Tyler Viator
Due: March 5, 2015
English 2123
Lisa Nohner
A Mother’s Influence Stephen King’s novel, Carrie, is the story of a girl who uncovers her unique ability on her path to womanhood and power. Stephen King wrote his story about Carrie three years after he graduated from college. During the 1970s, while King was in college, he was transformed by the idea of Women’s Liberation and how it would influence both males and females. King used interstitial, grotesque, sexual, gender, power, and violent literary elements with components of the European and American gothic genre to create a Supernatural Horror/Drama that reflected on life during the time period.
Carrie White was raised by her widowed mother, Margaret White, on Carlin St. in Chamberlain, Maine during the mid 1970s. Throughout Carrie’s childhood, she was the subject of mental and physical abuse. Her mother and late father, Ralph White, were religious zealots who attempted to conceal Carrie from the outside world. Often times, when Carrie acted out, Margaret would inflict physical pain upon herself and sentence Carrie the closet to punish her for her wrongdoings. The abuse did not stop at home. At the age of 17, Carry had her first menstrual cycle in the girls’ shower of her high school Ewan Consolidated High School. After the girls recognized Carrie’s confusion and panic, they began to collectively ridicule her until Mrs. Desjardin, their instructor could come to Carrie’s aid. On the way home from school that day, Carrie discovered her telekinetic ability and the mechanism of which she could perform it. Carrie honed her skills throughout the novel by practicing on objects throughout her home.
The next Monday, when the kids reported back to school, Mrs. Desjardin informed the girls that participated in Carrie’s attack that they would be required to complete a week of detention. Chris Hargensen, one of the more popular girls in school, refused to comply. For this reason, she was suspended three days and her prom ticket stripped from her, a travesty for someone of her social class. Chris Hargensen blamed Carrie for what transpired and it intensified her hate for Carrie. Sue Snell, another popular girl, sympathized with Carrie and felt responsibility for her role in Carrie’s embarrassment. Sue suggested to Tommy, her boyfriend and lover, that he ask Carrie to the Spring Prom. He agreed to the plan spurred by Sue’s guilt and Carrie accepted reluctantly. Midway through the Prom, Tommy and Carrie were having a wonderful time together. Carrie looked beautiful in her homemade dress and people responded well to her, but another plan was in place. Chris Hargensen’s devised a plan with her boyfriend, Billy Nolan, to ruin Carrie’s prom and embarrass her one more time. As Tommy and Carrie were announced King and Queen, they were doused in pig blood by two buckets from the rafters. The bucket that struck Tommy killed him. Carrie fled the gym embarrassment, where her telekinetic powers took over. She closed the door to trap everyone inside. Next, she broke the water lines and electrocuted the student and faculty inside. Then, she escaped to her house leaving a trail of destruction. She used her powers to stop her mother’s heart. Her next targets were Chris and Billy. She wrecked their car, killing them both. Then, her body became weak. Carrie died lying in Sue Snell’s arms.
Carrie was a monster. Noel Carroll defines a monster as someone who violates the natural order, where the perimeter of natural order is determined by contemporary science. (Carroll 1987) Chamberlain’s response to Carrie following the Spring Dance is evidence of her characterization as a monster. The fear of the city’s citizens was driven by their inability to comprehend Carrie’s power. Stephen King’s description of Chamberlain and the societal structure throughout the city depicted normalcy. The setting and characters presented a realistic view of what it would’ve been like to live in a small city during the 1970s. For example, the administration and students at Ewan Consolidated High School faced similar struggles those found at high schools everywhere. Also, girls faced common struggles in regards to their sexuality. The obvious outliers within Chamberlain were the Whites.
Margaret Chamberlain’s estranged childhood was caused by her strong adherence to her religious beliefs. Her beliefs also caused a profound impact on Carrie’s childhood. Carrie’s upbringing was further complicated by her supernatural ability to perform telekinesis and the absence of her father, Ralph White. Her adolescent life starkly contrasted others in the community, leaving them unable to relate. The community’s inability to understand the White’s family dynamic and Carrie’s telekinetic abilities defined her perception as a monster. The White Commission Report detailed the accounts of Carrie’s terror. The State Investigatory Report of Maine quickly deemed what was inside the report impossible to happen again. Their rapid decision stemmed from fear, because of their inability to comprehend the underlying principles of Carrie’s condition.
The term Grotesque, as an element of literature, is defined as the distortion or lack of adherence to societal boundaries or boundaries established throughout the literature (Cohen 2013). Grotesqueness is often personified by disgusting, frightening, and exaggerated action. I will focus on two pivotal manifestations of grotesqueness pertaining to Carrie. Following the events of Carrie’s menstrual episode in the shower, Sue Snell began to share in the pain Carrie felt. It is not clear whether her actions were truly altruistic or out of selfishness, but they prompted a change in her actions. Sue’s remorse was personified by giving up her date to the prom. Sue was distraught by how long the ridicule of Carrie persisted and her actions allowed Carrie to experience one night of normalcy. Sue’s response to Carrie’s struggles was contrasted Chris’s.
Throughout Chris’s entire life, she had complete control. Her life afforded her the ability, money, and status to change circumstances and dictate the terms of her friendships. However, when she was denied access to her senior prom, it triggered something within her. She sought revenge against Carrie. Chris was never courteous towards Carrie, but her feelings toward Carrie had never resulted in something as traumatic as what took place at the prom. Her willingness to commit the crimes associated with dumping pig blood on Carrie and Tommy demonstrated how far her hatred had evolved. Her actions were exacerbated by the choice of pig blood. Another substance would’ve caused ample embarrassment, but the use of pig’s blood made Chris’s statement profound. Her actions prompted another sequence of grotesqueness.
