: Throughout Carrie, but especially when Carrie confronts her mother for the last time, King uses religious imagery as he shows Margaret White's twisted religious views. When Margaret describes her "relationship" with Carrie's father, she uses religous images such as "the presence of the Serpent." She pictured him "walking the midnight streeets, wrestling with the devil as Jacob wrestled with the Angel of the Lord." As Carrie stops her heart, Margaret recites the Lord's Prayer. Carrie leaves the house thinking of a Fiery Sword. (217 - 220) These images are not only quite frightening, they also serve Margaret White's characterization: they explain why she acts as she does.Imagery like religious imagery is useful because it is kind of a universal currency the author shares with the reader. In the past writers could pepper their writing with allusions to Shakespeare, Greek mythology, and the Bible, and feel confident the reader would make the connection. Today, a writer can't be sure the reader will understand such allusions, so often it is tempting to uses pop culture references. However, pop culture is so fleeting, the references become stale quite quickly. Still, imagery is a useful tool in connecting to the reader, but be careful - it is not a replacement for Story.
Exercise: Check key scenes of your story for imagery. If imagery is there, weigh its usefulness to the Story and to Characterization.
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