Carrie - Lesson 12 (The Ending)

The Ending in Carrie: The end of Carrie is quite effective. Here's what happens as Carrie dies:

Her rapid breathing slowed, slowed, caught suddenly as if on a thorn--
And suddenly vented itself in one howling, cheated scream.
As she felt the slow course of dark menstrual blood down her thighs.

I'm a big fan of a story ending where it began. And here we have an allusion to the shower scene at the beginning. It also contains the symbolism of blood that courses throughout the book.

Exercise: Check the ending of your story. Is there a way to link it to the beginning? Does it contain symbols that run throughout the book?

Carrie - Lesson 6 (Symbolism)

Symbolism in Carrie: In On Writing, Stephen King notes how blood had become a symbol in Carrie. It became to mean more than just "splatter." In beginning the second draft, King noticed that blood was prevalent in "all three crucial points of the story: the beginning (Carrie's paranoromal ability is apparently brought on by her first mentrual period, climax (the prank which sets Carrie off involves a bucket of pig's blood), and the end (Sue Snell, the girl who tries to help Carrie, discovers she is not pregnant as she had half-hoped and half-feared when she gets her own period)."

Still, King insists that he didn't start with the symbolism in mind. This doesn't work - as King says, "Only story is about story." But it can be an important element in a writing. "It can serve as a focusing device for both you and your reader, helping to create a more unified and pleasing work."

Exercise: Are there any recurring elements in your story? If so, what symbolism could these elements hold?