History Literature / TheBadSeed

''The Bad Seed'' is a PsychologicalThriller novel by William March, published in 1954.

''The Bad Seed'' is a thriller novel by William March, published in 1954.

* DownerEnding: Not just a downer - it's basically '''as bad as it gets'''. [[spoiler: Christine commits suicide, whereas murderous Rhoda survives and gets away scot-free, nobody even suspecting her of any foul.]]

Christine Penmark, a housewife, moves into a new town with her husband Kenneth and daughter Rhoda. Christine has always thought her daughter was very peculiar; while always polite, courteous, and charming in public, there was a cold, apathetic, and calculating quality in her personality that she found very disturbing in a child. As Christine notices the strange, horrible things that happen in the proximity of her daughter, she comes to see that Rhoda is the very definition of an EnfanteTerrible.

* ManOnFire: [[spoiler: Leroy's death.]]

* EvenEvilHasStandards: In spite of readily admitting he is a mean and uncaring man who likes to get under a little girl's skin just for kicks, Leroy is genuinely disturbed when he realizes that kind of person Rhoda really is. He's a sociopath too, but even he recoils at murder.
* FaceOfAnAngelMindOfADemon: Rhoda, a sweet looking eight year old girl, with the dangerous mind of a psychopathic killer.

* AdultFear: Discovering that your daughter is a cold, remorseless psychopath. [[note]] Though nowadays, the use of the term "psychopath" to describe a child would be considered inappropriate in most clinical circles. But then again many real clinical circles haven't treated nine year olds with multiple homicides on their record either.[[/note]]

Christine Penmark, a housewife, moves into a new town with her husband Kenneth and daughter Rhoda. She has always thought her daughter was very peculiar; while always polite, courteous, and charming in public, there was a cold, apathetic, and calculating quality in her personality that she found very disturbing in a child. As Christine notices the strange, horrible things that happen in the proximity of her daughter, she comes to see that Rhoda is the very definition of EnfanteTerrible.

* TroublingUnchildlikeBehaviour: Rhoda!

* InTheBlood: Christine discovers that [[spoiler: her biological mother was a serial killer and believes that she passed her murderous nature to Rhoda.]]

* LightIsNotGood: Rhoda, with her blonde hair and spotless white dresses, is a classic example.

'''Rhoda''': Why should I feel sorry ? It was Claude Daigle who got drowned, not me.

[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the_bad_seed_1954_novel.jpg]]

This far, there have been four adaptations of the novel:

It was made into a stage play, which was then adapted into a film in 1956, and a made-for-TV remake in 1985. For the play, see ''Theatre/TheBadSeed''. For the films, see ''Film/TheBadSeed1956'' and ''Film/TheBadSeed1985''.

!!It contains examples of:

* AffablyEvil: Rhoda's always polite and sweet-acting, and only harms people when they have something she wants.

* DownerEnding: Not just a downer - it's basically '''as bad as it gets'''. [[spoiler: Christine commits suicide, whereas mirderous Rhoda survives and gets away scot-free, nobody even suspecting her of any foul.]]

** [[spoiler: Then there's Rhoda at the very end of the film]].
* TheBadGuyWins: [[spoiler: Rhoda gets away with everything in the book. Not so much in the 1956 movie.]]

* ChangelingFantasy: Since childhood, Christine has had this thought in the back of her mind that she was adopted, though unlike most examples of this trope, the idea fills her with horror. Her parents (mother in the book, father in the movie) profusely deny this, and her friends assure her that this is a common childhood fantasy. Unfortunately for her, the truth is far worse than she could imagine.

-->'''Leroy''': You ask me and I say you don't even feel sorry about what happen to that poor little boy
-->'''Rhoda''': Why should I feel sorry ? It was Claude Daigle who got drowned, not me.
* SoundOnlyDeath: While in book form the deaths of both Leroy and Christine aren't described in as full detail that it was no surprise the stage and film versions staged them like this.

* JerkassHasAPoint: Leroy is correct about a number of the characters: Monica ''is'' an arrogant know-it-all, Christine's kindness ''is'' a bit condescending, and he is is quite right about Rhoda's selfish, coldblooded personality.

* DownerEnding: Not just a downer - it's basically '''as bad as it gets'''. [[spoiler: Christine commits suicide, whereas Rhoda survives and gets off scot-free, nobody even suspecting her of any foul.]]

* VillainProtagonist: Take a wild guess on who it is.

* WhereTheHellIsSpringfield: While the setting of the novel isn't directly stated there are several clues that it is in Maryland. Rhoda's murder of the elderly neighbor was in Baltimore. The Fern sisters mention a small Maryland town and a bay-side (a very common local description).