surely, a perfect definition of Mary Sue.
Feb. 15th, 2012 11:39 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
eliyesOriginally posted by ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
taichara at surely, a perfect definition of Mary Sue.
taichara at surely, a perfect definition of Mary Sue.Over on the Exalted forums some months ago (I missed this only because I deliberately skipped this thread due to the title, oops), Dex Davican posted what I, personally, think is the point-perfect definition of a Mary Sue or Gary Stu, or whatever.
To whit, a "Mary Sue":
A character who redefines an otherwise-coherent setting around them through sheer narrative weight, rather than through personal qualities. There are many traits that Mary Sues tend to exhibit (mostly to make them seem "distinctive" or "unique"), but ultimately none of those traits adequately explain the effects that the character has on the setting or the people within it.
Common (but not required) signs of a Sue:
-Other characters like or grow obsessed with the character, without real evidence of what is likeable or obsession-worthy about them.
-The character believes his/herself to be an outsider, but isn't really treated as such.
-Morally-questionable actions become acceptable when the character performs them, and may or may not remain so ever after. Conversely, people who oppose the character steadily become more monstrous.
-If in a pre-existing setting, the character is not only the protagonist of the current story, but begins to take over the stories of pre-existing protagonists, sometimes warping those prior protagonists into a form more acceptable for the new shape of the story. In some cases, the character changes the very rules of the setting.
-The character is talented at anything and everything, often with a notable exception that is important to the character and negligible in its impact on the story, except to emphasize the character's belief that they are an outsider.
This is, frankly, brilliant in its succinctness. Bravo, Dex.
To whit, a "Mary Sue":
A character who redefines an otherwise-coherent setting around them through sheer narrative weight, rather than through personal qualities. There are many traits that Mary Sues tend to exhibit (mostly to make them seem "distinctive" or "unique"), but ultimately none of those traits adequately explain the effects that the character has on the setting or the people within it.
Common (but not required) signs of a Sue:
-Other characters like or grow obsessed with the character, without real evidence of what is likeable or obsession-worthy about them.
-The character believes his/herself to be an outsider, but isn't really treated as such.
-Morally-questionable actions become acceptable when the character performs them, and may or may not remain so ever after. Conversely, people who oppose the character steadily become more monstrous.
-If in a pre-existing setting, the character is not only the protagonist of the current story, but begins to take over the stories of pre-existing protagonists, sometimes warping those prior protagonists into a form more acceptable for the new shape of the story. In some cases, the character changes the very rules of the setting.
-The character is talented at anything and everything, often with a notable exception that is important to the character and negligible in its impact on the story, except to emphasize the character's belief that they are an outsider.
This is, frankly, brilliant in its succinctness. Bravo, Dex.