When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years. ―Mark Twain
As we honor the men who have given us life, and those who continue to sustain us regardless of bloodlines, it seems fitting to consider some of the best father figures in literature. After comparing a number of lists from the sources listed at the end of this post, here are 16 of the best dads captured on paper!
- To Kill a Mockingbird – Atticus Finch
- Pride and Prejudice – Mr. Bennett
- A Christmas Story – Bob Cratchit
- The Harry Potter Series – Arthur Weasley
- Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close – Thomas Schell
- Little House Series – Pa Ingalls
- The Road – The Man
- The Book Thief – Hans Hubermann
- Anne of Green Gables – Matthew Cuthbert
- Les Miserables – Jean Valjean
- Beezus and Ramona – Robert Quimby
- The Kite Runner – Rahim Kahn
- Danny The Champion of the World – William
- Great Expectations – Jo Gargery
- Man and Boy – Harry Silver
- Gone with the Wind – Gerald O’Hara
Of course, we can’t pretend that all fathers are winners. Here are some of the worst fathers in literature!
- The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn – Pap Finn
- Lolita – Humbert Humbert
- King Lear – King Lear
- Matilda – Mr. Wormwood
Do you agree with these lists? Who would you add? Do you have any memories of these characters? Comment to share your thoughts and whys and cheers to dads everywhere!
Lists we compared for this post:
- Huffington Post, Bustle, Write at Home, Publishers Weekly, Mental Floss, Books and Chocolate, BuzzFeed, Mom.me, Independent, Sabotage Times
