Stephen King Theory Connects Carrie To The Shining (& It’s Brilliant)

Stephen King has created his own universe with his novels, and while some characters and events have been mentioned in different novels, not many characters are linked to each other – but a fan theory suggests an important connection between Carrie and The Shining, making some characters even more terrifying and complex than they already are. Stephen King has been terrorizing generations of viewers for over four decades, rightfully earning the title of the King of Horror, and it all started in 1973 with the publishing of Carrie.

Although not the first novel he wrote (actually, it was the fourth), Carrie was the first of King’s works to be published. Carrie initially sold modestly, but it became a bestseller following Brian de Palma’s 1976 adaptation. Carrie received positive reviews and became a favorite among readers, and various critics called it an impressive literary debut. Naturally, Carrie opened many doors for King, who continued exploring different places, characters, creatures, and fears in his subsequent novels, but it was his third published novel that established him as a preeminent author in the horror genre: The Shining, published in 1977.

The Shining introduced readers to Jack Torrance, a struggling writer and recovering alcoholic who takes a position as the off-season caretaker of the Overlook Hotel in the Colorado Rockies. Jack takes his wife, Wendy, and their son, Danny, with him, in hopes that they can rebuild their relationship and reconnect while being all by themselves at the hotel, while also hoping to find the motivation he needs to work on a play. However, a snowstorm soon leaves them cut off from the outside world, which along with Danny’s psychic abilities, awaken the supernatural forces inhabiting the hotel, which begin to mess with Jack’s sanity. The Shining also introduced the concept of “The Shine”, Danny’s abilities, and through this, fans have come up with an interesting link between Carrie and The Shining.

Stephen King’s “The Shine” Explained

“The Shine” is a psychic ability that grants those who possess it the ability to read minds and communicate with other “shining” users through the mind, and they can also see events that happened in the past and those that will happen in the future. Essentially, “The Shine” is a combination of telepathy and clairvoyance, but even these abilities change depending on how powerful each user is. It’s explained in King’s universe that many people have a bit of “The Shine” and others have the full package, such as Dick Halloran, Danny Torrance, and Abra Stone (from Doctor Sleep), and the extent of this “power” in each of them was different.

For example, in Doctor Sleep, a now-adult Danny used his powers to comfort dying patients in a hospice, while Abra could use astral projection, which is how she fooled the True Knot. The origins of “The Shine” are still a mystery, but it can pass from generation to generation (though looking at the families known to have it in King’s universe, it might skip generations sometimes), and while it’s not confirmed that other characters in King’s universe have it outside of those in The Shining and Doctor Sleep, many have shown glimpses of it.

Carrie White’s Powers Explained

The first character from King’s universe that readers met was Carrie White, and she left quite an impression thanks to her family background, powers, and actions. Carrie follows 16-year-old Carrietta “Carrie” White, who is incessantly bullied at school. In addition to that, she has to deal with her extremely religious mother, Margaret, who abuses her emotionally, physically, and psychologically. Carrie eventually discovers she has telekinetic powers, which she uses to exact revenge on those who had tormented her for years (her mother included), but as her powers are new to her and she was driven by anger and resentment, she caused a major disaster in town. Carrie’s abilities were telekinesis (which in turn allowed her to levitate), telepathy (including projection of thoughts and manipulation of minds), geokinesis (as she summoned a shower of granite rocks), electrokinesis, and hydrokinesis.

Theory: Carrie & Her Mother Have The Shine

A theory posted on Reddit (and explained in detail in The Great and Powerful Blog) suggests that Carrie and her mother have “The Shine”, based on similarities between Carrie and Abra. In Doctor Sleep, Abra is a very powerful “Shine” user who displayed exceptional telekinetic abilities when she was a child, but her powers seemed the fade as she grew older. However, when Abra entered her teenage years, her “Shine” returned and it was stronger than ever. The same happened with Carrie, who as a small child displayed these same abilities and was even able to summon the above-mentioned rain of rocks, but her powers faded as she grew up – and it was until she was a teenager that they came back, and they were very strong. Both Carrie and Abra became more and more powerful, and in both cases, their powers got out of control when they were upset or angry.

If Carrie has “The Shine”, then Margaret had it too, and there are hints of it in the novel. Margaret had visions, which she attributed to visions of God due to her extreme religious beliefs. Just like with Jack (who also had it but to a lesser degree), Danny, and Abra (who is revealed to be Danny’s niece), Margaret’s “Shine” wasn’t as strong as Carrie’s, but it certainly became more dangerous not because of the “Shine” itself but because of her religious fanaticism and constant abuse towards her daughter, which along with them lacking a mentor figure like Dick Halloran, contributed to Carrie’s snap, chaos in town, and the deaths of both Margaret and Carrie.

Why This Shining/Carrie Theory Is So Good

As previously mentioned, most of the novels by Stephen King form a universe with its own mythology, and characters from one novel either appear or are mentioned in others (such as IT/Pennywise), as well as places and events, so it wouldn’t be surprising if some characters are also linked through something as powerful and mysterious as “The Shine”. Carrie and Margaret having “The Shine” would offer a different look at how this ability displays in other people outside the Hallorans and Torrances, and the effects that external factors can have on it. The theory also adds to the tragedy of Carrie (and her mother, too), as she could have had a better life had she had a mentor like Halloran who helped her understand her powers.

Carrie White having “The Shine” and thus connecting her novel to The Shining is one of Stephen King’s fans’ favorite theories and with good reason, as it helps flesh out the abilities of “The Shine”, how it develops differently in each person, and adds an extra level of tragedy to the story of “The Shine” itself and those of Carrie and Margaret White and the Torrance family.

About The Author

Adrienne Tyler
(3276 Articles Published)

Adrienne Tyler is a features writer for Screen Rant. She is an Audiovisual Communication graduate who wanted to be a filmmaker, but life had other plans (and it turned out great). Prior to Screen Rant, she wrote for Pop Wrapped, 4 Your Excitement (4YE), and D20Crit, where she was also a regular guest at Netfreaks podcast. She was also a contributor for FanSided’s BamSmackPow and 1428 Elm. Adrienne is very into films and she enjoys a bit of everything: from superhero films to heartbreaking dramas, to low-budget horror films. Every time she manages to commit to a TV show without getting bored, an angel gets its wings.

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When she’s not writing, you can find her trying to learn a new language, watching hockey (go Avs!), or wondering what life would have been like had Pushing Daisies, Firefly, and Limitless not been cancelled. Breakfast food is life and coffee is what makes the world go round.

Guillermo del Toro said “hi” to her once. It was great.

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