My thoughts on Carrie White *Spoilers*

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Garriga

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Nov 26, 2010
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Starkville, Mississippi, United States
I finally read Carrie. I don't know why I am just now reading it. I've read at least 35 maybe forty of his novels, but I never read Carrie. I've seen the movie, and In my humble opinion, Sissy Spacek deserved an Oscar for her performance. Still she didn't capture the essence of Carrie White's true greatness as fictional character.

Carrie White's development is amazing. She's perfect, beautiful and real. I like her and she could have been kick ass. But she wanted revenge.

I've always appreciated King's ability to build a character. I don't glorify everything he has written. Even Roger Maris had a few strikeouts. But King is one of the few greats. Though I love characters like Eddie Dean, Larry Underwood, Jack Sawyer. I even appreciate Henry Dean. But until recently I didn't care for the female characters except for Suzanne. His female characters are usually too perfect. They seem to be dramatic about the small stuff. They are usually beautiful with perfect skin and a perfect body, every man's dream. And they are always a victim. I don't feel sorry for them and I don't think their emotions are genuine. To me they seem cliched. They are the ideal character for a Harlequin novella. I have never expressed this on the board, because it is not important. Their character development is still good, but in my opinion he develops male characters better, which makes sense, he's a man. This is just my opinion. I understand people love characters like Sadie, Rose Daniel, Julia, and Ilse. I respect their development. So, I am not criticizing. Just stating my thoughts.

Anyway, my point is Carrie White impressed me like Suzanne Dean. Suzanne is the ultimate bad ass and no one (man or woman) could be as awesome as her. I like Carrie because she has flaws, she knows emotional pain. She got dealt a ****ty hand. Unfortunately she wanted revenge instead of justice. She did what any irrational teenage girl would have done. She made a scene. A dramatic scene. In the end, nothing works out. That's life. Life isn't peaches and cream and happy ending are rare. Carrie went ham on the kids who terrorized her, but she never got justice for Tommy. Tommy didn't deserve to die. Tommy was being a nice guy. He didn't care about the BS of high school. He was perfect but he was real. The two losers who decided to be cowards and spill a pig's blood should have been prosecuted. Death is much better than life in prison (people don't get this). Anyway, Carrie isn't the real villain in this story. Margret White scares the hell out of me and those girls yelling "Plug it up" are monsters. Chris is a sociopath and Sue isn't as humble as she thinks she is. Carrie could have been a super hero. I always say success is the best revenge and she could have slapped the kids around without causing a blood bath. So, in the end, she is the psychopath that scares everybody. She is the weirdo and the social retard. It is sad really, because she could have been great.

I haven't finished reading the story, but I know how it ends. I am at the part where she jams the doors. She is about to go ham.

Great story, good writing, excellent characters.

I'm sure I will have more to say about this story. This was his first and probably his greatest.
 
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bigkingfan91

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Mar 1, 2014
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WV
I'm reading it too!! I remember reading it a time or two years ago when I was much younger but some of it was over my head, and I honestly had forgotten most of it. I'm at the part where she first gets her dress, the guys have just gotten the pig blood. Carrie was on TV yesterday so it'll be interesting to see what happens differently in the book, and what I remember reading.

This is going to sound utterly stupid, but oh well... I don't remember in the book, but in the movie, where everyone is laughing at her, including the teacher at the end... And Sue spots whats going on under the stage but the teacher stops her... Was the teacher in on it too? It's never cleared up in the movie.. With everyone laughing ( unless that was just Carrie seeing that ) I guess most everyone was either in on it or thought it was hilarious, not wrong. I've just never understood that and I hate how the movie doesn't clear it up.
 

carrie's younger brother

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Mar 8, 2012
5,428
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Very well written, @Garriga. Having only seen the movie, do you really know how it ends? :cool:
And I agree, having been the target of bullying for all 4 years of high school (and having experienced a similar male version of the shower scene), Carrie's tormentors are the real monsters of this story.
As you can see from my screen name, I have an affinity for this book.
 

