Traditionally, authors rely on readers to detect the themes of their novels without having to explicitly state them. The theme of a novel typically resonates within the actions of characters, settings of the plot, and symbols throughout the book. Moreover, literary works tend to have multiple themes. While some thematic elements may be more prominent than others, the totality of these elements work together to build the novel. In Carrie written by Stephen King, he uses the characters, actions, and dialogue to develop themes of sin, revenge, and guilt. One of the most perceptible themes is sin. In fact, part of the characterization of the main character, Carrie, is established through her mother’s emphasis of sin and damnation. Carrie’s mother, Margaret, has lived her life believing that Carrie was the ultimate punishment for having intercourse with her late husband. Clearly, this leads to the mistreatment and common abuse that Carrie experiences at home. …show more content…
At school, Carrie has always been the easiest to bully. At home, Carrie was helpless when she was faced with her mother’s abuse. Suddenly, after being drenched in pig’s blood at the school prom, Carrie reaches her breaking point. In seconds, she changes from a guiltless victim to a murderous culprit: “It was time to teach them a lesson. Time to show them a thing or two” (King). At this point, Carrie is beyond livid. Convinced that everyone is laughing at her, she unleashes her rage, killing nearly everybody that was present in the school. Along her path home, she acquires sufficient hatred, leading her to believe that she wants to kill everyone in the town. Using her mind, she explodes gas stations, sets houses on fire, and flips cars over. Later on, she returns home with an anger powerful enough to prompt her to kill her own mother. These fairly detailed scenes of Carrie reaping havoc across the town undoubtedly portrays a theme of