Motherhood and abjectivity in William Peter Blatty’s The Exorcist and Stephen King’s Carrie

Abstract

This dissertation examines the theme of motherhood and abjectivity in horror through detailed analyses of The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty and Carrie by Stephen King. It explores how these novels reflect and challenge societal perceptions of the maternal role in society, as well the meaning behind certain characters being deemed “abject”, both by other characters in the novel but also by subsequent readers and critics. The first chapter investigates The Exorcist, focusing on the complexities of maternal power and independence as challenged by patriarchal structures. Julia Kristeva’s theory of abjectivity will be vital in tracing the implications behind certain character tropes. For example, in Stabat Mater, Kristeva uses the figure of the Virgin Mary to show how the image of ‘an idealized archaic mother’ is rather ‘the idealization of the relationship that binds us to her’. This is extremely relevant to a character like Chris MacNeil because despite her being a great mother, the fact that she also prioritizes her career negates the notion that the ideal mother can be defined as a person solely through her child-raising capabilities. With this in mind I will further my argument by showing how Chris’s authority as an independent parent is challenged and subdued by the male influences in the narrative, and how this has been viewed by different critics. As a final point, the chapter examines the role of the possessed daughter, Regan, whose portrayal points to the wider implications of abject femininity. The second chapter shifts focus to Carrie, analysing the dynamics between the namesake of the novel and her oppressively religious mother, Margaret. This part of the dissertation also draws upon Kristeva’s discussions of sin and abjection to contextualise the extreme measures of violence and control depicted in the novel. Carrie is considered by the other characters as a sin, both in the secular and the religious sense. Even if the readers accept this, Kristeva tells us that sin is needed in order for the sacred to exist ,’the fall [and thus, the origin of sin] is the work of God; founding knowledge and the quest for consciousness, it opens the way to spirituality’. Carrie’s abjectivity in fact, is created by the same forces that condemn her for it. My chapter will argue and prove this point further, in particular by analysing Carrie’s telekinetic powers. I will also consider the implications and reasonings behind the author’s choice of the epistolary narrative form. The concluding section synthesises insights from both novels, comparing how Blatty and King navigate feminist themes through their portrayals of motherhood. It argues that both authors use horror to scrutinise and criticise the restrictive norms imposed on women, particularly mothers, in a society grappling with rapidly evolving gender roles.