Loango 1

Yeltsin Loango

English 102

Professor Batty

December 11, 2017

Plant what You want to Harvest

As people grow in years of age the desire of having a kid comes to the minds of many.

Either it being adoption or actually having a kid, you strive to teach the kid to be the best person

he or she can. The problem is that no matter how hard you try, sometimes they turn out the

complete opposite of what you expected. In the book, The Bad Seed, by William March, a story

is told of a woman that raises the ideal perfect girl, turns out to be her worst nightmare. Although

many children look innocent and bring no harm to others, Rhoda is an eight-year-old who can be

considered monstrous through a psychoanalysis because she's frightening, brings fear and

anxiety to people.

A question that rises many times, in these days is, what is considered a Monster? Many

believe its the unnatural physical appearances of one's character. Although that is true, it's not

the only case that determines that something is monstrous. It's also the way one may act towards

other, the inhumanly characteristics seen in that character. The perfect example of that is Rhoda.

Her physical appearance isn't presented as humanly, in contrast she is presented as a young

beautiful innocent girl. The monstrous part that comes into play in the life of Rhoda is the actions

she takes throughout the book. Which consisted in three murders she committed. The innocence

of this child wouldnt reflect any of the actions she takes in the book.
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Rhoda is only an 8-year-old girl at the time. Ironically, that doesnt say anything about

the way she acts. She has the attitude of a much more mature person, and lacks emotion. Both

maturity and lack of emotion are both seen after the deaths of her victims. Maturity in the sense

that the way she plans the deaths of these people, without anyone figuring out or suspecting

anything of her. Emotionless by the way she reacts after causing pain and misery to families, it's

like she really doesnt care and really feels like the people she killed deserved it. That part of

Rhoda can be described as frightening. Interestingly enough these homicides she causes, all had

something in common. That factor was that there was always something she wanted from those

certain people that she didnt have.

Rhoda always wanting certain things can also come from her being a single child. This

comes from the term "Only Child Syndrome." The article says "Teachers, students and often

employers often expect only children to be selfish, strange, lonely or unhappy." (Understanding)

This is being determined throughout many researchers that have studied single kid households.

Maybe it could be since the kids are alone, they have too much time to think for themselves

which in some cases might not be the healthiest. Therefore, this can play a strong role in the life

of Rhoda, since these kids are expected to be more selfish than normal. Personally, I've seen this

as well with one of my cousins that although he's a great kid, he does tend to be selfish many

times. I also agree with this because another cousin of mine was the same way, until he got a

sister and became more selfless. So, I believe that Rhoda could have been impacted through her

being a single child.

School is intended to be a safe and fun place for kids especially young ones. Something

interesting goes on in school with Rhoda. She is described as a very smart girl that follows orders

and completes assignments. The book explains how the kids of her grade just had a feeling that
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she was no good. It wasnt bullying, it must have been the vibe she would give of just being

around the kids would try to not get too close to her. William March compares her when he says,

She was like a charming little animal that can never be trained to fit into the conventional

patterns of existence . . . "(March 37) which makes perfect sense. He explains clearly how no

matter how perfect this little girl can be, no matter if it was school or outside she wouldnt fit in.

Not only does that affect to Rhoda, but as well to many in today time. In the sense that some

people try too hard to fit somewhere they do not belong. No matter how much they change or

want to be perfect for that certain thing, sometimes it's just not for them.

The people Rhoda executed where from different ages. There was no certain age range

for her target. The first person she kills is a student in her class Claude, because he had won a

medal she believed she deserved. She beat him with her shoes, she explains how he wouldnt

shut up, so she had to put an end to his life so she wouldnt get caught. The next person she kills

is her baby sitter, due to the fact that the babysitter had a necklace she really liked. The last

person is Leroy that she ends up killing for the fact he made her believe he had the shoes, in

other words the evidence that Rhoda killed Claude. From all three deaths it can be determined

that Rhoda always had a set mind on what she wanted.

All these murders start to make sense to Christine her mother after she reads some special

documents. Christine reads about her past and how before she was adopted her own mother was

a serial killer. From that point forward Christine's mentality on Rhoda has now taken a twist.

