In dreams, dads can certainly represent themselves, which means they can be depicted as authoritative, protective, and strong. In dreams, he can by symbolized by the king character, or he can be shown as a savior or wise, old man. However, if in real life, a child or adolescent's dad doesn't take on these caregiving roles and instead is absent, aggressive, or controlling, then the child may characterize his father in positive ways to signify what he longs for. On the flip side, a child may represent his dad for what he is, symbolizing him as a stranger, villain, or a threatening creature in nightmares. In addition, just as people will say that children look or act like their parents, a child will see aspects of his personality that he likes or dislikes depicted in the father figure in his dreams. When girls dream about their fathers, they may also be thinking about masculine qualities within themselves.