Father’s Day 2023: Here are some of the most memorable fathers portrayed in literature

A first edition of Lee Harper`s book `To Kill a Mockingbird` with a dust-jacket designed by George Butler on display at Sotheby`s auction house in London in 2017. Photo: Daniel Leal-Olivas/AFP

In many TV and movie representations, fathers are mostly portrayed as someone busy reading the newspaper, worrying about bills, or asking for tea. While fathers may perform these activities in real life, they are capable of other important and meaningful gestures too. So, on the occasion of Father's Day this year, Mid-day.com brings you a list of the most interesting fathers from international and Indian fiction. The personalities of these paternal figures - with shades of courage, humour, seriousness, and affection - make them memorable:

Atticus Finch (To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee)
He is often remembered as one of literature's model fathers. Atticus Finch is a lawyer who is known for his ethical behaviour and honesty as a professional. A single father to six-year-old Scout and her older brother Jem, he always encouraged their curiosity about worldly things and exposed them to ideas about racial discrimination and injustice. Through his own courage and integrity, he displayed to his children the importance of standing up for what's right, even when that means going against the crowd. However, later in Lee's ‘Go Set A Watchman', readers understood that Finch was much more complicated than they ever expected. But, for this particular classic, he shall always be seen as one of the best fictional fathers.

Ashoke Ganguli (The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri)
He is a reserved, sensitive and loving man, who is devoted to his wife and two children - Gogol and Sonia. Extremely hardworking and committed to his work, Ashoke feels more comfortable in his skin in Kolkata but he wants to fit in and make the American life work, mostly for his children. Gogol has a hard time understanding his father because of his quiet nature and thinks of him as old-fashioned. Finally, when Ashoke opens up about one of the most tragic incidents from his past, that almost took his life, Gogol not only views his father in a new light, he also understands the reason behind his own quirky name (Ashoke was reading a book by Russian author Nikolai Gogol when the train accident takes place).

Mr Bennet (Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen)
Mr Bennet provides the perfect balance required in his family. He was ahead of his time. The father of five daughters understands the need for finding suitable matches for them but he is not desperate to marry them off due to societal pressure. While Mrs Bennet is busy trying to mould the girls in a manner which will get them wealthy suitors, Mr Bennet is quite sure that his children can be themselves and manage to find a partner. He encourages his second-born daughter Elizabeth to follow her heart. We need more fathers like him in real life.

Bob Cratchit (A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens)
It requires a large heart and gentle courage to be like Bob Cratchit. He struggles to keep his finances in check, but he never lets that worry overshadow the unconditional love he has for his family and friends. Though he is stuck in his thankless job for the bitter Ebenezer Scrooge, he always shows gratitude and concern towards his employer - and eventually succeeds in winning over Scrooge and his cold heart. Cratchit's embodiment of the "Christmas spirit" is a reminder to latch on to hope and make the most of what you have, no matter how difficult the circumstances get.

Baba (The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini)
Khaled Hosseini's enthralling novel is an emotional story of a father and son, set in war-torn Afghanistan. The character of Baba is one of the most realistic portrayals of a father figure in fiction. Baba, relate-ably, is flawed and he does not have a perfect relationship with his son Amir. While he is righteous and stands up for what he believes in, he is also battling an inner turmoil. An uncomfortable truth about Baba comes out towards the end of the book but that eventually helps him improve his relationship with Amir.

Kabuliwala (Kabuliwala by Rabindranath Tagore)
The main theme of this short story by Tagore is the love and affection shared by a father and daughter. The "Kabuliwala" - Rahamat - is a dry fruits seller who forms a filial bond with a young girl Mini in Kolkata. Mini reminds him of his own daughter in his home country Afghanistan. Due to unfortunate circumstances, Rahamat ends up in jail but he always remembers Mini. On the day he is released from jail, the first thing he does is visit Mini. Since it has been quite a few years, a grown-up Mini does not recognise him. It is not necessary that someone be biologically related to express love, and through Rahamat's fondness for Mini, this poignant story highlights the same.

Thomas Schell (Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer)

Losing a parent at an early age is one of the toughest situations a child can face. So, when nine-year-old Oskar loses his father in the terrorist attacks of 9/11, he's understandably heartbroken. His father Thomas Schell was one of the only people who understood Oskar's uniqueness and eccentricities. Thomas also encouraged his son's imagination and hunger for learning by creating various games and quests for him. Even though we get to know about Thomas only through Oskar's memories and during his exploration of New York City - in an attempt to complete one of their unfinished quests to get closure - the father's positive impact on the son is clear right from the beginning.

WT Srinivasan (Swami and Friends by RK Narayan)

Swami's father, WT Srinivasan, is a strict but dependable parent. A personification of tough love. Most of the time Swami fears his father yet Srinivasan is also his go-to person when he needs help. Like so many Indian parents, Swami's father's main concern is that his son study hard and guides him with homework. He tries to provide the right environment for Swami to study comfortably by building a study space within his own room. Even though the father tends to be hard on Swami, his love for his son outweighs his temper. He just wants his son to succeed and lead a happy life.

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