Carrie Art
Works / Novels

Carrie

Carrie Art

Released

April 5th, 1974

Available Format(s)

Hardcover / Paperback / Audio / Kindle

Publisher

Doubleday

The story of misfit high-school girl, Carrie White, who gradually discovers that she has telekinetic powers. Repressed by a domineering, ultra-religious mother and tormented by her peers at school, her efforts to fit in lead to a dramatic confrontation during the senior prom. 

From the Flap

Carrie was the odd one at school; the one whose reflexes were always off in games, whose clothes never really fit, who never got the point of a joke. And so she became the joke, the brunt of teenaged cruelties that puzzled her as much as they wounded her.

There was hardly any comfort in playing her private game, because like so many things in Carrie's life, it was sinful. Or so her mother said. Carrie could make things move--by concentrating on them, by willing them to move. Small things, like marbles, would start dancing. Or a candle would fall. A door would lock. This was her game, her power, her sin, firmly repressed like everything else about Carrie.

One act of kindness, as spontaneous as the vicious jokes of her classmates, offered Carrie a new look at herself the fateful night of her senior prom. But another act--of furious cruelty--forever changed things and turned her clandestine game in to a weapon of horror and destruction.

She made a lighted candle fall, and she locked the doors...

Inspiration

The character "Carrie" was a composite of two girls Stephen knew during high school. The story is largely about how women find their own channels of power, and what men fear about women and women's sexuality. "Carrie White is a sadly mis-used teenager, an example of the sort of person whose spirit is so often broken for good in that pit of man- and woman-eaters that is your normal suburban high school. But she's also Woman, feeling her powers for the first time and, like Samson, pulling down the temple on everyone in sight at the end of the book." 

