After watching the latest adaptation of Carrie, Tabby Kibugi found herself questioning whether Christian women are expected to forgive and remain silent, even when they have been deeply hurt. Drawing on her own experiences of bullying and emotional abuse, she explores whether anger can be justified and what the Bible teaches us about expressing it.
Like most children raised on cartoons with superheroes, I was fascinated by the prospect of having superpowers. I’d picture myself being invisible to my family or possessing telekinesis, the ability to move objects with the mind. When I first encountered the 1976 adaptation of Stephen King’s Carrie, I was so enchanted by her superpower, telekinesis, that I’d incessantly pray to God to grant me the ability. This was obviously not granted, and it was a quest I later abandoned.
Although I have never been an avid fan of horror movies because of the genre’s darker themes, Carrie has always been special to me due to my love for sci-fi and its exploration of bullying, which I experienced in my teenage years. A few days ago, I finally caught up with the new adaptation of Carrie, released in October on Amazon Prime.
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Carrie White is a teenager isolated all her life and tormented by her religious mother
Carrie White is a teenager isolated all her life and tormented by her religious mother, Margaret, who twists religion and distorts God’s love. Margaret does not allow Carrie to attend school, believing the system brainwashes children. She forces Carrie to repent in a prayer closet and withholds basic information from her. She does not even tell Carrie about periods, leading to an extreme reaction when Carrie gets her first period at school, which leads to subsequent bullying.
Despite this abuse, Carrie remains a remarkably gentle protagonist. For instance, when the police arrive to inform the family of her father’s death, the first thing she says to a stranger is: “Are you okay?”
Unlike previous adaptations, which portray Carrie as more cruel, Mike Flanagan has said he wanted his version to focus on her kindness. Here, she remains an innocent, defenceless protagonist. We never see her fully release her rage until prom night, when a cruel joke leads her to use her telekinetic powers, which manifest during intense emotions, destroying her school and city and leaving nearly 200 people reportedly dead.
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Having experienced bullying as a teenager and emotional abuse from a religious partner in adulthood, I recognised something of myself in Carrie. After watching the latest film, I kept wondering: Are women always expected to respond to cruelty with kindness, composure and forgiveness, even when they have been wronged? Are we allowed to feel rage?
More often than not, women are implored to choose kindness, smile through their pain and forgive those who hurt them at the expense of their feelings. What Carrie experiences has parallels with our world today in the form of online abuse, deepfake image abuse and consent issues.
Recently, I caught a stranger filming me with Meta glasses at the gym. I was angry, but wondered how I should respond. Should I simply have forgiven him without him facing any repercussions?
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In Ephesians 4:26, we are told: “In your anger do not sin.”
In Ephesians 4:26, we are told: “In your anger do not sin.” This verse reminds us that anger is an emotion Christians are allowed to feel without guilt. However, it should not become destructive. Carrie’s anger is justified, especially given her years of isolation, humiliation and abuse from classmates, despite her efforts to fit in and treat everyone with kindness. Those who mistreated her should not simply be absolved of any responsibility.
Yet her retaliation and the devastation of prom night are a reminder that being wronged does not give us permission to inflict pain on others in return. God does not tell us to suppress anger or remain silent in the face of injustice, but the Bible reminds us to exercise restraint. James 1:19–20 tells us to be slow to anger because human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. Our response to anger can take the form of acknowledging that we have been hurt, confronting those who have wronged us, establishing boundaries and seeking justice where necessary, without allowing revenge to dictate our actions.
We may not control the circumstances that provoke our anger, but we are responsible for what we do with it. Perhaps that is the distinction Carrie’s story leaves us with. Christian women are allowed to feel rage, but we must not let it consume us to the extent that our response to it becomes another source of destruction.
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