- How many times does blood get mentioned in the novel? Are all of these occurences of blood connected somehow? What happens each time there is blood on the page (uh, not literally on the page, we hope)?
- Who is to blame for Carrie's actions—her mother? Her classmates? Carrie herself? Someone else? No one at all?
- Is Carrie the "bad guy" in this book? If not, who is? Does this novel have a "bad guy"?
- What do you think of the ending to Carrie? What do you think the girl who's described at the end will be like when she grows up? Will she cause another disaster, just like Carrie did?
- Did Sue Snell do the right thing by having Tommy ask Carrie to the dance, or did she just make matters worse? Is this whole massacre at the end Sue Snell's fault?
- Why does Carrie feel that she has to kill her mother?
- Are there any "good" male characters in the book? Who are they, and what are their positive qualities?
- Why does Stephen King divide Carrie into three parts? Why is part three significantly shorter than the rest? What do the titles of each of the parts mean?
- Is Carrie a horror novel or a coming-of-age story? Is it both? Neither? Explain your answer.