The embarrassment Carrie suffered at the hands of Chris pushed her over the edge and she lost all reason. The amplification of her telekinetic power, electrocution of her classmates, explosion of gas stations, and the murder of her mother were representative of her psychotic break. Carrie loved her mother despite the problems that arose from her religious standards and instability. I don’t believe Carrie would’ve sought out the death of her mother without the blurred moral lines stemming from her escalation. The alteration of these three characters ideals and the exaggeration of their actions impacted the story tremendously.
While reading Carrie, it is apparent Stephen King was influenced by the European and American gothic literary genres. King places focus on the effects of childhood experiences, rebellion, while using a literary structure present in Frankenstein to build suspense for an impending disaster. (Richter 1998) A literary writing style used in Carrie and Frankenstein is termed epistolary. Carrie’s third person omniscient point of view was spliced with excerpts from Susie and various news sources documenting future events and their emotional fallout. The passages revealed partial information about the violence and destruction that would take place surrounding the Spring Dance in order to build suspense around the climax of the novel. Another instance of European and American gothic, was Carrie’s dispute with her mother preceding the dance. Carrie’s mother repeatedly demanded that Carrie not accept Tommy’s invite to the prom and to change her dress. However, Carrie defied her mother in both circumstances. These acts of rebellion served as a catalyst to Carrie’s unraveling. Lastly, Carrie and Margaret’s experiences as children greatly influenced their adult lives. As children, Margaret and Carrie had continuous conflict with their parental authority. Carrie displayed little insight into issues that affect teenage girls. Also, she had an inability to control her telekinetic powers. This resulted from her mother’s neglect and unwillingness to communicate with Carrie on issues of importance. The novel’s initial conflict regarding Carrie’s menstruation could’ve been avoided if her mother would’ve been more aware of Carrie’s needs. The final episode may have never happened if her mother did not neglect Carrie’s telekinetic capabilities during her childhood. The novel ends with an insight into Annie Jenks’s telekinetic power and family. I believe the audience takes away a positive outlook for Annie, because she has parents who will enable a fruitful life by guiding and instructing her on the responsibilities she has.
The idea of becoming a woman is held in high regard by males and females. Males fantasize sexually about a woman’s beautiful physique, and females dream about blossoming into a woman. Carrie’s development alters this fanatical desire for both genders. In the shower scene, Carrie is described as a little chubby and the onset of her menstrual cycle interjects an unglamorous biological process. Later, Sue and Mrs. Desjardin spoke about how the idea of a period turned women into “snarling creatures.” (King 1974) When Sue Snell makes the decision to engage in sexual intercourse for the first time with Tommy, she is left disappointed. In fact, it thrust her mind into thinking about her life after high school. She was not satisfied with her dull perception. Sue received very little fulfillment from an action that was deemed so important by society. Typically, in horror stories, male actions are of the mind and female actions are of the body. (Williams 1991) However, the source of Carrie’s power was of the mind. Her telekinetic power directly contradicted this theme throughout horror stories. Also, in King’s description of telekinetic power, it is only genetically possible for women to have the trait. Lastly, it is believed that Carrie’s gender is a driving force behind fear in this novel due to its threat to a patriarchal society and power.
In Carrie, Stephen King uses violence to symbolize the struggle for power. The two main struggles for power are Carrie vs. Margaret and Carrie vs. Chris Hargensen. In the end, Carrie wins both bouts. Throughout Carrie’s childhood, Margaret used violence to control Carrie. When Carrie was defiant, her mother would do physical harm to herself by tearing her flesh and to Carrie. Often times, Carrie gave into her mother’s demands because of the pain associate with both. However, as Carrie’s telekinetic power developed she was able to cease the physical abuse from her mother. As Carrie developed into a woman, her priorities shifted slightly. Her desire to fulfill her own needs as a person outweighed her desire to please her mother. Carrie’s realization of her own needs is symbolized by her defiance of her mother leading up to the prom and eventually the murder of her mother. The popular girls used their status to belittle Carrie, but the emergence of Carrie’s power provided her a mechanism to fight back. The way Carrie used her telekinetic power was portrayed in a masculine way. She used it for violence and destruction rather than to create. The evolution of her telekinetic capabilities changed the dynamic of power in the novel.
Through the novel Carrie, Stephen King brought attention to many issues that surrounded society. During the 1970s, women were more influential and powerful than they had ever been. Carrie painted the picture of a female teenager’s struggle, the problems associated with regaining control, and the influence a mother has on her children.

Literature Cited

Carroll, Noel. "The Nature of Horror." The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism 46.1 (1987): 51-59. Print.

King, Stephen. Carrie. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1974. Print.

Richter, David H. "The Progress of Romance: Literary Historigraphy and the Gothic Novel." Modern Language Quarterly 59.2 (1998): 276. Print.

Shabat, Sara Cohen. "Towards a Grotesque Phenomenology of Ethical Eroticism." Women 24.1 (2013): 72-90. Print.

Williams, Linda. "Film Bodies: Gender, Genre, and Excess." Film Quarterly 44.4 (1991): 2-13. Print.