bigkingfan91

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Mar 1, 2014
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Wow, hadn't re read it in so many years I had forgot how the novel ends. WOW. So much different from the movie. I don't want to spoil it for anyone but it gets pretty "intense" at the end a certain couple events take place which I would classify as "intense", which in my humble opinion should have been included in the movie.. After reading it I now see why I always thought the ending to the movie was too fast and not really explosive enough, not bad by any means but just sort of, boringish in a small way.. Take for example a certain intense scene in "Christine" ( gas station ), now add what happens in the book to the movie and good GOSH!!!!!!!!!!!! The girl went ham big big time!!
And the little part about the gas pump nozzles... Just imagine gas + fire... I'm anxious to see the remake now, if they stuck to the book a bit more with the ending. ..
 

kingricefan

All-being, keeper of Space, Time & Dimension.
Jul 11, 2006
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Spokane, WA
I'm reading it too!! I remember reading it a time or two years ago when I was much younger but some of it was over my head, and I honestly had forgotten most of it. I'm at the part where she first gets her dress, the guys have just gotten the pig blood. Carrie was on TV yesterday so it'll be interesting to see what happens differently in the book, and what I remember reading.

This is going to sound utterly stupid, but oh well... I don't remember in the book, but in the movie, where everyone is laughing at her, including the teacher at the end... And Sue spots whats going on under the stage but the teacher stops her... Was the teacher in on it too? It's never cleared up in the movie.. With everyone laughing ( unless that was just Carrie seeing that ) I guess most everyone was either in on it or thought it was hilarious, not wrong. I've just never understood that and I hate how the movie doesn't clear it up.
No, the teacher wasn't 'in on it' at the end. She had no idea what was going to happen, she genuinely cared about Carrie. In the movie, when you see everyone laughing at Carrie, you see each of them in their own little 'bubble' spinning around in a circle- this is to represent that Carrie has literally lost her mind at that point, gone over the deep end, she has broken from reality and her mind is spinning in insanity. Remember when her mother says earlier in the movie 'They're all going to laugh at you.'? This is what happens in Carrie's mind, not in reality. The teacher was trying to reach her to comfort her and Carrie shoved her (using her mind) away. Laughter is contagious, too. Have you ever been in a church (or any other type of serious or tense situation) and had to fight the urge to giggle? This happens inside that gymnasium after the blood is spilled. Everyone was shocked (except those in on it) and didn't know how to react. Then, the first girl starts laughing. Then another. Then another. Most of the kids laughed, but not all. I don't think any of the adults laughed (except in Carrie's tortured mind). Hope this helps.
 

RichardX

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Sep 26, 2006
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As a life long King fan, I only recently read Carrie recently. I thought it was a fairly decent book. King says that everyone considers themselves a hero of their own story. I think that is true for Carrie. If you knew absolutely everything about the Columbine or Newtown shooters, you might have some greater sympathy for them that you don't have from the basic narrative of showing up at a school and killing a lot of people. Whatever the motivations, however, they were bad people. Although I share opinion that a lot of people may be at fault for their actions, they are ultimately responsible for their actions. And I would hold that standard to this book. Carrie is bullied and has a lunatic mother, but killing other people is ultimately her own responsibility. So while she is a sympathetic character in many respects, she is also a murderer.
 

blunthead

Well-Known Member
Aug 2, 2006
80,755
195,461
Atlanta GA
As a life long King fan, I only recently read Carrie recently. I thought it was a fairly decent book. King says that everyone considers themselves a hero of their own story. I think that is true for Carrie. If you knew absolutely everything about the Columbine or Newtown shooters, you might have some greater sympathy for them that you don't have from the basic narrative of showing up at a school and killing a lot of people. Whatever the motivations, however, they were bad people. Although I share opinion that a lot of people may be at fault for their actions, they are ultimately responsible for their actions. And I would hold that standard to this book. Carrie is bullied and has a lunatic mother, but killing other people is ultimately her own responsibility. So while she is a sympathetic character in many respects, she is also a murderer.
But then there's the concept of "innocent by reason of insanity", a plea entered in court when the defense claims the defendant ignorant that what s/he was doing was wrong. There is also the concept of the "battered" person who kills as a matter of self-defense. In neither of these cases is the killing considered murder. I think the actions of the character Carrie qualify for both of these concepts at once.
 

Bryan James

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Apr 3, 2009
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South Cackalacky
I liked the book.

I liked the original movie.

I liked the movie remake, and I usually avoid those.

The title character is someone that we can all identify with, no matter how cool a facade we present to the world...we still have our fears, self-doubts, and feelings of inadequacy.

