Back to the Carrie summary

Carrie Characters

Stephen King

The blood they dumped on her was the last mistake Chamberlain ever made.

Who drives the story

Main characters

Carrie White

A bullied sixteen-year-old outcast with a fanatical mother and a telekinetic gift she barely understands. She wants one night of acceptance, and when it is stolen from her, she burns a town down and dies in the wreckage.

Appears in:
Part 1: Blood in the Locker Room
Part 2: The Invitation and the Plot
Part 3: Prom Night
Part 4: Wreckage
Themes:
Bullying and ostracism
Religious fanaticism and abuse
Vengeance
Power and coming of age
Guilt and atonement

Margaret White

Carrie's religious fanatic mother, who beats her daughter and locks her in a closet to pray. She knows the power runs in the family, calls it witchcraft, and tries to kill Carrie with a kitchen knife before Carrie stops her heart.

Appears in:
Part 1: Blood in the Locker Room
Part 2: The Invitation and the Plot
Part 4: Wreckage
Themes:
Religious fanaticism and abuse
Vengeance

Chris Hargensen

A popular, vindictive girl suspended and banned from the prom for the locker room attack. She rigs the ballots and dumps pig's blood on Carrie, then dies fleeing in Billy's car.

Appears in:
Part 1: Blood in the Locker Room
Part 2: The Invitation and the Plot
Part 3: Prom Night
Part 4: Wreckage
Themes:
Bullying and ostracism
Vengeance

Billy Nolan

Chris's greaser boyfriend, who collects the pig's blood and tries to run Carrie down as they escape. She takes control of his car and kills him against a roadhouse wall.

Appears in:
Part 2: The Invitation and the Plot
Part 4: Wreckage

Sue Snell

A guilty bystander who sends her boyfriend Tommy to the prom with Carrie as atonement. She survives the Black Prom, is blamed by the town, and writes a memoir haunted by Carrie's death.

Appears in:
Part 2: The Invitation and the Plot
Part 4: Wreckage
Themes:
Bullying and ostracism
Vengeance
Guilt and atonement

Tommy Ross

Sue's boyfriend, a kind and popular athlete who genuinely falls for Carrie during the prom. He is knocked out by a falling bucket and dies in the gym fire without regaining consciousness.

Appears in:
Part 2: The Invitation and the Plot
Part 3: Prom Night
Themes:
Guilt and atonement

Rita Desjardin

The gym teacher who stops the locker room torment and later resigns in guilt, blaming herself for not reaching Carrie sooner.

Appears in:
Part 1: Blood in the Locker Room
Part 2: The Invitation and the Plot
Part 3: Prom Night
Part 4: Wreckage
Themes:
Guilt and atonement

How they are connected

Key relationships

Go deeper

Carrie themes & symbols

Bullying and ostracism · Religious fanaticism and abuse · Vengeance · Power and coming of age

Themes explained

Read the full Carrie summary

The full story act by act, the ending explained and a quick quiz.

Open the summary