Mary Sue

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Mary Sue (sometimes shortened simply to Sue) is a pejorative term for a fictional character who is portrayed in an overly idealized way and lacks noteworthy flaws, or has unreasonably romanticized flaws. Characters labeled Mary Sues, as well as the stories they appear in, are generally seen as wish-fulfillment fantasies of the author.

The term originated in criticism of fan fiction. It usually refers to characters created by the (fan) author of the work, but can also be used in reference to characters from the original canon source who are characterized in a way perceived as Sue-like. Many original characters in play-by-post gaming are also perceived as Mary Sues (or the male equivalent).

Mary Sue may be used to describe a character of any gender, but male Mary Sues may also be called "Marty Stus," "Gary Stus," "Gary Sues", or similar names. Authors of such characters (of either sex) are sometimes referred to as Suethors, a portmanteau of Sue and author.

While characters are usually unintentionally written as Mary Sues, some authors deliberately create Mary Sues as a form of parody.

Contents

[edit] Etymology

The term "Mary Sue" was coined by Paula Smith in 1973, for her parody story "A Trekkie's Tale," published in her fanzine Menagerie #2.[1] The main character was Lieutenant Mary Sue ("the youngest Lieutenant in the fleet—only fifteen and a half years old"). The story poked fun at what Smith considered to be unrealistic adolescent wish-fantasy characters appearing in Star Trek fan fiction of the period. The term has since been applied to non-canon characters in a variety of contexts.

Originally, in the Star Trek fan fiction community, "Mary Sue" described an original (non-canon) female character who had a romantic liaison with an established canon character, particularly if she possessed unrealistic or unlikely (and often exotic) traits above and beyond those expected of a character in that particular series, or a conventional author surrogate. Later, the concept was expanded to include almost any author surrogate character or highly idealized character that plays a major role in the plot, especially those who upstage the canon characters and occupy the spotlight. The term gained wider use outside of the Star Trek fandom in the late 1990s and early 2000s, primarily on the Internet.

[edit] Traits associated with the concept of the Mary Sue

Characters labeled as a "Mary Sue" have what are seen as exaggerated and annoying (and sometimes impossible) levels of superiority, especially in comparison to the other characters, to real people in similar situations, or both. While "Mary Sue" is a subjective term, there are nonetheless many traits commonly associated with the concept of the "Mary Sue".

Typically, characters most commonly labeled as "Mary Sues" are set apart from others in the story by their unique and exceptional skills and traits. Mary Sues almost always are physically attractive, and their appearance may include unusual hair or eye colors. They commonly have exotic names, pets, or often magical possessions, often simply to increase their perceived specialness compared to the other characters. They may also come from a race or species which is uncommon or unknown in the story's setting, or be a hybrid of two species.

Most Mary Sues have more and better skills than the other characters, often considerably more advanced than what would be expected of their age group in canon or the real world. They are usually presented as highly moral, sometimes sacrificing their lives or happiness for the sake of other characters, even when this Western viewpoint would be uncommon for the setting of the story.

Tragic backgrounds are also common among Mary Sues, which frequently include family abuse or neglect, or, in fan fiction, relations to major canon characters through blood or strangely contrived family ties.

Another widely accepted symptom of Mary Sue-ness in a character is his or her similarities to his or her author, such as shared hobbies, likes and dislikes, and opinions, and the same nationality or age. Many alleged Mary Sues, however, have more dramatized physical appearances, backgrounds, and hobbies than those of their authors, which characterize them as resembling more the author's ideal person rather than the author him or herself.

Mary Sues sometimes display a degree of self-insertion, especially in fan fiction, where they often cause things to happen that the author wishes would occur in canon. They may mock and humiliate characters the author dislikes, or recognize generally disliked characters (e.g. villains) that the author likes as merely misunderstood or troubled. Mary Sues may bring together characters the author thinks should be romantically involved with one another or become romantically involved with characters to whom the author is attracted.

To further emphasize Mary Sues' superiority to the other characters, authors will frequently describe their looks, life, and aptitudes in far greater detail than what is allotted to the others, and make them admired and praised by other characters in the story. Mary Sue characters typically never display any of the dysfunctional psychological profiles often associated with tragic backgrounds. If these characters have flaws or limitations, they are either minor and/or endearing quirks (such as a fiery disposition), or yet another hardship for them to effortlessly overcome (e.g. paraplegia, depression, an eating disorder).

