History Main / PuritySue

A PuritySue can be male or female without significant difference, but in all but the earliest incarnations there's a strong tendency towards the latter. It is a character that is intentionally made by the author to be overly positive. They almost never have any flaws that actually affect them in a way that truly matters, usually going for endearing traits such as "[[CuteClumsyGirl clumsiness]]" or [[WideEyedIdealist naïveté]], instead getting overloaded with [[MenActWomenAre overwhelmingly positive but largely passive traits]] (i.e. [[BeautyEqualsGoodness beauty]], [[TheIngenue innocence]], etc.). The character will usually be soft-spoken, have a pleasant voice, and be mild-mannered. Often, the traits verge towards the [[OthernessTropes ethereal]], with auras, non-human lineage, and other such things. She may be a BarrierMaiden or a {{Miko}}. [[note]] Although not all {{Barrier Maiden}}s or {{Miko}} are {{Mary Sue}}s. [[/note]] And the narrative will almost always go out of its way to describe her as [[NatureAdoresAVirgin a virgin]]. Bonus points if her modesty and virginity are [[NotLikeOtherGirls what set her apart from "all those other girls,"]] and/or has no real bearing on the story or her role in it.

->''"The crew look awesome in civvies--although this is the third time this year that Janeway has been stuck into [[WomanInWhite virginal white]]. Are the writers trying to tell us something?"''

-->--'''[[http://docohobigfinish.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/voyager-season-three.html Doc Oho]]''' on ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'', "Future's End"

Modern male Purity Sues are uncommon, but they're much more common in historic shows and texts. They tend to fall into three categories:

A PuritySue can be male or female without significant difference, but in all but the earliest incarnations there's a strong tendency towards the latter. It is a character that is intentionally made by the author to be overly positive. They almost never have any flaws that actually affect them in a way that truly matters, usually going for endearing traits such as "[[CuteClumsyGirl clumsiness]]" or [[WideEyedIdealist naïveté]], instead getting overloaded with [[MenActWomenAre overwhelmingly positive but largely passive traits]] (i.e. [[BeautyEqualsGoodness beauty]], [[TheIngenue innocence]], etc.). The character will usually be soft-spoken, have a pleasant voice, and be mild-mannered. Often, the traits verge towards the [[OthernessTropes ethereal]], with auras, non-human lineage, and other such things. She may be a BarrierMaiden or a {{Miko}}. [[note]] Although not all {{Barrier Maiden}}s or {{Miko}} are {{Mary Sue}}s. [[/note]] And the narrative will almost always go out of its way to describe her as [[NatureAdoresAVirgin a virgin]]. Bonus points if her modesty and virginity are [[NotLikeOtherGirls what set her apart from "all those other girls."]]

[[noreallife]]

A PuritySue can be male or female without significant difference, but in all but the earliest incarnations there's a strong tendency towards the latter. It is a character that is intentionally made by the author to be overly positive. They almost never have any flaws that actually affect them in a way that truly matters, usually going for endearing traits such as "[[CuteClumsyGirl clumsiness]]" or [[WideEyedIdealist naïveté]], instead getting overloaded with [[MenActWomenAre overwhelmingly positive but largely passive traits]] (i.e. [[BeautyEqualsGoodness beauty]], [[TheIngenue innocence]], etc.). The character will usually be soft-spoken, have a pleasant voice, and be mild-mannered. Often, the traits verge towards the [[OthernessTropes ethereal]], with auras, non-human lineage, and other such things. She may be a BarrierMaiden or a {{Miko}}. And the narrative will almost always go out of its way to describe her as [[NatureAdoresAVirgin a virgin]]. Bonus points if her modesty and virginity are [[NotLikeOtherGirls what set her apart from "all those other girls."]]

A PuritySue can be male or female without significant difference, but in all but the earliest incarnations there's a strong tendency towards the latter. It is a character that is intentionally made by the author to be overly positive. They almost never have any flaws that actually affect them in a way that truly matters, usually going for endearing traits such as "[[CuteClumsyGirl clumsiness]]" or [[WideEyedIdealist naïveté]], instead getting overloaded with overwhelmingly positive but largely passive traits (i.e. [[BeautyEqualsGoodness beauty]], [[TheIngenue innocence]], etc.). The character will usually be soft-spoken, have a pleasant voice, and be mild-mannered. Often, the traits verge towards the [[OthernessTropes ethereal]], with auras, non-human lineage, and other such things.

