I've read up to the ominous sounding PART 2: PROM NIGHT. Still very pleased by this novel and am struck by how intimate it feels. There's really only a few characters we get to really know well: Carrie, Sue Snell, Chris Hargensen and to a lesser extent Sue's boyfriend Tommy Ross and Chris's psycho boyfriend Billy Nolan. Oh, and Carrie's closet. *shudder*
I'm also struck by how weak and powerless Carrie is and that nothing is easy for her. Literally every relationship she has with people is a struggle: her mother, her classmates, her teachers, school administration. And in almost all instances, she backs down, powerless.
She's started to come out of her shell, however, as she's openly rebelling against her mother in the smallest of ways. She's going to her prom. Mother forbids it.
Carrie has also realized that hey, she can kinda move things with her mind. Poorly. But it's like a muscle. And, as with any muscle, it gets stronger with exercise. Carrie's been exercising. This should end well.
King has done something interesting with the Mother character and her relationship with Carrie. It would have been so easy, and even common/cliche, to just describe the mother as being overly religious and repressive. So many many authors, at least more recently, who need that scary nut family character dip in to the Well-Of-Creepy-Repressive-Christians or even more nebulous "Well-Of-the-Over-Zealously-Religious."
While it's true that, generically, Carrie's Mother could be described that way in the abstract, when looking at specifics, its clear that she's just a nut. There's nothing mainstream about her religion. Her specific version of Religion/Christianity is never specified, but it feels much more like creepy cult than old-timey-religion. She also is afraid of "the Black Man." It's implied that "The Black Man" is the Devil/Satan, but it is never stated. I'm not sure if this is supposed to conjure up racial elements or if it is just vivid imagery. And her twisted interpretation of basic Christian precepts are just...bizarre is the only word.
Ready for Prom Night. I already know it's going to be a disaster.
And I'm looking forward to it.
-B.
Carrie has also realized that hey, she can kinda move things with her mind. Poorly. But it's like a muscle. And, as with any muscle, it gets stronger with exercise. Carrie's been exercising. This should end well.
King has done something interesting with the Mother character and her relationship with Carrie. It would have been so easy, and even common/cliche, to just describe the mother as being overly religious and repressive. So many many authors, at least more recently, who need that scary nut family character dip in to the Well-Of-Creepy-Repressive-Christians or even more nebulous "Well-Of-the-Over-Zealously-Religious."
While it's true that, generically, Carrie's Mother could be described that way in the abstract, when looking at specifics, its clear that she's just a nut. There's nothing mainstream about her religion. Her specific version of Religion/Christianity is never specified, but it feels much more like creepy cult than old-timey-religion. She also is afraid of "the Black Man." It's implied that "The Black Man" is the Devil/Satan, but it is never stated. I'm not sure if this is supposed to conjure up racial elements or if it is just vivid imagery. And her twisted interpretation of basic Christian precepts are just...bizarre is the only word.
Ready for Prom Night. I already know it's going to be a disaster.
And I'm looking forward to it.
-B.
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