Because many traits are seen as being common to Mary Sues, many online tests have been created, known as "Mary Sue Litmus Tests". In these "Litmus Tests", matching any Mary Sue trait results in a higher score on the test, and a high enough score is said to be the mark of the "Mary Sue". Most such tests sport a disclaimer that notes that even characters who score extremely high can be executed well enough not to be considered a "Mary Sue", and that the test is primarily meant as a guide for better characterization.

[edit] Related terminology

Several other terms have come into existence that refer to specific phenomena within the definition. In addition, there are a small number of terms that are often used in the context of discussions of the Mary Sue concept. Key terms are listed below.

[edit] Frequently used terms related to the concept

  • Canon - Derived from the historical use of similar terms (such as canon law and "the canonical books" of the Bible) in the Christian religion, "canon" in the context of fan fiction refers to the original, official source material or any source material or details seen as "official".
  • Fanon - A wordplay on "canon", "fanon" refers to facts or ideas invented or assumed by fans which are not seen as being official or confirmed in the original source material.
  • Fandom - The fans of a given story.
  • Fan fiction - A term which refers to derivative works, most especially (with the notable exception of real person fiction) those based on modern fiction, which are written - usually in an unofficial, not pre-approved fashion - by fans of the original work.
  • Original fiction - A term which refers to the opposite of fan fiction; an original work not directly based on another canon.
  • OC - Short for original character, this refers to a character that is the creation of the author of the piece in question (in the context of fan fiction, this would be the "fanfic" story) and not the creation of another writer (in the context of fan fiction, this would be the canon story).
  • OOC - Short for out of character, this term refers to behavior which is seen as being inconsistent with "canonical" portrayls of a given character or characters. The term for the opposite (wherein a character behaves in a manner seen as consistent with the canon material) is IC, or "In-Character". The question of "OOCness" vs. "ICness" frequently arises in criticism of fan fiction stories that have a perceived Mary Sue character in them, as one of the supposed common traits of the Mary Sue story is that the Mary Sue character will always come out as a hero and/or cause things that the author wishes would happen in canon to happen in the fan fiction story, which often may require considerable changes in the behavior of other characters. Additionally, the terms "OOC" and "IC" are used in the context of discussions of alleged "canon Sues" in fan fiction (see below).

[edit] Terms referring to sub-concepts of "Mary Sue"

[edit] Canon-Sue (in fanfiction)

The term "canon-Sue" (sometimes also spelled canon!Sue) is used to describe canon characters who are changed significantly from their original canon characterization and sometimes even divorced from their original context completely. Such characters are seen as having been heavily idealized to the point of being more of a stand-in for the author's wish fulfillment than as the original canon character.

Characters most frequently labeled "canon-Sues" often develop the typical traits of a Mary Sue with little precedent or explanation, a process sometimes called "sueification." Some examples are the discoveries of tragic pasts and abilities superior to other canon characters, the elimination or romanticization of flaws, and being targeted by characters disliked by the fan-author while befriended by canon characters liked by the author, or by an original character created by the author.

If the canon-Sue deviates significantly enough from the original it can also be alternatively be referred to as an act of "canon rape" or "raping canon". This has also been called "characterization rape," or "character rape" for short. The terms can also be used where a significant (and disliked) change has been made to the canon world or characters, such as when a former hero is vilified or a usually-chaste canon character is easily seduced by a fan-created Mary Sue character.

[edit] Canon-Sue (in original source)

A "canon Sue" may also refer to a character whose canon portrayal resembles a Mary Sue, rather than a character who has been altered in fanfiction. Typically, this refers to a character accused of being overly idealized or having other traits of traditional fanfiction Mary Sues, such as gratuitously tragic pasts, unrealistic skills, or a seeming inability for the character to do wrong.

[edit] Gary/Marty Stu

A male "Mary Sue" may be referred to as a Gary Stu or Marty Stu, or in similar terms. While female characters seen as Mary Sues are often bright and cheerful, characters seen as Gary/Marty Stus tend to be brooding and sometimes violent. They often reject authority, ignoring the consequences of their rebellious or aggressive actions, and sometimes are proved to have had the right instincts or intentions all along. This pattern of behavior is particularly noticeable in fandoms set in a scholastic or militaristic setting or organization, in which there is at least one highly visible authority figure to rebel against.

While this type of characterization is more common among male characters, this is not limited to them, and female characters who fit this model are often seen as Mary Sues too.

[edit] Romantic Sues

Romantic Sues are seen as idealized versions of the author’s perfect lover, rather than of the author him or herself. Many female characters in shounen anime are criticized for being the male writer's romantic Sue, especially in harem anime, in which an everyman is typically surrounded by beautiful females, most of whom are attracted to him.

