The Spooky Spectrum: Carrie White from Carrie (1976) (Part 3)

During the research scene, Carrie hyper-focuses on the task of researching telekinesis and learns everything that she needs to know. This is also the scene where Tommy Ross asks Carrie out to the prom instead of Sue Snell, his girlfriend. Carrie does not know how to react to this sudden change in Tommy’s behaviour (Remember when Tommy was mocking her earlier?) so Carrie immediately leaves. Carrie is hyper-aware of how her peers perceive her but despite all of this wants to be included or treated as “normal.” Desjardin tries to comfort Carrie after she talks about her anxiety with being asked out by Tommy to the prom. Neurotypicals assume that Autistic people do not understand that they are being bullied, while this is true to a certain extent, that doesn’t mean that Autistics cannot at least get the impression that their existence is not well-received by their peers. Autistics are more than aware that they are treated differently by others, even ones considered “low-functioning” and those are considered the “easy targets.”

Before all of this, Sue, out of a sense of guilt for bullying Carrie, convinces Tommy to ask Carrie out to prom. When Desjardin confronts them about this, they argue that they are only doing it to “include Carrie” after she has dealt with abuse and torment. Neurotypicals seem to assume that doing actions such as this will be a benefit to the disabled person. That is not the case, what this action amounts to is treating the disabled person like an object of pity instead of a person with their own desires, dreams, and goals. This is known as “inspiration porn” which was coined by the late Stella Young who described the act of portraying the disabled person as inspirational because of their disability. This can include writing an article about an Autistic person “overcoming their Autism” in order to have a successful career or taking a person with Downs Syndrome to prom. Understand that while you may think that you are doing a “good thing” by taking that disabled person to prom, taking pictures and posting on social media and not interacting with them before or after the event, it is still harmful because it happens from a place of pity and not out of a genuine sense of inclusion or interest in the person.

During the scene when Carrie and Margaret are having dinner together, Carrie tells Margaret that she got invited to prom and that she is going. Margaret becomes enraged at this and assaults Carrie. Margaret tries to convince Carrie to not go to prom and that Tommy Ross has malicious intentions as to why he is taking Carrie to prom. While to outside observers, Margaret’s rantings may seem illogical, and they are, this way of thinking would make sense to a traumatized Autistic who has constantly faced rejection from society. This phenomenon is known as Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria. It is a new theory that explains how some neurodivergent people suffer extreme distress and have seemingly disproportionate emotional responses to rejection.

Autistics come to the early conclusion that they will never be accepted by society and either try to conform in order to move through society without any drama or isolate themselves from the world. This is what is known in the Autistic community as “masking”; it is a method of social camouflaging for Autistic people as a means of surviving in neurotypical society. When I was in university, I had similar thoughts about my neurotypical peers and tried to mask my Autism so I could make it through the day without so much as a mocking chuckle in my direction. Margaret prattles about how the men around Carrie will get her to do “sinful” things but Carrie refuses to listen to Margaret and tells her that she will go to prom whether Margaret approves of it or not.

While Carrie is getting ready for the prom, Margaret can be seen trying to go through her routine and, in one instance, is rocking herself while praying. Carrie is, of course, very focused on her tasks and is not deterred by any distractions. When an Autistic person is set on a task, they are set on carrying it out until the end even when there are obstacles in their way. Carrie is very determined in being accepted by her peers and strongly believes that going to prom will be the best way in finding acceptance. Earlier in the dinner scene, Carrie talks about how she wants to be “normal” and not seen as strange by her peers much to the derision of her mother. I related to Carrie’s struggles to be accepted because these mirrored the same feelings I had when I was a teenager. I wanted to be accepted but was never given much direction on how to even do such a thing. When the night of prom finally arrives, Margaret attempts to further shame Carrie into not going to the prom by physically harming herself but Carrie is not swayed by this emotional display. Margaret then warns Carrie with the most memorable line in the whole movie “they’re all gonna laugh at you.” As an undiagnosed Autistic woman, Margaret likely struggles with verbalizing how she’s feeling in a ‘socially acceptable way.’

There were a few moments during the prom scene that resonated with me as an Autistic woman. Carrie needing to know Tommy’s motivations as to why he decided to ask her instead of Sue to the prom. The concerns of appearing conceited if she voted for herself and Tommy as prom king and queen. Being aware that she is not like other people and can’t see why she would become prom queen. I related to wanting to know people’s motivations for their actions while being suspicious of those kind deeds, I also constantly worry about appearing as egotistical to others when I was expressing the complete opposite. Carrie eventually trusts that Tommy’s intentions are good and can finally be vulnerable in a place where she would be an outcast for merely existing.

The infamous Prom King and Queen popularized in many teen movies, is where, after re-watching the film, it really solidified that Carrie is indeed Autistic-coded. After Carrie and Tommy “win” their crowns, Carrie finally has that moment where she is adored and accepted by her peers. She finally has a crowd cheering her on instead of laughing at her. But Chris and Billy soon arrive to execute their whole plan and bring Carrie’s elation to a screeching halt. When she is in the middle of the stage, with her crown on her head, smiling at the looks of admiration from her classmates, she is suddenly drenched with pig’s blood. Carrie is, of course, confused, overwhelmed, and distraught with what just happened to her. Carrie had been betrayed by everyone around her, she had been tricked into believing she had been accepted but it was all a cruel, villainous plot.

Part 4 is here