Celebrate Fathers Day with Dads in literature

In celebration of Father's Day, we're looking at some iconic fathers in literature.

Who can forget Danny's father, William, in Roald Dahl's Danny the Champion of the World? In Danny's eyes, he is the most wonderful, marvellous man in the world – though it transpires he has some less-than-legal pastimes in which Danny becomes embroiled!

Or Harper Lee's Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird? Atticus is an upstanding lawyer who is moral and just. He does his best to pass on these values to his children, Jem and Scout, despite increasing challenges and local pressures. Students studying the Kumon English Programme encounter this classic novel when looking at essay structure in the later critique levels.

Immortalised in film by Robin Williams, Anne Fine's Madame Doubtfire (which features on the Kumon Recommended Reading List) sees a desperate dad disguise himself as a woman in order to be hired as a housekeeper by his estranged wife. This effort to spend more time with his precious children after a divorce leads to a story that is both hilarious and moving, as we see events draw towards the inevitable unveiling and subsequent fallout. It is a touching and humorous story about one father's desire to be closer to his children.

In Cormac McCarthy's post-apocalyptic The Road, an unnamed man does everything in his power to keep his son alive through all kinds of dangers. As bleak as its backdrop, this novel follows the journey of two characters in a world turned on its head. Neither character is given a name, and both face dangers that could require the ultimate sacrifice every day.

Finally, we would be remiss if we didn't mention Joe Gargery in Charles Dickens' Great Expectations. Although actually Pip's brother-in-law, he becomes a surrogate father to Pip and remains steadfast, honourable and kind. Even when faced with Pip's rejection, his love is unconditional.

So, we hope you get to celebrate your dads, fathers, daddies, papas and father figures this Father's Day because, in the words of Helen Thompson:

"Dads are stone skimmers, mud wallowers, water wallopers, ceiling swoopers, shoulder gallopers, upsy-downsy, over-and-through, round-and-about whoosers. Dads are smugglers and secret sharers."

And, well, because everyone deserves a thank you from time to time.