Fathers In Fiction

Daddy Chill

Yes I’m extremely late this week, dear reader, but I’ve been preparing for (and celebrating) father’s day so I’ve been running around like my hair is on fire.

The very premise of the holiday had me thinking though: isn’t it odd the roles fathers play in fiction?

You’ve got your deadbeats in fiction, sure, but you also have plenty of role models. Hell, even a mentor can become a father figure, offering a stable source of guidance and wisdom mixed in with the occasionally bout of tough love or hard conversations.

My point is, a character’s relationship with their father is often as important as our own, especially the younger or (oddly enough) the older they get.

Children haven’t seen enough of the world to know what to do and are basically programmed to emulate those around them but there seems to be a golden age where characters (and people in general) are naïve enough to think they know everything yet energetic enough to test that theory. It is only when they age (or rather mature) that they come to realize that maybe dear old dad actually knew a thing or two and was trying to save some headaches for them down the way.

Generational trauma or having an abusive parent may be an excellent source of drama for your story but I’d argue a loving father could be just as impactful. Take for instance Tam al’Thor in the Wheel of Time. Tam is one loveable son of a bitch, dear reader, and watching Rand wig out when he thinks sweet papa is in danger because of him is both cathartic and heartwrenching.

Even when the character and their father are estranged the reconciliation between the two can often be the emotional lynchpin of the entire story (looking at you Field of Dreams).

I guess where I’m going with all this is that I consider love to be a stronger emotion than hate, and having a character fighting to protect their children or parents will always trip more triggers in our human psyche than watching another cliché play out where someone goes out for a pack of cigarettes and never comes back.

Give your stories drama, sure, but try not to do so unnecessarily.

Oh, and happy Father’s Day!

Until next time.