Top Ten Most Memorable Literary Fathers

In honour of Father’s Day, we thought we’d compile a list of our ten most memorable fathers from literature. Do you agree with our list? Let us know if you have any you think should be added!

1. Atticus Finch, To Kill a Mockingbird. The model father, Atticus Finch has moral fibre, is dignified, brave, loyal and kind.
2. Mr Bennet, Pride and Prejudice. A somewhat divisive choice, some see Mr Bennet as doting, generous and kind while others point to his deficiencies – in particular, his tendency to withdraw from important decisions. But we love him and he deserves this spot on the list.
3. Jean-Joachim Goriot, Père Goriot. A poignant, cautionary tale in overindulging your children, Goriot ends up in bankruptcy after giving everything he has to his selfish daughters to make them happy. Maybe his parenting style isn’t one to be emulated but we still love him.
4. Bob Cratchit, A Christmas Carol. Though treated harshly by most, Bob Cratchit remains humble, optimistic, honourable and loyal. His child-like sense of fun, dedication to family and bond with his children, in particular sickly Tiny Tim, is one that should be celebrated and, in our opinion, can’t be rivalled.
5. Arthur Weasley, Harry Potter. Arthur Weasley is certainly not the head of his household, but why on earth should that matter or have any bearing on his outstanding ability as a father? Fiercely loyal and protective, we’d give anything to be adopted by him!
6. Jean Valjean, Les Miserables. Valjean wasn’t Cosette’s biological father, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t deserve a spot on this list. After all, it takes far more than just fathering a child to be a real dad, as he proves time and again in his unwavering love and care towards Cosette.
7. Ned Stark, Game of Thrones. Falsely believed to have had an affair and fathered a bastard, Ned still raises his nephew Jon as his own to protect the child and his sister. While there are lots of things we wish Ned had never done (leaving Winterfell is the least of it), his love for his children cannot be denied or taken away.
8. Geppetto, Pinocchio. The lonely woodcarver who wished for a son got maybe more than he had bargained for when his wooden puppet came to life… Pinocchio makes countless mistakes, but the kind-hearted and moral Geppetto is always there to point his son back to the right path.
9. William, Danny, Champion of the World. After the death of his wife and Danny’s mother, William is left to raise Danny on his own, and what a job he does. They may never have wealth, but they have each other. And really – that’s all you need.
10. Captain Crewe, A Little Princess. Although he dies at the beginning of the story, we constantly see the values Captain Crewe instilled in his daughter Sara. She is abandoned after his death and forced to work as a scullery maid to earn her keep at the cruel Miss Minchin’s boarding school, but she gets through her hardships with kindness and grace, remembering always her father and the love and care he had always shown her unconditionally.