History Literature / Carrie

* FlatEarthAtheist: Mention is made of how the "Carrie White affair" and proof of the existence of psychic powers has affected the scientific community's long-held preconceptions. While most scientists have accepted this new reality, it's mentioned that those at Duke University, among others, continue to reject it as a hoax even after the government's official report on what happened supported their existence.

** Chris is the most notorious character in this story who relishes this trope. She’s punished for bullying Carrie with detention and banned from attending the prom, yet she swears vengeance against Carrie for all the punishments she rightfully deserved. Sue calls her out on this and asks her what Carrie ever do to her, but Chris coldly brushes it off by blaming Carrie over her mother’s fanatical beliefs.

* ArtisticLicenseReligion: Used deliberately. Many of the passages Margaret quotes are not found in any translation of any of the holy texts of Christianity.[[note]]Many people really do think the first sin was intercourse; the real first sin was disobedience.[[/note]]

* InsistentTerminology: The word "bullying" is never used in the entire book.

* NeverMyFault: Many an UnreliableNarrator in the story seeks to absolve themselves of any responsibility for the massacre that happens late in the story. Norma's account of the prom disaster omits the fact that she had taunted Carrie earlier that same night, and seemed to be hoping that something bad was going to happen. When something bad did indeed happen, [[GoneHorriblyRight far beyond what Norma expected]], she absolves herself of all blame and places it solely on Carrie.

* NobleMaleRoguishMale: Tommy Ross and Billy Nolan respectively. Tommy Ross is a LovableJock while Billy Nolan is a [[TheSociopath sociopathic]] greaser. Coincidentally, their girlfriends fit the [[LightFeminineAndDarkFeminine Distaff Counterpart]] of this trope as shown above.

* {{Reincarnation}}: Implied [[spoiler: sometime after Carrie dies, an Appalachian girl is born with similar powers, but it seems the same tragedy will not befall upon her because she lives with a loving mother who supports her and does not consider her "wild talent" to be a source of evil.]]

* PurpleProse: A lot of the ScrapbookStory sections are very flowery and melodramatic.

* AluminumChristmasTrees: There really ''was'' (and still, just barely, is) a Christian sect opposed to all forms of sexual intercourse founded by a woman who went through a traumatic miscarriage. They were called the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shakers United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing]], more commonly known as "The Shakers" because of their sacred dancing. The sect came to prominence in the 1780s and still exists today. Some might think that they would have quickly disappeared for [[DidntThinkThisThrough obvious reasons]], but they supplemented their non-replicating members through adoption and converts, and (unlike Margaret White) gave young adults they had raised a choice between staying and making a vow of celibacy or leaving with a donkey and some money to get a start in life. This is just one aspect in which the Shakers are/were unlike the character they may have inspired: since they were founded by a woman who believed herself the second coming of Christ, and all property is held communally, their founding principles insist that all believers are completely equal, not only in terms of gender equality but racially, at all levels of Church hierarchy. Besides these surprisingly progressive views, they are also responsible for [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Shaker_inventions a slew of technological innovations]] (including many we take for granted), because their simple communal lifestyle demanded they manufacture and sell competitive goods to survive -- and because while they believe in hard work, they also think work should be easy, a gift and a joy. ''Hands to Work, Hearts to God.''

* {{Reincarnation}}: Implied [[spoiler: sometime after Carrie dies, a girl is born who also shows psychic powers, which, thankfully, she isn't freaked out by and still loves her.]]

* AmbiguousDisorder:
** Chris' love of nasty pranks (one involving putting a firecracker in the shoes of a girl with a cleft lip) and HairTriggerTemper point to some kind of mental illness - especially her narcissistic personality, but perhaps she could just be a SpoiledBrat and used to getting away with everything thanks to daddy's money and influence. Then there is there fact that she twice gets sexually aroused while being raped by Billy, which may hint at past sexual abuse.
** Billy shows many signs of sociopathic behavior, both in his actions and the glimpses we get into his thoughts.
** Margaret seems to have some sort of an undiagnosed personality disorder, perhaps even schizophrenia. It is also implied she may have lingering PTSD brought upon by the [[BoomHeadshot violent death of her father during a robbery]], a [[ConvenientMiscarriage traumatic miscarriage]], and [[MaritalRapeLicense being raped by Ralph White]] all within a [[TraumaCongaLine relatively short timespan]].

