What is a Mary Sue?
This is an excerpt from the
Wikpedia:
"
Mary Sue (or simply Sue) is a usually derogatory expression for a fictional character who is an idealized stand-in for the author, or for a story with such a character. A Mary Sue therefore goes beyond a conventional author surrogate character. The term originates in fan fiction but is spreading into general use.
Male 'Sues' may be called 'Marty Stus', 'Murray Stus', 'Harry Stus', and/or 'Gary Stus', although the original 'Mary Sue' term is often considered unisex. A rarer unisex variant is 'Airy Ooh'. Authors of such characters (of either sex) are sometimes referred to as Suethors.
In fan fiction, Mary Sue characters are usually the original creation of the fan fiction author, but sometimes 'canon Sues' are created by adapting pre-existing canon characters. Conversely, such original characters or adapted characters are not necessarily Mary Sues. The Peter Jairus Frigate character of the Riverworld series, for instance, is deliberately based on his author but rarely the focus of the story. However, there are a great number of preexisting Sues in canon, namely those in many videogames, anime, and manga.
Although 'narcissistic' Sues and 'unintentional' Sues (characters that develop into Sues due to the author's subconscious) remain common, some authors now write Mary Sues deliberately as a form of parody.
A Mary Sue may be tougher, smarter, and cooler than the established characters and so win their admiration. Alternately, the Sue may be nicer, sweeter, and more charming than the established characters (often despite being tortured by a tragic past) and win their love. Either way, the setting's protagonists are upstaged by the new character's perfection. If this new character dies in the story (typically as an act of self-sacrifice), there is often extensive grieving.
Common traits of Mary Sues:
* Has only sympathetic flaws; Mary Sues may be paraplegic, or dangerously naïve, but are very rarely selfish or petty-minded
* Can do no wrong - or, if she does do anything wrong, has strong justification for it
* Unique abilities
* Distinctive physical features (odd-coloured eyes, birthmarks, scars, etc.)
* Owns an unusual pet (especially, 'one that only she could tame')
* Deliberately exotic name
* Name based on that of the author (such as an anagram)
* Cultural/racial background very different from her peers (often adopted out of her culture)
* Attitudes contemporary to the author in a setting where these are unheard of
* Close relationship with a major canonical character (long-lost brother, etc.)
* Centrally involved in every part of the story
* Invokes powers impossible in the canon
None of these traits in and of themselves make a Mary Sue; rather, a Sue depends on the author's reliance on such gimmicks to make a character unique and appealing."
It's very hard to explain why a Mary Sue can be irritating, because it involves a lot of factors. When an author tries to add himself or herself into the story, it succeeds in alienating most of his / her readers. It's also an extreme form of narcissm; the implication is that the author looks at himself / herself as on a par, or even greater than the canon characters (existing characters of a series / genre) being written about, and assumes that everyone regards him / her in the same way.
Some authors do get away with writing Mary Sues that are audience-friendly, and therefore do not spark an immediate dislike for the Mary Sue in question. However, most authors do not succeed, more so because they have the tendency to make their Mary Sues unbeatable - he / she always has the best powers, has the most tragic past yet is still friendly and cordial enough to be loved by most of the characters in the book, they always wind up saving everyone in the end, and if they happen to die, they are mourned by everyone until the end of time (or at least, until the end of the fanfiction, and all its possible sequels.)
Fanfiction written like this therefore, is nothing more than a huge ego fest on the author's part that says, "Look at me! Read about me because I write fiction and I am great! I will always be better than Buffy / Captain Kirk / Son Goku / Harry Potter / insert-other-canon-character-here and I expect you to share in my delusions!"
