Dr. Diver as Rosemary's father figure in Tender Is the Night. Parents are key role models for their children. Both parents play an important role in raising their children, but it is the father who is normally portrayed as the protector, counselor and supporter of the family. He is the person that boys look up to when they are little and that their daughters compare all men to when they get older. The father sets the standards for his children. If the father is not there, the children must look elsewhere for this type of comfort and information. Sometimes they could turn to their mother who, as best she could, took the father's place. The only role that the mother cannot play, however, is the discussion that her daughters need when looking for a husband. To try to satisfy this need, daughters might find a male they trust and believe will be a good role model and father figure and then base their future ideals on the qualities he represents. Rosemary, from Fitzgerald's Tender Night, did not have a father figure for a good part of her life. She had been raised by her mother, a twice-widowed woman, and by the boarding school in France she attended when she was younger. Rosemary had never really known her father when he was alive, so Mrs. Speers was both father and mother to her. Mrs. Speers did a good job of being both as Rosemary grew up, but once she became old enough to start looking for a husband, Mrs. Speers wasn't really the right person to compare men to. Mrs. Speers attempted to counteract this need by forcing Rosemary to become a more independent person. Then he wouldn't have to rely on her or anyone else, including a man. Gradually realizing that she could make her own decisions, Rosemary also realized that she wanted to have a man in her life and that she needed that father figure as a comparison. She also realized that she missed the comfort, protection and advice that comes from a male. It was only when he went to the French Riviera that he finally found the father figure he had never had before, in Dr. Dick Diver. After meeting Dr. Diver, Rosemary had the impression that "he would take care of her." , AND .