Mary Sue
| Synonyms: | Gary Stu, Marty Stu | |
| See also: | Canon Sue, Suethor | |
| Click here for articles related to this term on Fanlore. | ||
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General
The term was coined 1973 by Paula Smith, who parodied the archetype in her Star Trek story A Trekkie’s Tale.[1]
Definitions
The definition of Mary Sue has changed over time, which seems only right, as our definition of a "real woman" has changed drastically in the last thirty years. Interestingly, the concept of "Mary Sue" has lept out of media fandom into SFF fandom, a rare example of fannish drift flowing the other way.
Common fannish definition
A Mary Sue may be an Original Female Character (OFC) that is perfect in every sense of the word, and oftentimes a self-insertion of the author. She is unique in numerous ways (by having an unusual hair color, eye color, special ability, etc), and loved by all characters (with the possible exception being characters that the author doesn't like, or who are supposed to be antagonists). In general, they will become romantically entangled with one of the main characters. Mary Sues are so perfect that they warp the characterization of the canon characters.
Some Mary Sues have to overcome a Tragic Past. She may have angst resulting from having parents of different species or from antagonistic cultures, and may have suffered from child abuse, kidnapping, rape, etc., inspiring canon characters to feel sorry for her and want to help her. If she has flaws, they are perfect flaws, and only make her more adorable to the characters around her.
The male version of a Mary Sue is a Gary Stu or a Marty Stu. Probably the most famous case of a male Mary Sue (or Canon Sue) is Wesley Crusher, from Star Trek/The Next Generation, annoying boy hero, written by Gene Wesley Roddenberry.
As defined by Teresa Nielsen Hayden
MARY SUE (n.): 1. A variety of story, first identified in the fan fiction community, but quickly recognized as occurring elsewhere, in which normal story values are grossly subordinated to inadequately transformed personal wish-fulfillment fantasies, often involving heroic or romantic interactions with the cast of characters of some popular entertainment. 2. A distinctive type of character appearing in these stories who represents an idealized version of the author. 3. A cluster of tendencies and characteristics commonly found in Mary Sue-type stories. 4. A body of literary theory, originally generated by the fanfic community, which has since spread to other fields (f.i., professional SF publishing) because it’s so darn useful. The act of committing Mary Sue-ism is sometimes referred to as "self-insertion."[2]
The narrow definition, by Alara Rogers
On her LJ, Alara Rogers defined a Mary Sue [3] as:
The useful definition of Mary Sue, in my eyes, is "original character who overshadows the canonical cast. [...]
A hero achieving many great things over the course of a series is not bad and is not Mary Sue. It's what heroes *do*. Having a dark and/or complicated past is not a bad thing by itself. The problem arises only when, in fanfic, you distort the canon characters out of recognition by introducing a new character, or modifying a canon character, or, to a certain extent, deforming the laws of human nature in writing people's reactions to an original hero. It should not be a put-down for female heroes (or even male ones who are improbably competent.) It should not be wholly focused on self-insertion or ridiculous names. It should not be used as an excuse to not write women in fanfic. Otherwise the term starts to get watered down, and a serious level of sexism creeps in."
Mary Sues in Fandom
Fandom, and readers, dislike Mary Sues with varying degrees of passion. There is a Livejournal community dedicated to making fun of stories with Mary Sues in them[4], as well as a similar community for Canon Sues[5], though some people feel this behavior is a form of character bashing. In Harry Potter fandom, the overwhelming number of Mary Sues led to the fanonical creation of House Sparklypoo, into which all such characters were sorted [6].
Despite this, it is not uncommon for an author's very first pieces of writing to contain Mary Sues. An author who writes extreme Sues may be called a Suethor in some fandoms. Some more experienced authors also enjoy the wish fulfillment of writing Mary Sues.
Controversy: Are some "Mary Sues" just strong women?
Some fans who write original female characters find that these characters will always be labeled as Mary Sues, no matter how well written or characterized, and see the obsession with the Mary Sue label as evidence of misogyny in fandom [7]
The "Mary Sue" concept has drawn criticism from amateur and professional authors. Many such criticisms are brushed off as coming from writers who create "Mary Sues" and are thus beneath notice. However, the onus of wishing to avoid being condemned as a "Suethor" ("Mary Sue" author) apparently weighs heavily even on professional authors and sophisticated amateurs, particularly women.
