Over in the Forums we’ve been talking about bad/absentee parents in young adult literature, and yet not all of the characters out there in literature would make terrible parents.
Right?
So. Who in literature would you choose to be your parents?
Take your writing to the next level!
Get a free course on writing and selling the book of your dreams.
I'm impressed by how many chose the Weasleys! My choice, Father-Merlin–lots to learn and for Mother-Tilo or the Mistress of Spices–gentle, caring, and magically practical.
I agree with everyone who said Mr. And Mrs. Weasley from the HARRY POTTER books – awesome parents! Also, for her never-ending love and fierce support of her children, the Mom in THE PARTICULAR SADNESS OF LEMON CAKE. And, as Patty Blount said, the man from THE ROAD – wow, such love and protectiveness for his little boy! And I’ve always thought that Gandalf was an absolutely awesome father figure in THE LORD OF THE RINGS.
Either the Weasleys or, call me crazy, Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange. I mean, come on. Slytherins ftw.
I'm thinking Charles and Caroline Ingalls from the Laura Ingalls Wilder books – or Margaret and Robin March (Marmee and Father) from Little Women.
Peter and Harriet Wimsey, from Sayers. Harriet writes, Peter has money, both of them believe in discipline but also in treating children as people. They had three sons–I'm not sure what they'd do with a daughter. Downside: growing up during WWII, in England. I'd take the risk, though, to have parents who were adults.
Doggone! Both my answers have been taken, but they bear repeating: Laura Ingalls Wilder's parents – Charles and Caroline Wilders.
And, of course, how can we NOT say Atticus Finch.
Ma and Pa Joad
I might have to go with Ender, Peter and Valentine Wiggin's parents from Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game series and spin-offs.
Their kids thought they were clueless to the fact that they were taking over the world, but really, there were wise to them the whole time.
Like kids that brilliant had idiots for parents.
Who wouldn't want to live with the Weasleys? I mean, honestly.
I like many of the above. The Weasley's would be fun, and I immediately thought of Atticus Finch as well.
As many of the interesting direct answers have been taken, I'm curious, if anyone's interested in tangenting slightly: what might the following have been like as parents:
a) Margaret and Francis Macomber from Hemmingway's "The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber.
b) Holden Caulfield.
c) Jay Gatsby
Just a thought for discussion if anyone's interested. Great question above and great answers!
Off the top of my head, I thought of a grown up Meg Murray and Calvin O'Keefe from "Wrinkle in Time" would make great parents. Gilbert Blythe and Anne of Green Gables too.
OK. Here's a mother figure for you. Mrs. Frisby, from Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. What a mom! She faced her worst fears to save her son, and had "courage of the heart" to save her entire family. OK. OK. So she's a mouse. But still, a great mother figure!
Albus Dumbledore's not a bad father figure.
Mira, thanks for the tip. Harry Potter is soon on my to-read list.
The Red Angel: I'm still mad that Jo wouldn't marry Laurie , and I'm mad at Laurie for marrying Amy instead.
abc, I think you should seriously consider the Cullens. They meet virtually all of your criteria. And even though they don't eat, they do seem to enjoy learning to cook, so you'd be in good shape as long as you didn't tag along on their hunting trips. 😉
Defintely Vicki's parents from Madeline L'Engle's series about the Austin family.
Ma and Pa Ingalls,
although it would be cool to be protected by and learn the force from Yoda. 🙂
The Murrys from Madeline L'Engle's Time–is it a Time Quartet or a Time Quintet by now? They're brilliant, they're loving toward their children, they accept all the considerable weirdness their kids get into, they value individuality, they have a great family life, and they're crazy about each other. Not to mention that they study time travel and travel to other planets. And that having them as parents would mean having the best big sister and baby brother in the history of ever.
Tough assignment. You know, all good parents are alike; each set of bad parents is bad in their own way.
Wait a minute … I might have just broken my writer's block! … gotta go …
Anyone but the mother from any of Jodi Picoult's books!
The Bennetts
I liked Rosa's dad in "The Tarot Reader's Daughter". He is cool, and has a sense of homour. About the mom, I am not so sure.
-BrownEyed
Without doubt Mr. & Mrs. Weasley!!
Lily and James Potter, alive and totally radical.
Molly and Arthur Weasley, of course! Look at the color of my hair! 🙂
The Weasleys. Without question.
