Mary Sueage.

[icarus]

You know, 'Mary Sue' is fast becoming one of those overused terms, like 'Xerox' and 'Frisbee,' where the original meaning has nearly vanished. It seems that every time someone wants to criticise a character, they bring out the 'ol Mary Sue club.

It can mean everything from 'this character has magical powers that aren't believable' to 'I don't like this writer.' There are even those who dislike all original characters in fanfic and call them all Mary Sues. (Which makes no sense to me, because isn't every fictional character ever written an 'original character'?)

Do I want to rehabilitate the term, clarify the meaning?

No. That's a lost cause.

It's just time to be more specific. Why is the character a Mary Sue? What is it that bothers you? Try it on for size. Which critique is more effective -

This character is a Mary Sue.
Or: your super-human magical abilities are implausible.

This character is a Mary Sue.
Or: your plot is thin and not believable. Everything works out in your character's favour, all the time.

This character is a Mary Sue.
Or: your characterisation is flat. Your character has no apparent flaws to make them real and interesting.

This character is a Mary Sue.
Or: your character seems self-serving. They seem solely to serve your agenda, rather than being real and independently working within the story.

This character is a Mary Sue.
Or: your character seems to be a self-insert, with all the handsome men dropping at her feet.

All of these are Mary Sues. And not every Mary has all of these traits.

Yes, believe it or not, it is possible to have a self-insert in a story with an excellent plot, clear characterisation (and plenty of flaws), no super-human abilities in sight, and no agenda. You can also have an 'agenda character' in a story that is otherwise outstanding, where the obvious purpose of the character is to drive some political point.

And a Mary Sue isn't necessarily bad. There's even a very famous Mary Sue.

His name is Bond. James Bond.

Because of the other factors in the story, the zippy plot and winkingly fun Dr Evil bad guys, you're willing to suspend disbelief at this very obvious self-insert.

So be specific in your feedback. If something doesn't work in a story, tell the author exactly what it is. Calling the character a Mary Sue doesn't mean anything.

Comments

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It's both - Marty Stu and Gary Stu.