“Carrie” (post 2) by Stephen King (post 8): Carrie’s “parts” and oddly indented, parenthetical “voices”; and oddly indented, parenthetical chorus 

Carrie’s “Part”

“Part of her was actually convinced that all this was a dream from which she would wake with mixed feelings of loss and relief” (1, p. 193).

Reader, while awake, have you ever had an independent-minded part of you who was “actually convinced” that you were dreaming, even though the rest of your mind had no doubt that you were awake?

Only two different personalities in a person with multiple personality could have such contradictory views of reality.

Carrie’s Oddly Indented “Voice”

“…only the voice had said

(my god that’s blood)

something too awful to be contemplated” (1, p. 216).

The text of this novel has many similar, oddly indented, parenthetical remarks, but they are usually not preceded by an explicit indication of their source, such as being a voice heard by Carrie, as in this case.

When a voice is heard by Carrie, it is probably one of her alternate personalities.

Alternate Personality Chorus

When the source of many of the novel’s oddly indented, parenthetical remarks is not clear, it might be one of Carrie’s alternate personalities, or an alternate personality of another character, or voices of an anonymous, alternate personality chorus.

Comment

Carrie is King’s first published novel. It takes the pseudoscientific position that Carrie has a genetic, inherited ability (of telekinesis). But in later years, as quoted in some of my past posts on the writing process, King expresses a psychological view compatible with the theory here.

As to his oddly indented parentheses in Carrie, it may have been his tentative solution for what other authors have used italics—to indicate the thoughts and voices of alternate personalities—which King sometimes also uses.

1. Stephen King. Carrie [1974]. New York, Anchor Books, 2011.