A PuritySue can be male or female without too significant a difference, but in all but the earliest incarnations there's a strong tendency towards the latter. It is a character that is intentionally made by the author to be overly positive. They almost never have any flaws that actually affect them in a way that truly matters, usually going for endearing traits such as "[[CuteClumsyGirl clumsiness]]" or [[WideEyedIdealist naïveté]], instead getting overloaded with overwhelmingly positive but largely passive traits (i.e. [[BeautyEqualsGoodness beauty]], [[TheIngenue innocence]], etc.). The character will usually be soft-spoken, have a pleasant voice, and be mild-mannered. Often, the traits verge towards the [[OthernessTropes ethereal]], with auras, non-human lineage, and other such things.

->'''Rich:''' She's in the woods; she's gotta [[FriendToAllLivingThings frolic with bunnies.]]\\
'''Jack:''' She's flying; she needs to [[AllGirlsLikePonies fly by some ponies]].\\
--'''''[[WebVideo/BestOfTheWorst Best of the Worst]]''''' watches ''{{Film/Supergirl}}''

->''"Janeway made it clear the only reason they were staying behind was because she didn't want to risk the Ocampa. All other reasons stumble in front of this point: it means that faced with a crew desperate to get home and a woman liable to literally ''attack'' her for this decision, she chose the weakest possible argument to give them that said 'We could, but we won't' instead of 'It just won't work.' This is because Jeri Taylor was involved, and Janeway had to do it for reasons of pure nobility rather than because it made sense."''
-->--'''[[{{Website/SFDebris}} Chuck Sonnenburg]]''', discussing ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'' ("Caretaker")

The original MarySue archetype to gain wide recognition, from as early as {{King Arthur}}'s Galahad of the Sangreal. IncorruptiblePurePureness is the theme here.

Like all Mary Sues, she doesn't do enough to justify the positive response. And as usual it's the writer's fault. A character who would come off as wise and innocent in the hands of a better writer, motivating the main characters in their down-time, turns into a smiling ditz who manages to convince people to do the right thing just because we are ''informed'' that she is wise and innocent, and somehow she ''is'' the main character. She's usually cast as a passive motivator of other people, inspiring them to strive towards the author's goals by her very presence alone. Oh, sure, she might smile, offer encouragement, write articles, and other such things, but she gets such a disproportionately positive response that it soon breaks the WillingSuspensionOfDisbelief.

She's usually cast as a passive motivator of other people, inspiring people to strive towards the author's goals by her very presence alone. Oh, sure, she might smile, offer encouragement, write articles, and other such things, but she gets such a disproportionately positive response that it breaks the WillingSuspensionOfDisbelief.

She most often overlaps with RelationshipSue (although romance isn't a necessary ingredient for this character), but can easily overlap with FixerSue. Almost never truly overlaps with GodModeSue because her overwhelming righteousness is usually the focus of the story and not her objective actions. AntiSue, JerkSue and VillainSue are all antitheses to this character type (especially the last, since she's ''always'' a protagonist). This is the type that most often shows up as a ParodySue.

[[caption-width-right:210:See how she sparkles// See how she shines...]]

[[caption-width-right:210:See how she sparkles//See how she shines...]]

[[caption-width-right:210:See how she sparkles//
//See how she shines...]]

[[caption-width-right:210:See how she sparkles, see how she shines...]]

* [[SaintlyChurch Members of the clergy]], especially during the HaysCode years. Before the HaysCode, [[SinisterMinister clergymen were a prime target of satire]].
* Police and judges, again especially during the HaysCode years.
* KnightInShiningArmor, long after the Age of Chivalry was over, assuming it ever really existed, which is a matter of some debate.

[[caption-width-right:210:[[VirginityMakesYouStupid ...Why is she cross-eyed?]][[hottip:*:Isn't she looking at the butterfly?]]]]

See also MarySueClassic, the fairly specific and extremely common plot format that uses this character type exclusively. This trope, along with that framework, is the oldest (widely accepted) form of Sue, being OlderThanSteam and probably (depending on whether you believe Galahad was a Christ figure) OlderThanFeudalism.

[[caption-width-right:210:[[VirginityMakesYouStupid ...Why is she cross-eyed?]]]]

->'''Kristen Stewart:''' Aren't well-written characters supposed to have flaws?\\
'''Anna Kendrick:''' Flaws? Oh, well, um, I suppose you could argue that you're a little TOO perfect and amazing. But I don't think so. Let's make out.
-->-- {{Cracked}}.com, ''[[http://www.cracked.com/article_16878_if-twilight-was-10-times-shorter-100-times-more-honest.html If 'Twilight' Was 10 Times Shorter And 100 Times More Honest]]''

[[caption-width-right:210:[[InnocenceVirginOnStupidity ...Why is she cross-eyed?]]]]