Do you sympathize with his father's actions, or do you think they were unforgivable?

I do sympathize with Chris's father. He works in the boiler business. He is the sole caregiver of Christopher, and has been since Christopher's mother died, two years before the start of the novel. Christopher's father looks after Christopher, knows all his habits, and understands the way Christopher works, but when he finds out that his son is trying to solve who killed Mrs. Shears' dog he becomes unusually angry and impatient. We learn that he killed the dog and that he lied about Christopher's mother being dead, and this prompts Christopher to leave home and make his first journey alone. Chris's father is under a lot of stress. He loves Chris and tries his best as a single parent. He does what he thinks is best for Chris: there is no malice in his intentions.