Disney Princess Article: 'Mary-Sue' is unnecessarily thrown around

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'Mary-Sue' is unnecessarily thrown around

posted by RoseOfRapunzel

To start Mary-Sue is thrown around not only on the Disney Princess club, but almost everywhere whenever it comes down to the Disney Princesses. The correct definition to Mary-Sue is a perfect female character who doesn't try to be perfect, but naturally is. Like a Renaissance Man, yet doesn't fail at least while trying.
Some have been saying Classics, of Walt Disney's princesses, Belle and Rapunzel are Mary-Sues, plus more. I very much disagree.

The most common areas to be considered Mary-Sues are:
Snow White
Cinderella
Aurora
Ariel (on the occasion)
Belle
Rapunzel

There are so many reasons they are not Mary-Sues. That word can just sicken me at times, it's unnecessary. Though Cinderella and Aurora are both balanced from Mary-Sue and to just a beautiful young woman.

Snow White
A user on here *coughSilverrose1991* has been going through a manipulative boss rut with Snow White, which I admire and agree with. She isn't just a pretty face, not JUST SWEET, she contains much meer personality. Though that isn't the point. Under that sweet adorable face, lay a manipulative boss, who runs the joint like a business. I just wanted to get that out, she isn't perfect, nor is she dumb. She can sing (to those who admire her high-pitched voice), dance, she's pretty, sweet, a manipulative boss, yet because she's talented, that doesn't make her a Mary-Sue. She's plenty filled with flaws. Nobody is perfect, even a cartoon.

Ariel
On the rare occasion, she can be. Big eyes filled with lashes, super slim figure, beautiful voice. I think differently, she dumped her family, for a guy she didn't know. She showed affection, "but how will I ever see my family again," of something like that. But it's the decision that marks its way through. She is pretty selfish, I must admit. But for now I'm disliking her, I'm bound to change my affection for her. Anyway...she acts like she has no rights, she only can't go to the surface and had to toon up to whatnot, otherwise, she has privileges. Yet though she can't speak, she doesn't do anything to toon Sebastian how much she loves him for what he's doing, only a kiss. When Sebastian nearly dies and Sebastian states, "I hope u appreciate what I do for you," of something like that, Ariel ignores him and goes to bed. Plus, she pushes her vrienden aside when they want to help, but when they don't feel like helping her, she plummets all her problems onto them to fix as she makes meer messes. I'm starting to spit out hate rather than love. Sorry for that, but selfishness is not found in a Mary-Sue.

Belle
Some say Belle is completely perfect-or too perfect, while others point out she's a snob, and sometimes it's the same person. Nothing meer than that irritates me, u push someone down for something, yet they do something to prevent that other thing u still are upset. That made no sense. Anyways, Belle is 'perfect' and someone complains for that, then she's snobbish and then u complain for that. The snobbish part prevents her perfect-ness. It's being picky at times, u want something, u get it, but not the way u want it. This still makes no sense, right?
Well, some of u know I've made a Merida defense artikel on my older account, THEDisneyFreak. I zei that Merida had everyday monitored and was forced to marry a stranger expected to be happy about that. If u were in her place (ahem Merida complainers) u would just sit there and smile. 'Yay I'm marrying a suitor!' At the age of sixteen, to a stranger. Happy? No.
This relates to Belle's situation in a way because Belle, like I said/typed, is a snob, then u change your mind to her being perfect, either way, you're not satisfied.

Rapunzel
Okay, judging from my ranking of where she is on my list, my username, my icon, and the fact I watch Tangled twice everyday (very unnecessary information) it hurts for me to say out of the ladies I've listed, she's the most Mary-Sue like. Yet she's far from it. She beats the others with the ability to do EVERYTHING. Which I've heard multiple complaints about before, but she has been practicing for what-her whole life? She's bored all the time, which holds a lot of time for her to do things, start up the chores, sweep 'till the floors all clean, polish and wax do laundry and mop and shine up, sweep again, then read the books, of two of three, and continuing. She has the most talents out of all of the 'Mary-Sues' but she just had the most practice and free-time. meer of so like I mentioned, a Renaissance Man. She must have failed before, plus she is a very talented artist, which most Renaissance Men were best at (Michelangelo & Leonardo da Vinci).

Thank u for reading! I am so sorry if I offended u in anyway, seriously, I'm afraid I may hurt another's feelings.

Thank you for reading! I am so sorry if I offended you in anyway, seriously, I'm afraid I may hurt another's feelings.

324anna, PrinceHans and 7 others like this

KotokoAihara I think that since they are princesses, it just makes people equate perfection with them. All of them have a flaw and perfection can even be a flaw. However, I do agree when people say Aurora is Mary Sue just because we didn't see much of her and that really is the best way I can describe her. I mean from the movie all I remember is that she pretty, nice, and sings well. Cinderella I don't find to be a Mary Sue because she displays emotion and actually gets mad at Lucifer and in the third movie she's almost a different person. The others expect maybe Snow White are most certainly not Mary Sues in my eyes.

