compassion. So long as they do not hurt themselves or others, Atticus lets his children make their own choices (such as in nicknames and dress), never stifling them.
Mr. Bennet
From the mind of Jane Austen comes the well-intentioned but flawed Mr. Bennet. In the novel Pride & Prejudice, Mr. Bennet is the father to five daughters, Jane, Elizabeth, Mary, Kitty, and Lydia. While charming to readers through his use of irony and sarcasm, Mr. Bennet is still a flawed character. He has largely divorced himself from his social and familial responsibilities, often retreating to his library or his study rather than face his problems. He does care for his daughters, and seeks to ensure they are married to suitors capable of properly supporting them at lifestyles they are accustomed to. Unfortunately, with the exception of his eldest daughters, Jane and Elizabeth, Mr. Bennet regards his daughters as silly, distancing himself from them, which might explain his young daughters’ ‘silliness.’
Jack Torrance
In Stephen King’s The Shining we see the tragic figure of Jack Torrance, father of Danny Torrance. Jack is an aspiring writer and a recovering alcoholic. This combined with his anger issues led to Jack accidentally breaking his son’s arm, costing him his position as a teacher. In an attempt to both inspire his stalled writing and improve his relationship with his wife and son, Jack takes a caretaker position at the fictional and secluded Overlook Hotel. Unfortunately, during his time at the hotel, spirits and beings haunting the Hotel torment Jack. They take advantage of Jack’s frustration and stress, from still being unable to write. The ghosts drive Jack insane until finally they possess him, sending him on a murderous rampage after his own wife and son.
Jean Valjean
Not all fathers are fathers by blood. One of the noblest fathers in fiction is a father purely by adoption. Jean Valjean is an escaped convict and former criminal, who had chosen to live a new life of kindness and service to the community. Despite being on the run from the law, he fulfils a promise he made to a deceased employee, to take in the employee’s now orphaned daughter and take care of her. What follows is a story of self-sacrifice born of fatherly love. Everything Jean Valjean does after finding Cosette, building a comfortable life for her, evading the law, saving the man she loves, is done for her. Ultimately Jean Valjean gives up being around Cosette for the sake of her happiness, even if it costs him the will to live.
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By Ian Smith