Summary

• Stephen King's portrayal of Carrie White distances the character from the reader, which is likely an intentional choice.
• I'm still not sure how I feel about Carrie depicting its title character as so off-putting and unsympathetic.
• I think readers are meant to relate to Sue Smell and the other characters more, as this gets King's message across more effectively.

Carrie's title character has always unsettled me, and I can't decide whether that's a good thing or not.

Carrie tells the story of a bullied outcast with telekinetic powers she eventually uses to kill her tormentors during prom. We get Carrie's perspective in King's book, but we also see her character through the eyes of her classmates, neighbors, and bystanders, both before and after the tragedy. While King's novel is a clear commentary on the fact that people create monsters, his approach to writing Carrie White leaves me feeling conflicted.

Stephen King's Depiction Of Carrie White Doesn't Evoke Much Sympathy For Her

Carrie's Bullies Are Often Portrayed With More Nuance

Carrie White takes a monstrous turn at the end of King's 1974 novel, so it's understandable that the author puts some distance between her character and the reader. I can also see how King himself would feel less sympathetic towards Carrie, despite revolving his entire narrative around her. But King's approach to writing Carrie showcases a clear disconnect between the author and the character. King even its he "never cared much" for her during On Writing. And this shines through when he describes her physical appearance and inner dialogue in completely unflattering ways.

By contrast, Carrie portrays the people who ignore or worsen Carrie's suffering as more sympathetic, with Sue Snell standing out in particular. Given that they're complicit in what Carrie becomes, it's an interesting writing choice — and it's one I find myself going back and forth on. For a novel that tackles the effects of bullying and trauma, it's somewhat surprising that there's so little effort to sell Carrie to readers. Sure, we shouldn't what she becomes. But I feel like painting Carrie as repulsive and putting us in other characters' POVs makes it much harder to feel for her.

Carrie Would Be More Tragic & Shocking If She Wasn't So Off-Putting

Fully Stepping Into Her Shoes Would Make Stephen King's Ending More Jarring

Distancing the reader from Carrie White is undoubtedly an intentional choice, but I question whether King's book would be more tragic and shocking if the reader was convinced to like her first. Carrie shows us a darker, more violent side of its title character at the very beginning of the novel, which pushes readers away from her instantly. Although we know we should feel sorry for her, we do so at a distance. Once she starts envisioning her revenge, it becomes more difficult to empathize, even though we understand how she got to this point.

Carrie might be more jarring if we actually related to and empathized with Carrie White first, as it would place us fully in her shoes before having her do something terrible. This would make us question whether everyone's capable of such things, and it would drive home the tragic nature of the character and the book's ending. As it stands, Carrie is still objectively devastating for everyone involved. But part of me wishes we were able to see more redeeming qualities in Carrie before the book's ending twist. Another part appreciates why we get that from Sue and Carrie's classmates instead.

I Think I Understand Why Stephen King Makes The Choices He Does

We're Not Meant To Relate To Carrie (& That's Unsettling Too)

While Carrie White's depiction leaves me feeling conflicted after all these years, I do understand why King makes the narrative choices he does. We're pushed to relate to Carrie's classmates over her because their archetypes are more likely to apply to the reader. Many of us can relate to and understand the actions of a bystander more than a tormented telekinetic kid, and that's just as unsettling as Carrie's characterization. Most readers have found themselves in Sue Snell's shoes at some point, and they're meant to experience the guilt that comes with that alongside her and the other characters.

At its core, Carrie is a novel about the consequences of treating others poorly — and that message is most effectively delivered through the perspectives of characters who need to hear it. Carrie is the vehicle through which this is imparted, but she's not actually someone we're able to form a deep connection with. I'm still not sure how I feel about that, but King gets his point across all the same.