"Innocent schoolgirl or vengeful demon...Carrie will make you shudder." This quote was taken off the back cover of my copy of Carrie (which I just finished). It makes me wonder.How much of what Carrie did to the town of Chamberlain, ME was she personally responsible for? If you wanted to argue the "innocent schoolgirl" theory, Carrie was a teenage girl just going through puberty, and suffering a traumatic school and home life. A typical child in those circumstances would undoubtedly lash out at those around her. We see that in various forms and degrees of severity every day. Carrie just happened to posses certain powers that other typical children do not. How often do we see child abusers, murderers and rapist's lives examined, and the moment it is uncovered that they were abused as children, or picked on in school we all say, "Ah...that explains it." Does it really? It is easy to look at a person's misfortunes and turn them into a reason...but is that really an excuse? Don't we all have free will that stops us from doing such horrific things in the heat of anger? So..."innocent schoolgirl"? I can't agree to that. In my previous post, I said that when I was picked on in school, that I would have done exactly what Carrie did had I the power. I don't know if I can amend that now honestly, and that thought alone gives me pause. I would like to think that I would have had the power to stop myself, before I committed murder, but rage, in a tormented teenager can be a dangerous and destructive thing. And just how "innocent" is anybody really?
As for the possibility of Carrie as a "vengeful demon"...this is a thought that I had never really considered until just today when I was exchanging comments on my last post with Jerry. I referred to Carrie as "becoming a god" when she rained down death and destruction upon the town. In the book, she even starts to think of herself as "...the Angel with the Sword. The Fiery Sword." Maybe that's not too far off the mark. Perhaps, a god trapped in human form, is more like it. As Carrie's power grows, she starts to effect people. She doesn't just move things with her mind, she gets into people's heads. This makes me think that maybe she is not an entity of her own. She is a part of everything and everyone around her, like nature. This is indeed what some would consider "God". Once she gets going, she brings the whole town down to its knees. Why the whole town? Why not just those who harmed her? I think that it is because it was not just the kids or her mother who drove Carrie to this point of breakage, and it's not just Carrie White who is being avenged. As the book constantly reminds us, there are plenty more "Carrie Whites" out there. She is a literary representative for all of the angry, abused, tormented, and troubled children in the world. She brings the whole town down, because it IS everyone's fault. And so all of society must be punished. I think that is why Chamberlain does not get rebuilt in the end. The damage is beyond repair, and the survivors are forever scarred. No one will forget Carrie White. And there is no feeling of closure in the end of the story, because the story is not really ever over.
So "innocent schoolgirl or vengeful demon"? Take your pick...but I think that like most things in life, it falls somewhere in the grey area between the two.
I will check in again after a viewing of both movie versions...and then on to 'Salem's Lot.
A few final thoughts on “Carrie”…
ReplyDeleteI thought (and still think) that “Carrie” is one of the least successful of his early books. It’s because the newspaper, book and transcript excerpts both break the story up and clue the reader into what is going to happen. We know early on that 200 people are going to die; that something happens at the school; and, if you read between the lines, that Carrie herself doesn’t survive. This, along with the choppiness of the narrative interspersed with the excerpts, really drags at my enjoyment of the story. In my opinion, King improves by leaps and bounds when he discards the device in his next book.
I have a story about the movie version of “Carrie”. I was on a school choir trip when the movie was originally in theaters. I was 16 and extremely shy. A group decided to go see the movie one night and it ended up being a kind of group date in that couples were sitting together. I asked a lovely foreign exchange student, a few years my senior, to join me. (It was tortuous asking her – it was, in my mind, my first “date”.) So, the movie starts – with the shower scene. I was mortified, staring at the screen because the alternative, glancing over at my “date”, was just too horrible to imagine. Then, all of a sudden, I feel her shift in her seat, lean over to me, and whisper in my ear, “What is ‘Plug it up’?”
Ha ha...that's great. I can see how that memory would stick with you.
ReplyDeleteAbout the format of the book, I can see what you mean about how the narrative gets broken up a lot, although I think your view on how it effects the surprise factor of the story differs from mine. Personally, I enjoy the creative ways that SK breaks up the narrative, even though I do recognize it as being a bit "gimmicky", and he probably used this method as an easy way to give exposition without having to write in into the narrative. I also don't mind knowing ahead of time what is going to happen, as I think that the suspense in the story lies is the "how", and not necessarily in the "what". But I can totally see what you mean, and I do agree that he continues to improve his writing style in future books.