Characters

Hide List Show List
Name
Description
"Bomba"
George Dawson
"DON MacLEAN'S SECRET LOVER"
Carrie (according to Carrie)
"LITTLE MISS SORORITY"
Sue Snell, according to herself.
"MISS MOUSTACHE"
Miss Geer
"Suzy Creamcheese"
Sue Snell, according to herself.
"THE NICE GIRL"
Sue Snell, according to herself.
Brucie
Billy Nolan's mother's boyfriend
Cindi
Ewen High School student
David
School District #4 assistant principal George Kramer cut David's hair without his parent's permission. The incident became a court case called "School District #4 vs David."
Fern
Ewen High School student
Galatea
On prom night, Tommy Ross told Carrie she was like Galatea she, too, was transformed from a drudge into a beautiful woman
Gramma
Annie Jenks's grandmother
He/She/It
God, according to Carrie
Josie and the Moonglows
They supplied the music for part of the evening at the Ewen High School senior prom.
MARGARET WHITE'S GRANDMOTHER
She was a witch.
MISS DESJARDINS FIRST PROM DATE
Unnamed gent
Peter
Ewen High School student.
Sheila Horan's Brother
He was hit by a hay truck.
The Billy Bosnan Band
They supplied the music at the Ewen High School senior prom
The Black Man
Satan
The Junkman
Jerry Smith paid the junkman a hundred dollars to chip off a piece of stone from the rocks that fell on Carrie's house, so he could have it checked out at Boston University;
The unnamed boy
Dale Ullman whispered to him,
Three Telephone Operators
Unnamed; they stayed on duty during the Black Prom.
Two Men
Two unnamed men electrocuted the night of the Black Prom.
Two or Three Stagehands
They moved the King and Queen thrones
Allison, Harold
Margaret White's stepfather
Allison, Judith Brigham
Margaret White's mother
Bankson, J.W.
A scholar who believed that Margaret White blocked her pregnancy from her mind
Barrett, Don
Ewen High School student
Bicente, Mrs.
A deceased Ewen High teacher
Billy, Uncle
Tommy Ross's uncle
Blake, Henry
Friend of Billy Nolan
Blake, Tina
Ewen High School student
Bliss, P.P. J
Hymn writer
Block, Harry
The Chamberlain commissioner of public utilities
Bracken, David
Ewen High School student
Brann, Doug
He owned the Western Auto Store
Brigham, John
Margaret White's father
Brock, Lennie
Ewen High School student
Burton, Chief
Police chief
Cantor, Eddie
"Banjo Eyes."
Chairman, Mr.
Unnamed chairman of the White Commission.
Chamberlain, William A.
The president of Chamberlain Mills and Weaving
Chizmar, George
Ewen High's most artistic student
Cochran, Sadie
Margaret Brigham's grandmother
Cowan, Maureen
She played folk music with John Swithen at the Ewen High School senior prom
Crager, Mel
The Durham, Maine, police officer
Cratzchbarken, Morton
He lectured to the "National Colloquium on Psychic Phenomena."
Crewes, Myra
Ewen High School student
Dawson, George
Ewen High School student
Dawson, Mrs.
George's mother
Deighan, Steve
One of Billy Nolan's friends
DeLois, Billy
Ewen High student
Desjardin, Rita L.
Ewen High School's gym teacher
Deveaux, Sam
He owned the Cavalier bar
Downer, Mr.
Music teacher. He played the piano
Doyle, Otis "Big Otis"
Sheriff
Doyle, Otis (Sheriff)
The Chamberlain, Maine, sheriff a/k/a "Big Otis."
Drain, Henry
He had a meadow that bordered the Cavalier bar's property
Dubay, Fast Marcel
Poker player Thomas Quillan thought Dubay cheated
Duchamp, Teddy
Owned Teddy's Amoco
Erbter, Tommy
A five-year-old who taunted Carrie
Evarts, Ray
Helen Shyres's boyfriend
Evers, Mr.
Teacher
Farnham, Don
Ewen High School student
Fearon, Roger
He had worked at Chamberlain Mills and Weaving for eighteen years, but wanted to move out of the area.
Fielding, George
A scholar who believed that Margaret White blocked her pregnancy from her mind
Fish, Miss
Peter Morton's secretary
Gaines, Coach
Ewen High School's 1976 basketball team coach
Galen, Uncle
Tommy Ross's uncle, who owned a farm
Garrison, Mrs.
An eighty-six-year-old woman who often invited Carrie in to watch TV with her
Garson, Kenny
One of Billy Nolan's friends
Garson, Lou
Kenny's brother, and one of Billy Nolan's friends
Gault, Jeanne
Ewen High School student
Gillian, Brent
Ewen High School student
Givens, Julia
Author
Gogan, Ruth
Ewen High School student
Grade, Henry
The principal of Ewen High School
Grier, Frank
Ewen High School student
Hanscom, Vicky
Classmate
Hargensen, Chris
One of Carrie White's Ewen High School classmates
