A crazy theory is currently circulating on the web: another character from the universe created by Stephen King – and a villain moreover – would be the father of the legendary Carrie. We tell you.
Warning, spoilers! The following article reveals important information about “Carrie” as well as other works from the Stephen King universe.
Stephen King’s novels are all part of the same universe, with certain characters and events referenced or appearing in other stories: this is enough to feed the imagination of the most passionate fans and give rise to a wide variety of theories.
As reported by Screenrant, the latest suggests that Randall Flagg, antagonist of several Stephen King novels and one of the greatest villains imagined by the latter, would be the father of Carrie White. True or false, this theory would make Flagg an even more dangerous character than he already is…
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It was in 1974 that readers met Carrie White, a friendless high school student who was constantly bullied at school and abused at home by her extremely religious mother, Margaret White. After a traumatic incident at school that went too far and tired of the constant abuse she endures on all fronts, Carrie decides to get revenge on everyone who hurt her. To do this, she will use her newly discovered powers of telekinesis and growing with her rage – causing chaos and destruction in the process.
Although the novel initially sold modestly, Carrie became a best-seller in 1976 after Brian De Palma’s film adaptation Carrie at the Devil’s Ball starring Sissy Spacek, and has since been adapted for TV, stage and film several times – most recently version, Carrie, Revenge, was released in 2013 with Chloë Grace Moretz in the title role.
After a first news, The Glass Floorpublished in 1967, Carrie, released in 1973, is the first novel by Stephen King who has since been crowned with success and proclaimed the undisputed king of horror. The character of Carrie, meanwhile, has become one of the most popular of her novels and the young girl, her powers and her backstory have been the subject of a variety of theories.
Who is Randall Flagg?
Randall Flagg is an accomplished wizard and devoted servant of evil, who possesses supernatural abilities such as necromancy, prophecy, and influencing animal and human behavior.
Flagg made his first appearance in the 1978 novel, The scourgeas a demonic character, before reappearing in The Eyes of the Dragon in 1984, trying to throw the medieval town of Delain into chaos.
In time, Flagg became the main antagonist of Stephen King’s universe and his role as the main antagonist in the feature film The Dark Tower. – where he is played by Matthew McConaughey – helped expand his backstory and motivations, tying together his previous appearances and making him the feared figure he is now. Recently, we were able to see the character again in the 2020 mini-series The Stand (The Scourge), in which he was played this time by Alexander Skarsgård.
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Appearing in various ways in King’s works, he has always been a powerful and charismatic embodiment of evil, being the servant of the Crimson King, the ultimate evil of the multiverse. Flagg’s power is such that he need not appear physically for his presence and influence to be felt and thus has served as an invisible antagonist in some works, such as in Haze (1980), leading fans to imagine that several key multiverse events may have been caused by it or that it may have appeared all over the place, yet hidden in plain sight.
What do we know about Carrie’s father?
Carrie’s father is not present in the story but is mentioned several times. We know that his name is Ralph White and that he was a construction worker who met Margaret Brigham in 1960 and married her two years later.
We also know that he shared his wife’s religious beliefs and that, like her, he believed that all forms of sexual relations were a sin. One night, after going out for drinks with his friends, Ralph came home and raped Margaret, who became pregnant with Carrie.
Shortly before the latter was born, a horrific construction accident killed several men, including Ralph. It is strongly suggested that Carrie’s powers come from her father’s side, and this, supported by a specific part of the novel, gave way to the theory that Ralph White is one of Randall Flagg’s many identities.
Could Randall Flagg be Carrie’s father?
In the novel Carrie, it is mentioned that Margaret “fought the black man and defeated him”, chasing him from her house with a broom and fleeing him into the street, with “his cloven feet striking red sparks on the cement”. Many have interpreted these words as referring to Flagg’s signature cowboy boots or as a reference to the devil made by the extremely religious Margaret which also applies to the latter.
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If Flagg was Carrie’s father, that would explain why she had powers and why those were so intense and destructive. It would also mean that Carrie is an umpteenth story where Flagg is finally the invisible mastermind hiding behind the chaos.
This theory, if proven to be true, would add even more desolation to Flagg’s already destructive story, but also to Carrie’s story and Margaret’s story, because getting married and having a child with the literal embodiment of evil certainly could have been what pushed her over the edge, leading her to treat Carrie the way she did…
It only remains to wait to find out if Stephen King will one day confirm the theory or reveal another… or none! The ball is in the king’s court.