And of course we want to raise a little bitter Hell every now and then.
 

RichardX

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Sep 26, 2006
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But then there's the concept of "innocent by reason of insanity", a plea entered in court when the defense claims the defendant ignorant that what s/he was doing was wrong. There is also the concept of the "battered" person who kills as a matter of self-defense. In neither of these cases is the killing considered murder. I think the actions of the character Carrie qualify for both of these concepts at once.
True, but I don't think those concepts are applicable here. An insanity defense in a criminal context is limited to whether the defendant can distinguish right from wrong. They may otherwise be insane or have serious mental problems, but that does not absolve them of guilt. There are many examples of insane people in jail. Self-defense is generally limited to situations in which the defendant feels as though his or her life is at risk. It's not simply being bullied or treated badly by others. Although we can have sympathy for a person in the situation, it will still be considered murder to go on a rampage.
 

kingricefan

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Jul 11, 2006
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True, but I don't think those concepts are applicable here. An insanity defense in a criminal context is limited to whether the defendant can distinguish right from wrong. They may otherwise be insane or have serious mental problems, but that does not absolve them of guilt. There are many examples of insane people in jail. Self-defense is generally limited to situations in which the defendant feels as though his or her life is at risk. It's not simply being bullied or treated badly by others. Although we can have sympathy for a person in the situation, it will still be considered murder to go on a rampage.
So, you don't think at some point after being dowsed with blood that Carrie didn't fear for her life?
 

RichardX

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Sep 26, 2006
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So, you don't think at some point after being dowsed with blood that Carrie didn't fear for her life?

No. Although it is no doubt disgusting, to the best of my knowledge pig's blood is not lethal. In addition, my recollection is that Carrier murdered a whole lot of people that were not involved in that act out of anger and rage. She is a sympathetic character in many respects because we see the narrative through her eyes and plenty of other characters in the story act reprehensibly toward her. But that doesn't absolve her of those actions. In a fictional context, it's possible to adopt the viewpoint of the main character and share their motivations. In real life, if you read a story about a prank that resulted in a student wiping out the school and killing her classmates, you would have little or no sympathy for her.
 

Neesy

#1 fan (Annie Wilkes cousin) 1st cousin Mom's side
May 24, 2012
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No. Although it is no doubt disgusting, to the best of my knowledge pig's blood is not lethal. In addition, my recollection is that Carrier murdered a whole lot of people that were not involved in that act out of anger and rage. She is a sympathetic character in many respects because we see the narrative through her eyes and plenty of other characters in the story act reprehensibly toward her. But that doesn't absolve her of those actions. In a fictional context, it's possible to adopt the viewpoint of the main character and share their motivations. In real life, if you read a story about a prank that resulted in a student wiping out the school and killing her classmates, you would have little or no sympathy for her.
I think she just snapped. All the years of bullying and abuse and being ostracized had a cumulative effect. Plus she probably felt betrayed that those who were being "nice" to her were now making her a laughingstock in a very public way.
 

Hall Monitor

All bars serve the Beam.
Nov 7, 2013
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New Jersey
I think she just snapped. All the years of bullying and abuse and being ostracized had a cumulative effect. Plus she probably felt betrayed that those who were being "nice" to her were now making her a laughingstock in a very public way.
Neesy, I agree with you on this one. While an objective person would look at the situation and come to the conclusion that the prank did not deserve the retaliation, when you look at all of the events of Carrie's life leading up to that point, you can understand the situation. It doesn't justify it, and it doesn't make her less of a murderer, but it gives some perspective on the conditions that can potentially lead to an extreme situation like this.
 

kingricefan

All-being, keeper of Space, Time & Dimension.
Jul 11, 2006
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Spokane, WA
No. Although it is no doubt disgusting, to the best of my knowledge pig's blood is not lethal. In addition, my recollection is that Carrier murdered a whole lot of people that were not involved in that act out of anger and rage. She is a sympathetic character in many respects because we see the narrative through her eyes and plenty of other characters in the story act reprehensibly toward her. But that doesn't absolve her of those actions. In a fictional context, it's possible to adopt the viewpoint of the main character and share their motivations. In real life, if you read a story about a prank that resulted in a student wiping out the school and killing her classmates, you would have little or no sympathy for her.
That's why we have juries. I wonder what the outcome would be if she had lived and been put on trial for the killings? How could anyone prove that she did all of that, just with the power of her mind?
 

