What does the novel "Wise Children" have to tell us about paternity and maternity?

In the novel Wise Children by Angela Carter, two illegitimate twins (Dora and Nora) are cared for and raised by Grandma Chance, who more or less plays the role of their mother. Carter criticises the irresponsibility of fathers through her choice of narrator, Dora, whose father, Melchior denies the twins as his children and regards them as his nieces. His selfish and insensitive nature is evident as his eyes that "looked at us but did not see us" turn out to be Dora's "bitterest disappointment" of all her life. This shows how important a father is in the life of a child. On the other hand t…