Sue

E501495

Sue is the tough, resilient male protagonist of the humorous country song "A Boy Named Sue," whose life is shaped by the hardships caused by his traditionally feminine name.

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Observed surface forms (1)

Surface form Occurrences
Sue (A Boy Named Sue) 0

Statements (43)

Predicate Object
instanceOf fictional character
song character
appearsInMedium song
appearsInWork A Boy Named Sue NERFINISHED
associatedWithTheme father–son relationships
humor and hardship
identity and naming
masculinity
backstoryEvent abandoned by his father as a child
named Sue by his father before abandonment
characterRole protagonist
conflictWith father of Sue (A Boy Named Sue)
countryOfOrigin United States of America
surface form: United States
createdBy Shel Silverstein NERFINISHED
culturalImpact became an iconic example of a boy with a feminine name in popular culture
emotionalArc from hatred to partial understanding of his father
gender male
genreOfWorkAppearedIn country
novelty song
hasFather father of Sue (A Boy Named Sue)
hasGivenName Sue NERFINISHED
hasTraditionallyFeminineName true
keyEvent fights his father in a bar
reconciles with his father after the fight
tracks down his father in adulthood
learnsFromFather name was intended to make him tough
lifeExperience grew up hard and mean
learned to fight to defend himself
mocked for having a feminine name
motivatedBy desire for revenge on his father
humiliation caused by his name
narrativeRole first-person narrator
narrativeTone humorous
personalityTrait angry
determined
resilient
tough
portrayedBy Johnny Cash (vocals in famous recording) NERFINISHED
primaryLanguageOfWorkAppearedIn English
seeks revenge on his father
settingOfLife rural American South/West (implied)
symbolizes challenges of nonconforming gendered names
resilience in the face of ridicule

Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.