Carrie

Sue Snell’s actions throughout the novel reflect her desire to atone for bullying Carrie. However, Carrie would not have been put in the path of Chris’s prom attack were it not for Sue’s actions. Does this muddy the novel’s understanding of atonement and redemption or reinforce the novel’s conclusions?

Despite the Bible’s numerous lessons regarding compassion and nonviolence, Carrie’s response to both her mother’s and her schoolmates’ violence is further violence. How does Margaret White’s focus on specific aspects of the Bible inform Carrie’s reactions?

Chart the path of Carrie’s rage after the assault in the locker room. Were there points where the novel’s outcome was avoidable, or is Carrie on the path to mass murder right from the very start?

King includes several different “documentary” sources throughout the novel, but all are incomplete. How do the fragmented epistolary sections affect our understanding of the overall narrative?

With the help of the epistolary sections, the novel seeks to establish a sense of realism. What elements of the novel make Carrie’s story allegorical? Examine how realism and allegory work together in service to the novel’s meaning.

Carrie’s responses to her peers display a deep suspicion that often borders on paranoia. What does the novel imply about the sources of this paranoia? Does it ever affect the reliability of the narrative?

A case can be made for either Margaret White or Chris Hargensen as the novel’s main antagonist. State who you think played the larger part in shaping Carrie’s rage, giving examples from the text.

Carrie is indisputably a horror story, but it can also be considered a coming-of-age story. Compare and contrast Carrie’s coming-of-age with Sue’s coming-of-age.