Hall Monitor

All bars serve the Beam.
Nov 7, 2013
187
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New Jersey
That's why we have juries. I wonder what the outcome would be if she had lived and been put on trial for the killings? How could anyone prove that she did all of that, just with the power of her mind?
It would be tough to prove. I don't recall, did anyone who was actually inside survive? Sue wasn't supposed to be there and was gone when the killing started, and Chris and her boyfriend were killed outside the gym. If she could keep her cool, she would probably get away with it ... but if she could keep her cool, the whole thing wouldn't have happened. I could see a "You Can't Handle The Truth!!" moment on the stand where she would lose control and it would be all over.
 

Kurben

The Fool on the Hill
Apr 12, 2014
9,682
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sweden
I finally read Carrie. I don't know why I am just now reading it. I've read at least 35 maybe forty of his novels, but I never read Carrie. I've seen the movie, and In my humble opinion, Sissy Spacek deserved an Oscar for her performance. Still she didn't capture the essence of Carrie White's true greatness as fictional character.

Carrie White's development is amazing. She's perfect, beautiful and real. I like her and she could have been kick ass. But she wanted revenge.

I've always appreciated King's ability to build a character. I don't glorify everything he has written. Even Roger Maris had a few strikeouts. But King is one of the few greats. Though I love characters like Eddie Dean, Larry Underwood, Jack Sawyer. I even appreciate Henry Dean. But until recently I didn't care for the female characters except for Suzanne. His female characters are usually too perfect. They seem to be dramatic about the small stuff. They are usually beautiful with perfect skin and a perfect body, every man's dream. And they are always a victim. I don't feel sorry for them and I don't think their emotions are genuine. To me they seem cliched. They are the ideal character for a Harlequin novella. I have never expressed this on the board, because it is not important. Their character development is still good, but in my opinion he develops male characters better, which makes sense, he's a man. This is just my opinion. I understand people love characters like Sadie, Rose Daniel, Julia, and Ilse. I respect their development. So, I am not criticizing. Just stating my thoughts.

Anyway, my point is Carrie White impressed me like Suzanne Dean. Suzanne is the ultimate bad ass and no one (man or woman) could be as awesome as her. I like Carrie because she has flaws, she knows emotional pain. She got dealt a ****ty hand. Unfortunately she wanted revenge instead of justice. She did what any irrational teenage girl would have done. She made a scene. A dramatic scene. In the end, nothing works out. That's life. Life isn't peaches and cream and happy ending are rare. Carrie went ham on the kids who terrorized her, but she never got justice for Tommy. Tommy didn't deserve to die. Tommy was being a nice guy. He didn't care about the BS of high school. He was perfect but he was real. The two losers who decided to be cowards and spill a pig's blood should have been prosecuted. Death is much better than life in prison (people don't get this). Anyway, Carrie isn't the real villain in this story. Margret White scares the hell out of me and those girls yelling "Plug it up" are monsters. Chris is a sociopath and Sue isn't as humble as she thinks she is. Carrie could have been a super hero. I always say success is the best revenge and she could have slapped the kids around without causing a blood bath. So, in the end, she is the psychopath that scares everybody. She is the weirdo and the social retard. It is sad really, because she could have been great.

I haven't finished reading the story, but I know how it ends. I am at the part where she jams the doors. She is about to go ham.

Great story, good writing, excellent characters.

I'm sure I will have more to say about this story. This was his first and probably his greatest.
Actually i think there are a few more female characters. Beverly Marsh in IT is beuatiful, yes, but she certainly a full character that takes a stand. She doesn't do it alone but it is her own decision. No one is making the decision for her or trying to persuade her. I'm sure there are more of them. but the hours grows late.
 

Kurben

The Fool on the Hill
Apr 12, 2014
9,682
65,192
59
sweden
Very well written, @Garriga. Having only seen the movie, do you really know how it ends? :cool:
And I agree, having been the target of bullying for all 4 years of high school (and having experienced a similar male version of the shower scene), Carrie's tormentors are the real monsters of this story.
As you can see from my screen name, I have an affinity for this book.
For 8 years I was afraid everytime we were in the dressing room for the gymnastics hour. School can be tough. If I had Carries forces I know of some old scholl "friends" that wouldn't live today.