Is Harry a Gary Stu? (was: Mary Sue)

[kateydidnt2002]

No: HPFGUIDX 94750

> Section 4 - Super Powers
> 
> Does the character, not being fay, have magical/mutant powers 
anyway?
> [2]
> Can the character fly?[1] 
> Without the aid of wings?[2]

I think this is unfair to give points here-if it were Harry alone you 
could give points but as that is the world in which she is working in 
I don't think you can do it.

I don't think that test is accurate either. Take any main character 
from any book and most likely any of them would qualify-we read books 
about characters because the characters are different in some way or 
interesting in some way. Who wants to read a story about someone just 
like yourself? 

A Mary Sue/Gary Stu to me is a character that is 1)a self-insertion 
and 2) badly written. I do not see Harry as badly written nor do I 
see him as a self-insertion. Yes, he probably has *elements* of self-
insertion (he shares a birthday with JKR) but that does not mean he 
is a Gary Stu. How many people can write something *without* any type 
of self-insertion in the character? I don't think anyone can simply 
because you are the one writing and therefore you write what you know 
to a certain extent whether you like it or not.
I think I have lost track of my point here, but anyway, just some 
ideas.
Kateydidnt