CRaZy_rawR I don't think any of them are Mary Sues either! Great article, Jen. :D

Silverrose1991 Great article, Jen! None of the DPs are Mary-Sues, imo. Or even close to that. KotokoAihara - How is Aurora a Mary-Sue because of her lack of screentime? She can't even handle pressure well. Snow White is no Mary Sue either; she is very naive.

LibelluleBleu Great article! I agree with everything

MadameLee Ok Did you miss like the original song part of "Part of Your World"? Where its implied that Ariel being interested in the human world long before she sees Prince Eric. It's like she feels she should have been born a full-human instead half-human. Prince Eric was just the straw that broke the camel's back. Besides she would be as Sebastian puts it "totally miserable" down in the sea. Also she wasn't thinking straight she was upset at her father and also at Sebastian too. Hell I'm older then even Elsa and I totally understand Ariel's frustration.

banjoth I agree! Especially about he Ariel part, I find her selfish.

banjoth ^^ She never realized what her father was trying to do, help her. Because she was busy with herself. She thought he hated her when he was trying to protect her. But RoseOfRapunzel said Ariel gave her life for a stranger, your argument has no relation what soever. Ariel wants to give the life under the sea with her family she had for a stranger, only for looks. That's lust. What she did was unforgivable.

Tygers_Eye Great article, Rose Of Rapunzel. I agree completely with pretty much all of your article. The term "Mary Sue" has been thrown around so much that it's long lost all meaning. All the gals have flaws, shortcomings, etc.

KotokoAihara @Silverrose1991 : What I'm saying is that to me due to Aurora's lack of screen time she doesn't seem to have much of a personality to me. Maybe others see it differently, but to me that's how I see her. Mary Sue means an idealized character and to me Aurora is definitely idealized. She has curly hair and is blonde (a combination many girls dream of having). She's also kind, beautiful, and has a wonderful voice.

Silverrose1991 ^Mary Sue is a female character with no flaws, at least that's how I see it. And please, don't go stereotyping blonde hair as a Mary Sue trait. And everything you said - the amazing hair, kind, beautiful, etc - could be applied to every other DP (except Anna, for the hair part).

MadameLee But that's just it. Banjoth. Ariel didn't fit into her mermaid life. It would be like if I was born a man but wanted to a woman (or vice versa). Beside who to say that she didn't visit them occasionally before she had Melody? I think that King Trition could have easy made it that she was human on land but mermaid in the sea. But they didn't go that route. You don't seem to realize the newer (aka Disney Renaissance princesses) don't fit into the life that's except of them. Ariel doesn't fit into the mermaid life (if she did she wouldn't be curious in the first place about the human life), Belle doesn't fit into the towns' expectation of her being gossipy of other town's people and also marrying the Wealthiest man in the town-Gaston. Jasmine wants to see the world beyond the palace's walls-which would be unusual for a place like India/Middle East (In Real life India before the Taj Mahal was built and maybe after , Every spring or so the rulers' harem (wives, mistress, and other female relatives) would go out and have a female-oriented bazaar). Mulan is expected to be a good obedient daughter and future wife but she's more of a fighter person which was odd for the time.

AudreyFreak Mary Sues can still have "flaws", if they make them APPEALING to the audience, as Belle's stubbornness and snobbery (both of which most people believe is justified) or Rapunzel's clumsiness and defiance (same). the most common Mary Sue flaws are clumsy, has a temper, and stubborn. I would say those two are the closest to Mary Sues we have. Elsa isn't exactly a Sue, but she lacks real flaws and her fandom SERIOUSLY makes her sound like a goody-two-shoes Purity Sue when they shouldn't because she isn't. As for Aurora, a lack of screen time does not damper on her personality at all. many, many of us have written whole articles dissecting her personality and what about it we love. we learn a lot about her from the short time we have. I agree she is idealized, but I would also say she's one of the more flawed heroines. She timid, spineless, can't seem to make a proper decision on her own. She's too realistic (at least for her time period) to be a true Mary Sue, though I understand why some may think she is. But her beauty has nothing to do with that. Most people seem to hate blondes and some even dismiss pretty women, anyway.

MadameLee Macy your victim blaming again. About the entire spinning business when she was actually touching the spindle she was BRAIN WASHED much like Eric was in The Little Mermaid. Everything else had already been planned for her. What is that is said in Mulan II "The path of a princess from her birth is well defined She must humbly serve her country/play the part that she's been assigned" even if aurora/BR didn't know until 'today she's a princess the above still stands^ Those decisions (like the arranged marriage to Phillip) happened before she could have *any* say in it. Since she's a pawn techinally by her dad she has no choice but to go through it.

prinelsa ^Why are you even arguing about this here?