Character Type: Mary Sue

If you spend time discussing online discussing fictional characters, either from literature or television, you may have run across a type called the Mary Sue. What is meant when a character is described as a Mary Sue?

The term Mary Sue originated in Star Trek fandom. Although this wasn't the first time the character type appeared in fiction, the name Mary Sue came from a satire written by Paula Smith in 1973. The story was called "A Trekkers Tale" and featured an original character called Lt. Mary Sue. The name stuck. (The Fanfic Symposium -http://www.trickster.org/symposium/symp174.htm )

A Mary Sue is usually an original character that authors of fanfiction insert into the literary or television universes. They're seen as the fictional stand in of the author. Mary Sue is usually extremely beautiful. The author goes out of their way to describe the eye and hair color of the character. A Mary Sue is also very intelligent and sassy and has the ability to put canon characters in their place, which results in them admiring her spunk.

A Mary Sue can also have a traumatic past. This also gives the author a reason to make canon characters feel admiration as she struggles bravely with her lot in life. Canon characters are written as dumber than they actually are, in order to make the Mary Sue seem more intelligent. Readers see Mary Sues as wish fulfillment of the author. Aside from their intelligence and beauty, Mary Sues also are written to be in romances with one of the canon characters.

The term Mary Sue isn't limited to just fanfiction. Professional writers have been accused of turning characters into Mary Sues. In television, a character is most often described as a Mary Sue if they are treated as perfect by other characters, despite having flaws that the viewers can see. Some canon characters that have been accused of being Mary Sues are Rory Gilmore of Gilmore Girls (especially given the way boys fall for her and continue to be infatuated, regardless of her behavior towards them) and Lana Lang of Smallville.

Laurie R. King is the author of a popular series of Sherlock Holmes pastiches, featuring Sherlock Holmes' protégé and eventual partner, Mary Russell. Some readers see Mary Russell as a Mary Sue, because she started the series at age 15, almost Holmes' equal in intelligence and deductive skills. The fact that she had a tragic past (parents killed in a car accident for which she felt responsible) and eventually became romantically involved with Holmes are also reasons why she could be considered a Mary Sue.

The term Mary Sue would indicate that the character type is female. But, males can be Mary Sues. Then, they are called either Marty Stu or Gary Sue. The most famous canon Marty Stu is probably Wesley Crusher from Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Readers regard the Mary Sue type with disdain. When a character is described as a Mary Sue, it is usually a derogatory term. Writers who are sensitive to this take care not to make their characters fit the type. However, there have been disagreements as to whether characters are actually Mary Sues. In fanfiction, any original character has the potential to be accused of being a Mary Sue, simply because the reader doesn't like the character. This can also hold true for canon characters. Occasionally, fans can like a canon character and still see Mary Sue-ish tendencies. On the message boards on Television Without Pity (http://www.televisionwithoutpity.com) the character of Gregory House has been described as a Marty Stu. Other fans have disputed the description.

Although there is no way to guarantee that a character won't be labeled a Mary Sue, the best chance writers have to avoid it is not to exaggerate traits. Fanfiction authors should realize that readers of the stories come because they are already fans of the canon characters. An original character can be interesting and without demeaning the canon characters in the process. This also helps alleviate resentment for the original character. Professional authors can also take steps to avoid the Mary Sue label. These include writing the character realistically and allowing them flaws that are acknowledged by other characters, as well as not being afraid to let the characters fail.