Mary Sue: Who is she?

[Nittanylizard]

So we all hear the same things - she's beautiful, talented, tragic past, everybody loves her, etc.

How would you define Mary Sue? Because I think definitions can vary, and even a character without the standard qualities can be a Mary Sue. At the same time, you can have a character who possesses several typical Mary Sue characteristics, but who comes across with depth and fits perfectly into the story.

For me, she is a character who has a flashing AUTHOR sign on her forehead. She might not represent the author, but certain qualities about her scream out that there is an author in charge of not only her, but of the story and the other characters - generally NOT something you want to happen when you write a story. Sometimes this comes across in anachronisms like cell phones and off-period clothing and even an attitude that doesn't fit.

Sometimes it isn't even the character who has to behave a certain way, but the alteration of the expected behaviors of the canon characters without explanation - just because it will get the OC where the author wants her.

Rather than the actual character easing into the story and controlling her destiny and reacting to the world around her, the author has entered the picture and is shuffling everything around, forcing the world fit the character's needs.

So what do you guys think? What makes you see a character as a Mary Sue?

[dinoxxxrawr]

When they're tougher than Dally and Tim put together. They drink more than Two-Bit, are funnier than Two-Bit, dreamy like Ponyboy, abused like Johnny, strong like Darry, and attractive like Soda, all at the same time. :]

[Tensleep]

Aww, Poor Mary Sue. She's the one we all pick on because she gets so over used, and usually poorly, too.

What makes me see a character as a MS is when she is the centre of the story, overshadowing everyone else with her problems. I don't mean to say that the story can't have new characters, but C'mon! Every girl out there can't be a Soc runaway, or an abused girl who ends up on the couch! Id like to see someone inserted who is part of the story without being overbearing. I'm guilty of it, too. In fact, I'm pretty sure my boys are all the elusive Gary Stu, but hey.

Anyways, that was my input, if it made any sense!

[rayrizzle]

So I'm new to this whole thing, and decided to look around to see what y'all are all about. i ran across this and it caught my eye. so here it goes...

Oh Mary... She cracks me up with her ridiculousness sometimes.

Though it IS hard to put a female character into the 'gang' without making her fall into the stereotype. That's probably why S.E. Hinton didn't put a female character in the book in the first place. Ya know? If there was a female the whole balance of the gang's relationship with one another would be thrown off. Johnny wouldn't be the pet, she would. And, in a way her problems would become everyone's because she would be favored. It just wouldn't work.

But, people try anyway. Then, like you said, random things that hadn't been invented yet start showing up. Digital cameras, cell phones, and cable wasn't around...

And there is no way that any girl in her right mind is going to challenge 2-5 Socs. Come on...

Oh and please don't get me started on the fashion part of it all. That is a whole different post. lol.

All I'm suggesting is if someone is going to write a female OC in to their story, maybe he or she should do some research on the time period. It could make all the difference in the world. What could it hurt?

That's all for now!

[Tensleep]

Rayrizzle makes a good point. We do a lot of mocking, but it is hard to insert a girl into the lives of these close knit boys. It throws off the balance and tone of the story. Hinton even held back on the girl friends probably for that reason.

That being said, I think Mary Sue has the characterization to be quite amusing in a parody.

Yeah...

[ash]

Usually if I want to read a story with an oc added, I'll read the reviews first then I'll read the story for myself. I'm not sure if that makes me sound like a snob though lol. All it takes for me to be convinced that the character is a ms is the very first chapter or at least two or three reviews.

[murderofcrows]

i've always contended that the first paragraph of a story should capture you and not let you go. that being said, the mary sue fics never start out that way, it usually starts out describing the character, and it's like, i don't really want to hear about that yet, i want the mood and the tone and everything like that set before we get into that...subtlety is key

[ash]

I know. I used to be okay with it in the past but now if the story leans to the oc's direction of the story without some reason instead of sharing the load with the character their paired with. Then I won't read it anymore.