I already explained that my definition of a Sue was not intended to be an entirely negative thing. I listed those qualifications solely because the topic of Elizabeth being a Sue had already come up. If you put that statement in context, you'll see that it was actually in defense of Elizabeth.
pirateoftherings wrote:
Shadowcat wrote:
Elizabeth Swann: Hmm, I sense a bird theme.... She's gross, drippy, and in my opinion a Mary-Sue. And Keira Knightley can't act.
Yep. Bird theme. Really not that uncommon of a strategy for authors to create a link between the names of the main characters. I'm not sure what you mean by gross, but I definitely wouldn't call her drippy. She's a smart, fiercely independent young woman who will do whatever is necessary for those she loves (even hurt them to save them). The Mary-Sue, I'll give you. Elizabeth is pretty much a Mary-Sue. And, by that definition, so are Eowyn, Arwen (in the films), Princess Leia, Padme, and Arya, to name a few. In fact, I don't think I can name a single epic story that doesn't have at least one character who is somewhat of a Mary-Sue (and often at least one Gary Stu as well).
It was not an attack on Elizabeth's character, but rather supporting that she's like many other major female characters who we know and love. Your adding Elphaba to the list only supports my point.
For the record, I've been an obsessive fan of PotC since I was 13, LotR since I was 11, and Star Wars since I was 7. I've grown up absolutely adoring characters like Elizabeth, (book) Arwen, Eowyn, Leia, and Padme. But adoring a character doesn't mean that I'm going to disregard any hint of her being less than literary perfection. I'm sorry if I offended anyone by pointing out the flaws in a fictional character, but I was only stating my opinion.
