Ashlyn Harris

Matthew Irwin
Literary analysis
2-14-16
I had the chance to watch and review the move Star Wars: The Force Awakens. This
movie, I thought, was very good. It is about a scavenger named Rey (Daisy Ridley) and a
renegade Stormtrooper named Fin (John Boyega) enlist the help of legendary smugglers/freedom
fighters Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Chewbacca to transport a droid carrying information
regarding the whereabouts of long lost Jedi Master Luke Skywalker to General Leia Organa of
the Resistance before it falls into the hands of Kylo Ren and the First Order.
There is one quite big question I kept asking myself the entire time while I was watching
Star Wars: the Force Awakens. That question is, is Rey from Star War: the Force Awaken a
Mary Sue? And why is Rey so perfect? What was the thinking behind it? Rey was such a big
impact on so many non-fans and fans the curiosity of knowing if people think how too extremely
perfect she is portrayed in the movie and if she is a Mary Sue is overwhelming, but the results
were satisfying.
I realized after doing research that the answer depends on your point of view. For
instance if you are a young girl who wishes desperately for a place alongside Hans Solo or Luke
Skywalker, then yes Rey is a Mary Sue. She is a pilot, mechanic fluent in multiple languages,
excels is hand to hand fighting, and can shoot with precision. Rey is depicted as a resourceful,
quick witted scavenger. She comes from modest beginnings. She was abandoned on a desolate

planet. All this without any answers why. At this point in the debate the question of Rey being a
Mary sue changes.
One of the most surprising things is the strength of the lead female role Rey (Daisy
Ridley). Who I personally believe to be a new feminist icon. She is beloved by not just casual
fans but die hard ones too. Despite the turn by star wars Harrison Ford as Hans Solo, The
Force Awakens is really about Rey. The focus of this strong female role is great, but is it almost
too great? She is a character skilled at piloting, strong with the force, and can handle a bow-staff,
a blaster and light saber. The skilled fighter and lead female role is almost too perfect making her
unrealistic, which is not only weird but a big change considering in all the older films female
roles are slim and short. Regardless of how perfect Rey is this story is centered on her.
In an article called The Force Awakens has a perfection problem By Megan McArdle
published in the BloombergView McArdle states Perfect in every way, beloved by children,
dogs and everyone around her. Also She answers the question perfectly of if the is a perfection
problem with Rey, she says The answer is that of course Rey is a Mary Sue, though not in this
case for the author; she is a stand-in for every 10-year-old who imagined themselves into the Star
Wars universe, and particularly the women who wanted to be Luke, not Princess Leia. J.J.
Abrams has taken all the skills of the main characters of the first "Star Wars" cast and rolled
them into one: She is a pilot as good as Han Solo, also a mechanic; she is apparently fluent in
multiple languages; she is a terrific hand-to-hand fighter, a good shot and, oh, she knows how to
use a lightsaber the first time she picks one up. I believe she explains perfectly why Rey is but
isnt a Mary Sue and gives an explanation to why people and she think this.
Christopher Souza tweeted Can't believe Rey and Finn used Lightsabers w/o training
Non-Jedi can't even look at a Lightsaber without bursting into flames #marysue. This tweet was

just a door that opened realization that it is crazy that Rey is so casually and perfectly talented
with no previous experience. He gives the comparison between her and a Non-Jedi to show how
shocking it is that it comes so naturally and she is so calm when handle the saber. Max Landis
tweeted they finally did it they made a fan fic movie with a Mary Sue as the main character.
Landis tweets and talks about how Rey is inspiring to both new and older star wars fans, he
believes that shes a multi-dimensional female character.
There are also many people who believe that Rey is not a Mary sue. In one article called
Please Stop Spreading This Nonsense that Rey from Star Wars is a Mary Sue by Charles
Anders he states Yes Rey is a tad unrealistic. Not unlike everything else in this
universe with a magic space elf and fantasy mind powers and spaceships that can
jump across the galaxy at the push of a button. What she isnt, is more unrealistic
than most of the other characters. Even though he agrees with the fact that she is
a bit of a Mary Sue he does not necessarily believe she is nothing less than any
other character in this movie.

Another article I found was called No, Rey from Star Wars: The Force Awakens is not a
Mary Sue by Rebecca Pahle stated Heres the problem: If Rey is a Mary Sue, then so are
Batman (ninja billionaire crime fighter), Neo (the Chosen One!), and Luke Skywalker (smalltown farm boy turned galaxy-saving super wizard) himself. Rebecca also stated If you think a
female character being so powerful is unrealistic then maybe the problem is you. This give a
new perspective, saying that the only reason that people think she is a Mary Sue is because she is
a powerful female character and that is the problem, not her actually being a powerful female
character.

One thing I noticed in the movie was the scene where Fin and Rey are trying to get away
and right before they take off with the millennium falcon they are running and Fin grabs Reys
hand and Rey says stop holding my hand/ why are you holding my hand. This just proves that
she is independent and can take care of herself. She doesnt need nor want help from anyone.
Rey never wants anyone to think that she is weak, she even at one point in the movie almost
disguises as a man so people dont think little of her. She is so knowing and capable that she is
just as equal as any man.
In conclusion I have come to the realization that Rey is not necessarily a Mary Sue but
a hero like figure that happens to be almost non-realistic. She has changed the idea and image of
female roles and heroes for not only star wars fans but anyone who enjoys science fiction or
action and hero movies. She is a one of a kind character that I was pleased to look into and
discover more about her.

Work Cited

The Force Awakens has a perfection problem By Megan McArdle, BloombergView,

Dec 29 2015.

http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-12-29/-the-force-awakens-has-a-perfectionproblem

Christopher Souza, Twitter, Jan 2016

https://twitter.com/ChristophSouza/status/686392931599519745
Mark Landis, Twitter, Dec 18 2015
https://twitter.com/Uptomyknees/status/678046484873416704?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
New 'Star Wars' heroine Rey already faces a backlash over being too perfect By Michelle
Jaworski, Dec 21 2015
http://www.dailydot.com/geek/star-wars-force-awakens-rey-mary-sue-backlash/