[edit] Self-insert

Self-insert is used to describe clear (and usually seen as indisputable) cases where the author has directly inserted a version of themself into the story in lieu of a wholly original character. Though some author surrogates have been thought to "work" in fiction, self-inserts, as a rule, are frequently seen as the most blatant form of Mary Sue-ness, most particularly in fan fiction, where self-inserts are generally heavily idealized. Some online fan fiction archives have a ban on any story which involves self-insertion, especially sites which disallow any fan fiction involving a "real person", such as FanFiction.net.

[edit] Categorization patterns

Frequent subtypes or sub-subtypes of perceived Mary Sues will be named on the fly using certain patterns. Two of the most common methods of doing this are listed below:

  • The ! convention. Generally this is a one-word description of the character as portrayed in a particular story, set against the word "Sue" with a ! symbol, e.g. rebel!Sue (to denote a rebellious character seen as a Mary Sue). For canon-Sues, the symbol is usually preceded by the canon character's name. It may also be used to ascribe traits to non-Sues. This convention is limited to online use.
  • The - convention. Used less frequently (in part due to less freedom; the ! convention allows for multiple descriptors; for example, goth!alien!rebel!Sue), but still used nonetheless in some areas of fandom.

[edit] Anti-Sue

In an effort to create a character who is not a Mary Sue, some authors will go to an extreme reversal of the typical "Mary Sue" traits. These "anti-Sues" will sometimes be described with just as much detail as their Mary Sue counterparts; however, the description will usually be one that tells the reader in extreme detail how plain or ugly, unpopular, poor, naive, pessimistic or cynical, etc., the character is. The term can be applied to either original or fan fiction. The character may also have a belief or belief system that may involve endangering the lives of some canon characters (e.g religious fanaticism, etc.), or which otherwise runs counter to modern Western values (such as racism), and are generally disliked by the canon characters. The perceived success of such characters in avoiding the pitfalls of Mary Sueism vary.

[edit] Criticism and debate on the concept's merit

The concept of the Mary Sue has been criticized on the grounds that:

  • What constitutes as an “exceptional” skill, background, appearance or even name is often subjective to the fandom. For example, in some fandoms, such as those surrounding certain science fiction or fantasy series, including Harry Potter, it is common for characters to have names that are also nouns or adjectives, or that include the names of mythological figures. The usual counterargument for this is that most fandoms still "have limits" past which a certain combination of traits in a single character may still seem over-the-top and thus unrealistic.
  • Real people sometimes have skills, tragedies, or backgrounds that would cause fictional characters to be classified as Mary Sues. The usual counterargument is that they are "still rare".
  • Some characters might reasonably have “exceptional” skills or backgrounds. For example, a professional interpreter would be expected to speak several languages very fluently and translate between them in real time, and a samurai would be expected to have great skill with a sword; the usual counterargument for this is that the "Mary Sue"'s experience, training, and age are out of proportion with what is likely in a real person with a similar skill or background.
  • Many authors include similarities to themselves in at least some of their characters - including personality faults. Supporters of the concept of "Mary Sue" usually argue that the latter is what a true "Mary Sue" lacks enough of.
  • Good fiction containing idealized characters or author-surrogates can and has been written. Examples given sometimes include Charles Dickens for idealized characters and Hunter S. Thompson for author surrogates. Even highly psychologically realistic stories can have almost ridiculously skilled or attractive protagonists such as Genji in Genji Monogatari and Julien Sorel in The Red and the Black. The authors of these stories, Murasaki Shikibu and Stendhal respectively, are considered forefigures in the genre of realistic psychological novels largely because of these two stories. The usual counterargument is that a true "Mary Sue" story is not well-written enough to be compared to such works.
  • A dislike for overly idealized characters can be considered a cultural preference in modern Western culture and not a worldwide preference. Historically speaking, for example, highly idealized protagonists are incredibly common in mythology, sagas, epic, fairy tales and folklore.
  • It is common for authors to "write what they know", or to write about things which they are interested in. So an author who studies or has an interest in martial arts will be more likely to create characters who study or practice martial arts, and to describe the martial arts in more accurate detail. A common counterargument to this is that people sometimes bring "what they know" to "what they don't know"; for instance, it is common for non-Japanese fans of Japanese entertainment to (unintentionally) write stories set in Japan using an ostensibly Japanese character who nevertheless follows Western norms or customs that the Japanese would sometimes find quite strange—or, conversely, to have utilized some research due to their interest in the culture, but to have missed certain other key facts, such as the usual etiquette in such rituals as formal meals, funerals, or certain holidays (such as Valentine's Day and Christmas) which are also celebrated in the Western world but differ from the Japanese in regards to exact celebratory customs.
  • Unusual physical attributes can sometimes be the focus or a key part of a whole, well-written plot (for instance, Harry Potter's famous scar). Additionally, some unusual traits actually exist in real life: people with amber or violet eyes, such as Elizabeth Taylor, do exist, and a character should not be written off as a Mary Sue simply for his or her hair or eye color. The usual counterargument for this is that such traits are still rare, and that they are often unnecessary and used only to "make the character more special".
  • Many otherwise outlandish traits associated with the Mary Sue are common or even expected in many fantasy or science fiction settings. A counterargument is that Mary Sues have these traits disproportionately or excessively, or in the wrong setting, such as fantasy traits in a high school setting, or sci-fi traits in a fantasy setting.
  • A character may be accused of being a "Mary Sue" simply because the accuser does not like the said character, criticizing him or her on a purely subjective basis. The usual counteragument to this is that it is a straw man argument, because the term "Mary Sue" is itself a subjective term, usually used to describe characters that are not seen by the person using the term as being interesting, three-dimensional or sympathetic. Despite a plethora of "common traits" and a frequent consensus amongst some groups on which characters "are" or "are not" a Mary Sue, the term is used to convey a negative impression of the character in question, and thus is not objective.
  • In fan fiction, it is only logical to give an Original Character more physical description than that of a familiar canon character. The counterargument is that "Mary Sues" tend to be described disproportionately on multiple occasions through the fan fiction, to be described as being exceptional in comparison to other characters, or to be thought about frequently by other characters in a positive light, even in cases in which the character would not necessarily automatically "take" to them.