* GoodPeopleHaveGoodSex: Inverted. Tommy and Sue are more sympathetic, and the first time they do it is painful for Sue - only getting better after a couple of times. Billy and Chris however are the villains, and Billy essentially rapes Chris for their first time - and she loves it. It's also said that Margaret White enjoyed when Ralph raped her, although she was still unhappy about it.

* {{Matricide}}: [[spoiler:Abusive Margaret is killed off by her daughter Carrie while she was stabbing the latter in a manic fit. Carrie's father died in a work-related accident before his daughter's birth.]]

* HardTruthAesop: At one point Sue claims bad people rarely [[HeelFaceTurn get better,]] instead, they just [[BitchInSheepsClothing get better at hiding their true nature.]]

** Chris' love of nasty pranks (one involving putting a firecracker in a girl's shoes) and HairTriggerTemper point to some kind of mental illness - especially her narcissistic personality, but perhaps she could just be a SpoiledBrat and used to getting away with everything thanks to daddy's money and influence. Then there is there fact that she twice gets sexually aroused while being raped by Billy, which may hint at past sexual abuse.

* StockShoutOut: Has a [[ReferencedBy/Carrie page full.]]

* StockShoutOut: It's in ''WesternAnimation/TinyToonAdventures'' of all things!

* PyrrhicVillainy: Chris succeeds in breaking Carrie's mind on prom night, but she doesn't get away with it. She dies in a horrific car crash, along with her boyfriend, and her reputation is ruined as everyone knows what she did.

* VeryLooselyBasedOnATrueStory: Stephen King based the character of Carrie White on two girls he knew; one while a high school student and another from when he was a teacher. Both were severely bullied outcasts with strange mothers, one of whom was a deranged religious fanatic, and both girls died just a few years after high school.

* [[Film/Carrie1976 The 1976 film adaptation]] was directed by Creator/BrianDePalma, written by Lawrence D. Cohen, and starred Creator/SissySpacek, Creator/PiperLaurie, Creator/AmyIrving, and Creator/JohnTravolta. It is by far the most famous of the bunch, regarded by critics as a landmark film, one of the best horror films of TheSeventies, and one of the best feature film adaptations of any of King's stories, to the point where King himself [[invoked]] [[CreatorPreferredAdaptation feels that it's better than the book]]. The film became a major success for Creator/UnitedArtists, as it ended up making over $33 million at the U.S. box office on a budget of just $1.8 million.[[note]]In 2016 dollars, over $126 million on a $7.6 million budget.[[/note]] The ending is notable for being perhaps the first use of a "shock" ending in a horror film, which has since become a staple of the genre. Film critics welcomed ''Carrie'' with immense acclaim ([[SciFiGhetto unusual for a horror film]] even today), which helped it gain a UsefulNotes/HugoAward and two UsefulNotes/AcademyAward nominations: one for Spacek for Best Actress, and the other a Best Supporting Actress nod for Laurie.[[note]]They lost to, respectively, Faye Dunaway and Beatrice Straight from ''Film/{{Network}}''.[[/note]]

* [[Film/Carrie1976 The 1976 film adaptation]] was directed by Creator/BrianDePalma, written by Lawrence D. Cohen, and starred Creator/SissySpacek, Creator/PiperLaurie, Creator/AmyIrving, and Creator/JohnTravolta. It is by far the most famous of the bunch, regarded by critics as a landmark film, one of the best horror films of TheSeventies, and one of the best feature film adaptations of any of King's stories, to the point where King himself [[CreatorPreferredAdaptation feels that it's better than the book]]. The film became a major success for Creator/UnitedArtists, as it ended up making over $33 million at the U.S. box office on a budget of just $1.8 million.[[note]]In 2016 dollars, over $126 million on a $7.6 million budget.[[/note]] The ending is notable for being perhaps the first use of a "shock" ending in a horror film, which has since become a staple of the genre. Film critics welcomed ''Carrie'' with immense acclaim ([[SciFiGhetto unusual for a horror film]] even today), which helped it gain a UsefulNotes/HugoAward and two UsefulNotes/AcademyAward nominations: one for Spacek for Best Actress, and the other a Best Supporting Actress nod for Laurie.[[note]]They lost to, respectively, Faye Dunaway and Beatrice Straight from ''Film/{{Network}}''.[[/note]]