Well, to tell the truth I have never been good at the 3 R’s, however I decided to take a stab at reading along with you and it took me less than 2 days to read Carrie, which for me is utterly amazing, so I thought I would take a stab at one of the other R’s to see if that has improved with age.
ReplyDelete(cross my fingers their all going to laugh at you)
There has been some discussion around the general layout of the book and the manner in which SK eventually wrote the book. I can see where it may work for some and not for others. That being said I have to say that it works for me. Carrie, to me, is much like Titanic
(god I hate that movie)
in that, the suspense is not about what will happen. We already know right from the get go what will happen, so it is more about the how, when, and why it will happen. It also tends to lend a documentary-style feeling. It also reminds me of one of my favorite director’s (Brian DePalma) style, specifically his use of split screen.
(how strange that he should also be the director of carrie o the joy o the excitement but must not get side tracked and continue to talk about the book)
In Titanic you know the ship is going down no matter what they do to it. You know the voyage is doomed but what is it that you want to see. You want to see the ship go down and you want to see how it all happens.
(damn this movie stuck in my head should start right at the sinking scene who cares about the romance)
I always knew the ship went down but had no idea that it buckled under its own weight as it went down and broke in half. For me all the details and points of view is what really drove me through Carrie.
(no more titanic CARRIE CARRIE CARRIE)
FLEX
When it comes to my theories on Carrie, it really speaks to me of balance. To me, you can’t have good with out evil or evil without good. It is all a very delicate balance, and with wisdom and knowledge you learn how to make adjustments to that balance. In most cases, you can make a minor adjustment here which, in turn, causes a major change there. All the characters are moving through life making adjustments some small, some large. The only thing is there balancing game also effects everyone else’s game as well. As a character Sue Snell starts to play the balance game with maturity however she still hasn’t learned “how” to play it and consequently even though she is trying to do right she may have inadvertently played a part in Carrie’s
(you should have told me momma)
ReplyDeletebalancing game.
I see every character has having shades of grey. They are neither all black nor all white. An interesting point is the characters of Chris Hargensen and Billy Nolan. They are 2 halves of the same whole. Chris comes up with this joke and Billy sits on her shoulder and keeps her on track with fulfilling this joke. Chris gets to a point where she looses control of the situation and Billy ends up taking over. This makes a great reflection
(crack the mirror split)
to Carrie White in that Carrie also has her idea of letting them experience being the butt of the joke but then looses control. One is internalized while the other is externalized but both suffer the same fate of loosing control much in the same way you can throw a rock off a building. Once it is in the air and falling there is no stopping it, you just have to ride it out.
(but momma is crazy don’t forget she’s crazy)
When it comes to Margaret, I think she is a perfect example and someone who goes to such extremes that they end up on the opposite side of where they want to be. Margaret, in her own mind
(all shall burn in hell!!!)
is such a good, god-fearing person but she has gone so far that she is filled with anger. She feels that everyone must be punished for their sin and moreover she comes across as the person that will make sure it happens to you. There is no true love or bright light about her she has tarnished and been corrupted by the perceptions of ultimate good. She is quick to point the finger.
(dirtypillows the first sin is blood he took me i liked it i should have killed you)
Finally before I get caught up in way to much
(I probably already have say it)
I do want to touch on the catastrophic
(say it)
ending and the destruction of the majority of the town. What starts off, as I mentioned earlier, as Carrie’s way of turning the tables ends up in a complete loss of control. She goes back to give a dose of medicine
(eve was weak say it eve was weak)
ReplyDeleteBut then looses all control and at this point everyone must pay. It begs the question, “Are you innocent because you turned a blind eye?” Those that tormented Carrie were punished but so were others that never did anything to Carrie. Carrie, however was the bottom of the school food chain. Those who were laughed at also laughed at Carrie. They may not have instigated anything but no one tried to stop it either and by the time her dose of medicine turns into a vengeance that she can no longer control, that actually controls her, everyone will pay. Funny how in a strange way only a few kids actually survived.
(Blasphemer)
It is oddly enough like Noah’s Ark. Let’s just wipe the slate clean
(devil spawn)
And start with all new children and see if they can be made better. We will let some leave, 2 by 2, to start a new.
(burn in hell!!!)
Wow, didn’t think I was going to go there myself but it ain’t worth reading if Margaret White isn't offended.
(go to the closet and pray pray for forgiveness)
At this point I will quote the book. “Whatever any of us may think of the Carrie White affair, it is over. It’s time to turn to the future.”
FLEX
(sit down momma!!!)
PS- stupid computer trying to tell me how much I can type....BURN IN HELL... =)