Some critics agree with the basic Mary Sue concept but believe that it is wrongly applied to characters who are unusual in any way or to any original or changed character in fan fiction. Other critics argue that "Mary Sue" should be applied only to idealized author-surrogates, not to characters who are only idealized or only author-surrogates.

Nonetheless, though highly subjective in nature and under nearly constant debate in regards to its exact meaning, the term continues to gain popularity in both original and fan fiction writing and reading circles.

[edit] Usage of "Mary Sue" in the media

As the concept (and term) has increased in usage over time, it has started to become used in the mainstream media:

  • In the April 29, 2005, issue of the Times Literary Supplement, Roz Kaveney said that the Doctor Who character Rose Tyler is "what is commonly known as a 'Mary Sue'—an unironic reflection of the writers' and fans' desire to get in there and help the Doctor out (while managing to stay pretty)."
  • David Orr, in a review of online fan fiction websites FanFiction.net and Godawful Fan Fiction for The New York Times Book Review, wrote:
    "When you've had your fill of slash, gen, and 'ship fiction (fanfic terms for various character enganglements), when you groan at the arrival of each new "Mary Sue" (a ludicrously empowered author proxy), when you find yourself wishing every story you read had been beta-ed (i.e. edited), then it's time to visit Godawful Fan Fiction, where the worst fan fiction on the Web is filleted with the hot knife of peer criticism." [2]
  • The writers of the television cartoon series Duckman show the occasional reference to Mary Sue. In the 4th season episode "Aged Heat 2: Women in Heat" a cute, sweet blonde character named "Suzie" is introduced who takes over Duckman's fame, fortune and attention. In the episode "Bonfire of the Panties", also from the 4th season, Ajax (Duckman's son) uses the term "Gloriosky!" which was also used in the original fanfiction featuring Mary Sue.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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[edit] Origins/history

[edit] Additional essays

[edit] Mary Sue "Litmus Tests" online

  • The Universal Mary-Sue Litmus Test A quiz that helps writers to judge if a character is (likely to be perceived as) a "Mary Sue" or not.
  • [1] An Original Fiction Mary Sue Litmus Test based on the original Mary Sue Litmus Test.

[edit] Communities online

[edit] References

  1. ^ SF Citations for OED: Mary Sue. Retrieved on 20 May 2006.
  2. ^ Orr, David (2004-10-03). The Widening Web of Digital Lit. The New York Times. Retrieved on 2006-10-02.
  • Verba, Joan Marie. Boldly Writing: A Trekker Fan and Zine History, 1967–1987. Mankato, MN: FTL Publications, 1996.
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