The Bad Seed

THE BAD SEED
by William March

 Nomination: National Book Finalist 1955

 Date Read: October 25, 2019

 The Bad Seed was much better than I had anticipated, having formed the opinion that it was a bestselling thriller, not compelling literature. March uses this novel as a vehicle to understand the inherent nature of violence, the "Bad Seed" that resides in all of us, obviously more prevalent in some than in others. I found the debate about the genetic predisposition towards violence an interesting construct as well.

 Rhoda is clearly a sociopath. Her mother, Christine, learns that she is the daughter of a notorious killer who was eventually put to death in the electric chair, having killed numerous people. She believes that she passed on this "seed" to her daughter and, therefore, she is to blame for the people her daughter has killed. I initially rejected this notion, however, mental illness, such as Antisocial Personality Disorder, are genetic traits that can run in families.

 The most shocking part of this book is the quiet way in which Christine learns of her daughter's behavior and the lack of horror she seems to exhibit as a result. If I had learned that my child had killed someone, I would have been beside myself. Christine eventually gets there, losing interest in her beauty regimens and social calls and devises a very misguided plan that backfires in the end. I could see the ending coming a mile away, yet enjoyed every minute reading as my assumptions came true. 

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