Hargensen, John
Chris's father.
Harris, Billy
Reporter
Henty, Irwin
He had a farm in North Chamberlain
Henty, Mrs.
Irwin's wife
Holt, Freddy "The Beak"
A misfit Ewen High School student who had a big nose
Horan, Estelle (Stella)
An ex-neighbor of the Whites
Horan, Mrs.
Estelle's mother
Jason, Frieda
She was on the King & Queen ballot with George Dawson
Jenks, Amelia "Melia"
She lived in Royal Knob, Tennessee, and had a daughter with telekinetic powers.
Jenks, Annie
Telekinetic two-year-old.
Jenks, Pete
When the cops came for him. Gramma made their guns fly out of their hands.
Jenks, Rich
Sandra's husband.
Jenks, Sandra
She received a letter from Amelia Jenks telling her about Annie Jenks.
Jerome, George
He wrote a piece for the Atlantic Monthly on the Black Prom.
Jones, Vicky
The vice president of the Women's League.
Kellogg, Donna
A friend of Chris Hargensen's.
Kelly, Hubert
The owner of the Kelly Fruit Company.
King, Edwin
One of Carrie's teachers.
Kirk, Mr.
One of the Whites' Carlin Street neighbors
Kirk, Virginia
Mr. Kirk's wife.
Klein, Mrs.
One of Tommy Ross's neighbors
Kolintz, Andrea
Girl with pyrokinesis
Kramer, George
The assistant principal of School District 14. He once cut a student's hair without parental permission. This incident became a court case called "School District #4 vs. David."
Lavoie, Mr.
Ewen High School's head custodian.
Lublin, Mr.
He and his wife were prom chaperones,
Lublin, Mrs.
She and her husband were prom chaperones.
Luponet, Gerald
Physicist
Macaferty, Miss
She drove a VW
MacLean, Jessica
Ewen High School student
Marshall, Holly
Ewen High School student. She was on the senior prom decorating committee.
McLaughlin, Georgia
A neighbor of the Whites.
McManus, Sally
Ewen High School student.
Mears, Thomas B.
Chamberlain fireman.
Mearton, Thomas G.
Investigating officer.
Mooney, Vic
Ewen High School's senior class president.
Morton, Peter "Morty"
The assistant principal of Ewen High School
Mott, Elton
Margaret White's foreman at the Blue Ribbon Laundry.
Nolan, Billy
Chris Hargensen's boyfriend.
Norbert, Dale
Carrie severed his finger with the gym door.
O'Connell, Dick
The general manager of the Boston Red Sox.
Overlook, Freddy
He had been shot with birdshot by Irwin Henty.
Patrick, Danny
A sixth-grader Tommy Ross once kicked.
Philpott, Peter
Superintendent of schools.
Pickett, Bobby "Flash"
Carrie had written a love note to Pickett
Plessy
Chamberlain deputy
Preston, Billy
Ewen High School student.
Quillan, Thomas K.
He testified about the Black Prom before the state investigatory board of Maine.
Ross, Mr.
Tommy's father
Ross, Tommy (Thomas Everett)
Sue Snell's boyfriend. He took Carrie to the prom on the urging of Sue.
Saunders
Classmate of Tommy's.
Shyres, Georgette
Helen's mother.
Shyres, Helen
Ewen High School student.
Simard, Cora
Rhonda's mother.
Simard, Mr.
Rhonda's father.
Simard, Rhonda
Ewen High School student.
Smith, Jerry
One of the Whites' neighbors.
Smith, Mrs.
Whites' neighbor; Jerry's wife.
Smith, Terry
Miss Potato Blossom of 1975.
Snell, Mr.
Sue's father
Snell, Mrs.
Sue's mother
Snell, Sue
One of Carrie's classmates.
Snerd, Mortimer
Name for those who weren't wanted at the prom.
Spies, Rachel
One of Carrie's classmates
Stampel, Henry
Ewen High School student.
Stenchfield, Sandra
She was part of the entertainment for the Ewen High Senior prom.
Stephens, Mr.
The fifth period study hall teacher
Swithen, John
He played folk music with Maureen Cowan at the Ewen High School senior prom.
Swope, Irma
Classmate
Taber, Peter
The boy who beat up Danny Patrick.
Talbot, Jackie
One of Billy Nolan's friends
Thibodeau, Donna
One of Carrie's classmates. Sister of Mary Lila Grace
Thibodeau, Mary Lila Grace
One of Carrie's classmates. Sister of Donna
Throneberry, William C.
Author
Trelawney, Red
Irwin Henty's hired hand.
Trennant, Henry
Ewen High student
Trevor, Bruce
Ewen High School student.
Ullman, Dale
Ewen High School student
Upshaw, Jessica
Ewen High School student.
Vreck, Josie
The leader of Josie and the Moonglows.
Warwick, Mrs.
One of the Whites' neighbors
Watson, Norma
Ewen High School student
White, Carietta (Carrie)
Young girl born with telekinetic powers.
White, Margaret
Carrie's mother
Yorraty, Mrs.
One of the Whites' neighbors.
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