Sue Snell

**Susan D. Snell**, best known as **Sue Snell** is a supporting character of Stephen King’s first horror novel, Carrie.

She is a student at Ewen High School in Chamberlain, Maine and the girlfriend of Tommy Ross. She was one of Chris Hargensen's best friends who joined in bullying Carrie White especially during the shower incident. Sue later felt guilty about her part in the bullying and asked Tommy to take Carrie to the prom in her place. She hoped that by doing this she would be helping Carrie to know what it is like to be accepted and put her conscience at ease. Sue's plan failed in a way that not even she expected. She discovered that the school was burning and raced to see what had happened. Upon her race to the school she got into a minor skidding accident in her mother's car which may have caused a slight concussion. She then searched for Carrie and found her later lying on an empty parking lot bleeding to death. Sue had somehow managed to "hold in" on Carrie's broadcast telepathy and invited the young girl into her mind to see that she was not involved in the prom debacle nor did she ever feel any animosity towards her. In 1986 Sue published a book recounting her part in The Black Prom. It is shown she has become a heartbroken woman because of these events.

## Novel

According to the story, Sue had been dating Tommy Ross for 6 months and became his lover 2 months before the time when the story supposedly took place. A popular girl at Ewen High School Sue began to feel guilty about making fun of Carrie White as she was having her first period and proposed to Tommy that he should take Carrie to the prom instead of her.

Although he was against the idea at first Tommy mellowed to it later. Furthermore on another note Sue believed that Tommy had gotten her pregnant. But for now Sue chose to stay at home on prom night though she was instinctively worried about it. However, several hours later the town whistle began to blow and she happened to look out her window Ewen High School was on fire. Sue rushed therefore to her mother's car and drove to the scene of the incident. When she arrived the school exploded. Sue slammed on the brake but hit her head on the steering wheel. When she exited the car she saw a nearby gas station explode and flagged down the town’s Sheriff. However, he took Sue and interrogated her. Sue knew that Carrie did all of this in revenge for the prank and that Tommy died in the school because of it. A while later Sue finds the dying Carrie White lying in a lot with a burning car. She somehow felt Carrie's "telepathic broadcast" and invited her to enter her mind and see that she never felt any hatred for Carrie nor had she taken part in her humiliation at the prom. Carrie explored Sue's mind and saw that what she said was true. Carrie died after forgiving Sue but not before transmitting to her telepathically all of her miserable life where she also had to see how ugly she behaved at the shower incident and for a while also having to experience what happens when someone dies. After that Sue began to either have her period or a miscarriage. She identified Carrie´s body for the authorities who then took the body away. She testified later at The White Commission who were trying to turn her into a scapegoat but to no avail. Years later Sue wrote "My Name Is Sue Snell". Within the book she talks about the events that led up to the The Black Prom from her perspective.

She also defends Tommy and her own actions. It is implied that all the events surrounding The Black Prom have broken Sue´s heart to the core. Sue only longs for peace after these events and also has begun embracing death driven by the experience she had when she telepathically was linked to Carrie at the time of her death having to look though only temporarily what happens when someone dies. For her it is as though she is condemned to follow her to her death because of it.

## 1976 Film

    Sue Snell is portrayed by Amy Irving in the 1976 film she did not appear to be concerned about asking Tommy Ross to take Carrie White to the prom. Also there was no mention of her pregnancy.

Sue lived with her father, mother and sister and was a popular student at Bates High School. She was friends with Chris Hargensen and dated the popular athlete, Tommy Ross. Once after PE class, Sue and her schoolmates witnessed as Carrie an outcast student and daughter of a delusional and religious mother had her first period in the shower ignorant of what was actually happening to her. Sue, Chris, Norma Watson, Helen Shyres and the other girls coldly mocked the horrified Carrie throwing tampons on her. Sue was stopped as their teacher, Miss Collins arrived and told her about what was happening. When Sue later arrived home Carrie's mother was there preaching over her mother. Sue and the other girls were later confronted by Miss Collins who told them they would be punished for what they did to Carrie. The girls were then forced into extreme physical exercise until Chris defied the teacher and called her schoolmates to join her. Feeling guilty and regretful for her actions towards Carrie, Sue only told Chris to "shut up!". Sue later had the idea of making things better for Carrie by persuading Tommy into taking her to the prom instead. Tommy agreed and the 2 were interrogated by Miss Collins on their true intentions. Sue however was unaware of Chris's plans for that same night after Chris was expelled from the prom. Sue left home to see sneak and see how things were going at the prom and found out that Carrie and Tommy were elected king and queen of the prom and rejoiced. Sue then noticed the rope armed around the stage and spotted Chris and Billy Nolan hidden below Carrie and Tommy ready to humiliate her in front of everyone. Miss Collins assumed Sue went there to ruin Carrie's perfect moment and ignoring the girl's warnings about Chris and Billy, Miss Collins expelled Sue out of the prom. Outside, Sue desperately screamed to be allowed inside until Freddy DeLois and Kenny Garson appeared trying to squirm their ways out and were suffocated as Carrie enraged forced the 2 suffocating them between doors.

Sue tried to get in and witnessed the massacre happening there. Afraid of Carrie and of the events she went away from there. Traumatized over the deaths of Tommy, her friends, schoolmates and teachers Sue became haunted by nightmares of Carrie.

## Trivia

* Sue is the only character to appear and survive in every version of the story. Though she does end up dying in the 1976 film's sequel.

* The dream sequence involving Sue was shot with Amy Irving walking backwards away from the plot where Carrie White's house was supposed to be. If one watches the screen during the first moments of the sequence one can see a red car moving slowly in reverse. A few seconds later another car is seen moving backwards much closer to the viewer and faster.

* The cross-style For Sale sign in the above sequence had the words "Carrie White Burns In Hell!" scrawled on its front meaning apparently that not even until death was Carrie able to find peace.

* In the 2013 remake Sue starts to treat Carrie as a friend when she asked her boyfriend, Tommy Ross to take Carrie to prom and also when Carrie tells Sue that her baby will be a girl saving Sue from dying in the house and when Sue places a white rose on Carrie's grave.

* It is also possible that she completely ceases to see The Mortimer Snerds as friends for what they did during The Black Prom in the 2013 remake.