Mr Wormold, Our Man in Havana, father of Milly. He hates to oppose his daughter, so it's easy to run rings around him. 😉
The Weasleys! I love love love the Weasleys. Absolutely no question. My kids know the surest way to my heart (or to get around me if they've got something up their collective sleeves) is to tell me how much I remind them of Molly. That's the greatest compliment I've ever had as a mom (even when I know it's just 'cuz they want something, LOL.)
Barring Arthur & Molly, I have to agree with Anne Seebaldt and Sleeping Beauty who added Lily & James Potter to the mix, alive and totally awesome. Yes, please!
I vote for Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert from _Anne of Green Gables_. Not only do you get really sweet people, you get a fabulous setting and a slower time.
Adrianne
Daddy Warbucks from Annie.
Sally Jackson (Percy Jackson and the Olympians) and Gandalf.
Either one of them could be my single guardian too. If Gandalf is too old to be my father, he can be my magical pointy-hatted grandfather. I'd be okay with that too.
Some great suggestions here. I always kind of liked Anastasia's parents from Lois Lowry's Anastasia series.
Oddly enough, I didn't think of any moms or dads right away.
I abruptly went to Gandalf as grandpa.
That right there suits me just fine.
For dad: Professor Utonium from Powerpuff Girls or Uncle Iro from Avatar: The Last Airbender (We're talking the awesome animated series, not that horrible movie)
For mom: The grandma (i.e. Castle's mother) from Castle or grown-up Ella from Ella Enchanted (the rides down the palace banisters would be worth it alone) or Zuko's mom from Avatar: TLA
Matched Sets: Bigby Wolf and Snow White from Fables or Howl and Sophie from Howl's Moving Castle
Jack West Jr. (from the Seven Deadly Wonders).
He has bionic arm and was an ex-special force who thwarts evil. Plus he can get you anywhere in the world not to mention he holds the world's most powerful weapon in his backyard.
Oh! Definitely Mr. and Mrs. Weasley hands down. I wish Molly could be my mom…she's just awesome!!
I would love to have Marmee from LITTLE WOMEN as a mother. She was so loving and kind, strong and steadfast, and a woman ahead of her time.
God
oh dear – I originally thought of it so I could say I'd pull my finger out, get down here, and put an end to religious tension once and for all – then promptly realised how offensive that could be to some people….haha
So instead I'll choose Xenu
I have no idea!
So many great choices.
Off the top of my head… umm… The dad in 'Before I Die' was pretty loving and stuff.
But on the spot answers are always sucky. Gahhh
Father: the man (Papa) from THE ROAD.
Mother: Rosa Saks from THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF CAVALIER AND CLAY.
Mrs. Piggle Wiggle would be my first choice for a mom, or even better… an aunt.
And what a great question, because it assumes a level of reality for us readers that only the best fiction achieves.
Charles & Sebastian from Brideshead Revisited.
Well..he is not fictional but he's got a book about him…how about Sam Halpern, Justin Halpern's father, from Sh*t My Dad Says.
I read the book in one sitting. Wish my father was alive, he would have called it a Bible.
His f'n language is precise and his wisdom legend.
Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert from Anne of Green Gables. Tough when warranted, but soft and delightful most of the time, while encouraging spirit.
Wow. That Wylie deal is something else. Is Curtis Brown going to do this too???
Lots of great ideas! I can't think of any mothers to add, but for fathers I'd put forth Irene's King Papa in The Princess and the Goblin or Mary Stewart's Merlin (as father figure to Arthur).
Jubal Harshaw or Lazarus Long from Robert Heinlein's Future History.
Tony Stark or Reed Richards from the Marvel universe.
Caldé Silk or Autarch Severian from Gene Wolfe's Books of the Sun universe.
Sherlock Holmes.
Doc Brown from Back to the Future.
Anne and Gilbert Blythe from the later Anne of Green Gables books. In fact, I want to BE a mother like Anne.
This might sound funny, but how about the mom from the children's book Love you forever. I can't get through that book without crying.
Rhett Butler and Melanie Wilkes from "Gone with the Wind" would make interesting parents.
The Cat in the Hat – definitely could teach you not to take life so seriously and yet how to have fun every moment of every day. Arwen, the half-elven from The Lord of the Rings…at 2700 years of age she would teach you things the Cat couldn't and hopefully her genes would be stronger looks-wise. 😉
Yeah, The Beavers from The Lion Witch and Wardrobe! And also, the Grandma from The Witches (Roald Dahl). She smokes cigars, has a missing finger and hunts down witches!
VG