How we cite our quotes: (Part.Paragraph)
Quote #1
All the girls in the shower room were shocked, thrilled, ashamed, or simply glad that the White b**** had taken it in the mouth again. Some of them might also have claimed surprise, but of course their claim was untrue. (1.4)
With these words, Stephen King characterizes girls—at least the girls in Chamberlain, Maine—as cruel tormentors who act without any regard for the consequences of their actions. He almost seems to suggest that those consequences will be well deserved… whenever or however they may come.
Quote #2
[Miss Desjardin] tried twice to explain the commonplace reality of menstruation, but Carrie clapper her hands over her ears and continued to cry. (1.79)
Menstruation is a perfectly natural occurrence for women—almost as a rite of passage into adulthood. But it can be scary if you don't know what's happening to you, or if you have no support. Sadly, Carrie falls into both of those categories. We're not sure what terrifies Carrie more here: the fact that she's bleeding, or the fact that she's becoming a woman. Her mother really hates women. Sigh.
Quote #3
"I'm living in a glass house, see. I understand how those girls felt. The whole thing just made me want to take [Carrie] and shake her. Maybe there's some kind of instinct about menstruation that makes women want to snarl, I don't know." (1.129)
Miss Desjardin wonders if women are biologically inclined to want to attack one another. Is this just sexist claptrap from Stephen King? Or do people (especially women) never outgrow their aggressive, animalistic tendencies?