Subversive!sue--the study of Mary Sue as empowerment in fan fiction
Date of Publication
2007
Document Type
Bachelor's Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts in Literature
Subject Categories
Fiction
College
College of Liberal Arts
Department/Unit
Literature
Thesis Adviser
Anne Frances Sangil
Defense Panel Member
Shirley Lua
Ma. Teresa Wright
Abstract/Summary
This thesis, like all Mary Sue fan fics, is all about Mary Sue -- specifically, how her being larger-than-life is, in fact, a perfect fit within fan fiction. She too is but a form of fantasy fulfillment, and thus should be right at home within fan fiction -- it is simply from the viewpoint of those who constrain themselves within the box of the believable and the real that see her as a deviant, even a nuisance. The thesis adopts John Fiske's view of television popular culture as a means of subversion against the homogenization and control of the culture that controls television: that television's adherence to what is accepted as real and logical is simply a discourse that the dominant group uses to naturalize what they believe is natural and, therefore, right. This struggle can also be seen within the ranks of popular culture-- within fan culture and fandoms, to be precise. A fandom's strict adherence to the reality and logic of its canon text can be seen as an attempt to impose its chosen -- its logical, natural -- interpretations of the canon text as the only good way of interpreting it, and therefore the Mary Sue becomes an attempt at subversion.
Abstract Format
html
Language
English
Format
Accession Number
TU14603
Shelf Location
Archives, The Learning Commons, 12F, Henry Sy Sr. Hall
Physical Description
121 leaves ; 28 cm. + : 1 computer optical disc
Keywords
Fantasy fiction--History and criticism; Subversive activities; Intertextuality; Plots (Drama; novel; etc)
Recommended Citation
Santiago, M. (2007). Subversive!sue--the study of Mary Sue as empowerment in fan fiction. Retrieved from https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/2287