Abstract Horror fiction often reflects social fears and hidden problems in society. This article presents a sociocultural reading of Stephen King’s Carrie (1974). It argues that the novel should not be viewed as a supernatural horror story but also as a cultural text about institutional harm. The study uses several theoretical ideas, including cultural violence theory, moral panic theory, Foucauldian disciplinary power, institutional betrayal theory and the sociology of deviance. Through qualitative thematic analysis and close reading of the novel, the article examines three main institutions: the school, the religious family and the peer group. These institutions work together to isolate and marginalize Carrie White, slowly denying her social agency and sense of belonging. While many earlier studies focus on feminist or psychoanalytic interpretations, this article highlights the sociological meaning of the narrative. It interprets Carrie’s telekinetic power as a form of symbolic statement of suppressed social agency which develops after long periods of humiliation and institutional neglect. The article suggests the idea of “supernatural retaliation as cultural response” and that horror fiction can expose deeper social issues and institutional failures.
Ochilov et al. (Thu,) studied this question.