Sophie’s World

by

Jostein Gaarder

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on Sophie’s World makes teaching easy.
Sophie’s Dad is a mysterious, elusive character who never appears in the novel. We’re told that he is the captain of an oil tanker, and is often at sea. In the second half of the novel, we come to realize that Sophie’s Dad is a stand-in for Hilde Møller Knag’s own father, Albert Knag—for this reason, we don’t learn much more about Sophie’s Dad; instead, the emphasis shifts to Albert.
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Dad / Sophie’s Father Character Timeline in Sophie’s World

The timeline below shows where the character Dad / Sophie’s Father appears in Sophie’s World. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 1: The Garden of Eden
Philosophy, Wisdom, and Wonder Theme Icon
The Nature of Reality Theme Icon
Education, Mentorship, and Coming of Age Theme Icon
Sophie’s letter has a strange effect on her. She remembers that her Mom and Dad had wanted to give her a different name—Lillemor, maybe. Sophie stares in the mirror and... (full context)
The Nature of Reality Theme Icon
Education, Mentorship, and Coming of Age Theme Icon
...The letter has a Norwegian stamp on it, and appears to be written in Sophie’s Dad’s handwriting. This confuses Sophie, since her Dad is far away, working hard at his job... (full context)
Chapter 3: The Myths
Philosophy, Wisdom, and Wonder Theme Icon
Free Will Theme Icon
...her house, she finds a letter in her mailbox: it’s from Mexico, and it’s from Dad. Dad writes to Sophie about working hard, and says that he wishes he could come... (full context)
Chapter 17: The Baroque
Education, Mentorship, and Coming of Age Theme Icon
Women and Sexism Theme Icon
...declares that Sophie must have a boyfriend, and in return Sophie demands to know why herDad is never home—Sophie suggests that Mommight be the one with a boyfriend, and says she... (full context)
Chapter 33: The Garden Party
Philosophy, Wisdom, and Wonder Theme Icon
The Nature of Reality Theme Icon
Free Will Theme Icon
...stands up and makes a speech. She congratulates Sophie on her birthday, and mentions that Sophie’s father is frequently far away, often in other countries. The guests applaud, and Jeremy and Joanna... (full context)