Carrie By Stephen Edwin King Psychological Criticism

Psychological impact in Carrie by Stephen Edwin King

M. Selvam Dr. R. Chandrasekar

Assistant Professor of English Associate Professor and Head

Department of English Department of English

Sri Ramakrishna Mission Vidyalaya College of Arts and Science Coimbatore The research paper supports the psychological analysis of the characters from the novel Carrie by an American writer Stephen Edwin King, famous for macabre novels, short stories, and screenplays that find terror and suspense in everyday life. The novel, Carrie is about a sixteen year old girl named Carrie White with psychic powers. Mrs. Margaret White, mother of Carietta (Carrie White), a religious fanatic, associates Carrie White with her own “sin”. According to Mrs. Margaret White, sex in any form is a “sin”. She was a fanatical Christian fundamentalist; who has much faith in God that leads her to psychological disorder. Mrs. Margaret White did not know she was pregnant. As she was a widow, she did not have any awareness of her pregnancy. As she was involved in devotional activities, considered sex in any form is a “sin”. She was psychologically disturbed because of isolation. Even at the time of her delivery, “she had apparently

Margaret White to discuss about this menstrual cycle to her daughter. She often tells period is ‘woman’s sin’, according to Mrs. Margaret White; Carrie is associated with Margret White’s own ‘sin’. Attitude of Margaret White towards Carrie is the major reason for her unstable state of mind. The girls’ behaviour of shouting shows the inhumane activity in the shower room at Carrie White’s first menstrual period makes her to affect psychologically. This affection leads her to gain supernatural power. In Some circumstances, it changes her attitude as a monster, so, she was out of control and able to move things without having any physical effort. The supernatural power that Carrie gained is termed as telekinesis or