“A horror text is one that contains a monster, whether it be supernatural, human, or a metaphor for psychological torment (Fonseca, Pulliam).” This essay will examine the degree to which Steven King’s novel “Carrie” is formulaic, and will analyze how it adheres to the traditional, formulaic expectations of the horror genre.
Before examining the traditional components of the horror genre, one must examine what elements have cultivated the elements that have made it “traditional” (“a characteristic manner, method (www.m-v.com).”) A genre can be defined as “a category of artistic, musical, or literary composition characterized by a particular style, form, or content (www.m-v.com).”After analysis, one can identify a consistent formula that all horror pieces within the horror genre adhere to. A formula, defined as “a rule, recipe or prescriptive concept that is a customary or set form or method allowing little room for originality (www.m-v.com),” dictates the necessary components that each piece (literary, cinematic etc.) must contain in order to be included in the horror genre.
Typically, the horror genre “deals with terrifying, gruesome, and paranormal subjects (www.washington.edu), and is designed to bo

“Excerpt from a letter dated May 3, 1988…and your little niece is growing like a weed…the other day when she was playing I sneeked around and saw the funnyet thing. Annie was playin with her brothers marbles only they were moving around all by themselves…some of them marbles was moving right up and down. It reminded me of grandma, do you remember when the law came up here looking for Pete and there guns flew out there hands and grammie just laffed and laffed…I sure hope she doesn’t get heartspels like grammie did, remember? (King, pg. 244)”

Perhaps the most prevalent theme found in the horror genre is the victim status of women. Labeled as “one of the central tenets of the horror [genre] by feminist critics (www.although.nu),” This is the case in Carrie, and in most horror pieces as the heroine is victimized throughout the piece, often in the form of verbal or physical assault, attempted murder or the murder of loved ones, the victim/heroine is relentlessly tormented by the monster. Carrie’s victimization took the form of years of unremitting ridicule and torment at the hands of her classmates (“the monster”), “it was at this point, when looking back that they would claim surprise, all these years of let’s short-sheet Carrie at Christian Youth Camp…hide her underwear somewhere, put this snake in her shoe and duck her again, duck her again…(King, pg. 8)

Many feminists have taken the stance that horror is anti-feminist (www.although.nu), however such a notion is uncertain as in most horror pieces “the survivor and eventual destroyer of the monster is typically female (www.although.nu). While Carrie is often considered an exception to such classification, due to the fact that dies at the end of the novel, it is her ability to “turn the tables on the monster [Chamberlain], becoming the center of power…(www.although.nu)” that sustains her “heroine/victim status.”

“Carrie felt her face twisting and crumpling…why didn’t you tell me? She cried…I was so scared! And the girls laughed and threw things and-Momma had been walking toward her, and now her hand flashed with sudden limber speed, a hard hand…it struck her backhand across the jaw and Carrie fell down in the doorway between the hall and living room weeping loudly…let us pray to Jesus for our woman-weak wicked sinning souls…(King, pg.53).”

Another common characteristic found within the horror genre are supernatural abilities. Whether it be returning from the dead (Freddy Creuger), or psychic abilities (Danny Torrence in The Shinning), “both medical and psychological writers on the subject are in agreement that Carrie White’s exceptionally late and traumatic commencement of the menstrual cycle might we