Camille Bacon-Smith includes a subsection on the "Mary Sue" concept in her book, Enterprising Women[8], tying it together with the Canon Sue issue. While not denying that such characters exist, she observes that fear of creating a "Mary Sue" may be restricting and even silencing pro writers, not just fan writers. She mentions "Mary Sue" paranoia as one of the sources for the lack of "believable, competent, and identifiable-with female characters." At Clippercon 1987 (a Star Trek fan convention), Smith interviewed a panel of women authors who say they do not include female characters in their stories at all. She quoted one as saying "Every time I've tried to put a woman in any story I've ever written, everyone immediately says, this is a Mary Sue." Smith also pointed out that "Participants in a panel discussion in January 1990 noted with growing dismay that any female character created within the community is damned with the term Mary Sue."[9]
Several other writers quoted by Smith point out that James T. Kirk is himself could be considered a "Mary Sue," or Canon Sue, and that the label seems to be used more indiscriminately on female characters who do not behave in accordance with the dominant culture's images and expectations for females as opposed to males.[10] Professional author Ann Crispin is quoted: "The term 'Mary Sue' constitutes a put-down, implying that the character so summarily dismissed is not a true character, no matter how well drawn, what sex, species, or degree of individuality."[11]
Changes in Mary Sues over time
Initially, a Mary Sue was a teenaged, brilliant, good-looking girl, who is *also modest, self-effacing, self-sacrificing and gets the guy as her reward*. In other words, the smart young girl gives up her independence and intelligence to fulfill the traditional subservient role of women in society.
Modern Mary Sues, if nothing else, show more variety -- maybe because possible fictional hero roles for women have expanded.
Mary Sues in Canon: Canon Sues
Sometime fans notice when the writing staff steps over the fictional line and moves a character out of believability and into the Mary Sue realm. This is occasionally referred to as a Canon Sue. Ziva David from NCIS has been labeled in this manner[12], as has Stargate Atlantis's Jennifer Keller[13]. Male canon characters such as Spike, Wesley Crusher, and James T. Kirk[14] also get the Mary Sue label (though less often), and Rodney McKay from SGA has been termed the self-insertion character of some of the writing staff.[15]
Mary Sues in RL
Can someone's life be so lucky, so perfect, that if they were a fictional character, we'd insist they were a Mary Sue? Maybe. Or at least it's funny to think about: "Dear America, please stop it. Your OMC, Obama, is the worst Sue I've seen in a long time."[16]
Related Links
References
- ↑ A Trekkie's Tale, originally published in Menagerie 2, reprinted in Boldly Writing: A Trekker Fan & Zine History, 1967-1987(pdf) by Joan Marie Verba (accessed 15 Aug. 2008).
- ↑ Namarie Sue by Teresa Nielsen Hayden, December 2003 (accessed 11 Aug. 2008).
- ↑ Alara Rogers. Make up your Mind: what is a Mary Sue? January 30th 2003. Accessed 19 November 2008
- ↑ http://community.livejournal.com/marysues/profile
- ↑ http://community.livejournal.com/canon_sues/profile
- ↑ Sparklypoo comic
- ↑ [...]it looks to me like people are utilizing multiple definitions of Mary Sue, and by at least one of them, "any strong female heroine with an interesting life" qualifies. This is upsettingly sexist, especially to a person who hopes to make a living writing strong male *and* female heroes with interesting lives. Alara Rogers, Make up your Mind: what is a Mary Sue? Posted January 30th 2003. Accessed 19 November 2008
- ↑ Bacon-Smith, Camille, Enterprising Women, Television Fandom and the Creation of Popular Myth. Univ. of Pennsylvania Press, 1992.
- ↑ Smith, p. 110. A footnote states this was reported to her by Judy Chien, who attended the panel at MostEastlyCon 1990 in Newark.
- ↑ Smith, p. 97.
- ↑ Smith, p. 98.
- ↑ you made me hate you, i didn't want to do it accessed November 22, 2008
- ↑ Mary Sue Keller Accessed November 22,2008
- ↑ wikipedia article on Mary Sues Accessed November 22, 2008
- ↑ http://cesperanza.livejournal.com/217594.html?thread=6754298#t6754298
- ↑ LJ post by mistress_siana, entitled "Dear America, please stop it."
