Though different parts of the world celebrate on different days, most places dedicate a day to honouring fathers.
Father’s Day is not an official holiday in Hong Kong, but it is still widely observed in the city on the third Sunday in June. Inspired, we are sharing five literary quotes and sayings about dads everywhere.
8 quotes from classic young adult novels with great life advice
1. “Sometimes I think my papa is an accordion. When he looks at me and smiles and breathes, I hear the notes.”
Markus Zusak, The Book Thief
Despite being the main character’s foster father, Hans’ gentle demeanour and bravery win Liesel over, and she soon feels like a part of his family.
2. “There’s no shame in fear, my father told me; what matters is how we face it.”
George RR Martin, A Clash of Kings
Jon Snow might have spent much of his life believing he was an unwanted child, but he takes his non-biological father’s teachings to heart.
3. “It was times like these when I thought my father, who hated guns and had never been to any wars, was the bravest man who ever lived.”
Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird
Atticus Finch, a steadfast lawyer dedicated to fighting for what is right, remains calm and polite even when faced with bitterness and malice.
After taking his daughter to school, this Hong Kong dad stops to sketch
4. “It is a wise father who knows his own child.”
William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice
In the context of the play, this line comes across a little differently, but on its own, you can take away the following: only a foolish father does not know his child.
5. “I believe that what we become depends on what our fathers teach us at odd moments when they aren’t trying to teach us. We are formed by little scraps of wisdom.”
Umberto Eco, Foucault’s Pendulum
Even if they may not intend to, parents are constantly teaching their children through their words and actions. A good father leads by example, has plenty to share and ultimately shapes the adults his children will grow up to become.