Instead of blaming Rhoda for what she has done she now says, How can I blame Rhoda for the

things she done? I carried the bad seed that made her what she is. If anybody is guilty, Im the

guilty one, not Rhoda. (March 167) Anxiety has caught up to Christine, making her destroy

herself in not knowing what actions to take. In a way she knows there's some measures that must
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be taken to Rhoda. As a reader you would say put an end to Rhoda before she kills more people.

So, what would you do in a case if this was you with your child?

As one gets older many have the desire to have kids, or adopt. Just like they were once

raised, they now want to raise a kid themselves. There's a say that says " You harvest what you

plant," which has a very strong impact. Whether it being something good or bad you will see an

outcome. The fear now comes into the lives of what will their kids be growing up. We see how

Christine raised Rhoda alone most of the time, but raised her to the best of her understanding.

That fear of "what if" you bring one to the world and that one causes destruction, that's a fear

Rhoda brings to the reader. Many say Rhoda should have been killed, early when Christine

found out. Although they say that they dont see themselves in that position. Many would think

otherwise now if it's their kid. Yes, Rhoda brings that fear to us with her actions but also as

human being and actions we take in the real world.

Truly there is no word to describe what Rhoda. The lack of conscious in Rhoda is what

provokes all the things she goes through with. Someone without a conscious, can be compared to

someone that can't be stopped. With no conscious, there is no emotion, and without emotion

there's no reasoning for things. Rhoda can be seen as "A freak of nature masquerading as an

angelic little girl of eight; surrounded by well-intentioned but foolish adults who react to her

outward"(Oates). A little girl her age that has reached a point where she doesnt care who she

hurts or what she does, it truly something that would keep you up thinking about kids. Christine

herself believes Rhoda is a result of a bad seed. Kids who have inherited "bad genes",

functioning outside the boundaries of human conscience, manipulating adults through

charm"(Tunc). Rhoda takes advantage of the normal adult where she presents herself innocent,
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just like the daily kid you may see today. Anxiety goes through everyone no matter the problem,

Rhoda provokes Christine anxiety to the point where she can no longer contain everything.

Towards the end the decision is made by Christine that her daughter must be stopped. She

believes that the easiest way to do so is by sleeping pills. Knowing what she is doing she decides

to take her own life as well with a shot to the head. Rhoda recovers from the pills early. Here

again we see the unemotional little girl. The woman that brought her to life and raised her is

lying dead in front of her, while she shows no care for her. The problem now is that everyone

that knew about Rhoda's actions is now dead, and no one else knows about it. Now she is left

with her father, and we dont know what is to become of her. Since there is no real reason for her

to change the life she's been living, there's a high chance she remains the same. With no Ego

there's no ID nor Superego. Therefore, no balance in the mind of Rhoda. Id goes back to what

someone wants. In the story we noticed how every death was because Rhoda wanted something.

Perfect example how her ID took control for the needs she desired. Rhoda ever since she was

born never had control of her own life. Learning to control your own life may be difficult many

times, but trying to control someone else's might just be impossible.

This could easily be based on a really story but it isn't. Still being fiction it's scary how this

girl was capable of doing so much harm to many people without being stopped. Just like in

today's times there could be someone like her that looks so innocent but are only here to harm

others. Through a psychoanalytical lens we understand more of not only Rhoda but other kids,

and how their id, ego, and superego come together to set one's behaviors. Just remember no

matter how hard you try to raise your child perfectly, they might just be the complete opposite.

So careful what you bring into the world because it's part of you forever. Are you ready to plant

your seed?
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WORKCITED

March, William.The bad seed. Vintage Books, a division of Random House LLC, 2015.

Oates, Joyce Carol. "Killer Kids." Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism, edited by

Jennifer Baise, vol. 96, Gale, 2000. Literature Resource Center

Tunc, Tanfer Emin. "Rumours, gossip and lies: social anxiety and the evil child in Lillian

Hellman's The Children's Hour." Journal of Literary Studies, vol. 28, no. 3, 2012, p.

32+. Literature Resource Center,

http://library.lavc.edu:2102/apps/doc/A302900270/GLS?u=lavc_main&sid=GLS&xid=b

caf07ef. Accessed 12 Dec. 2017.

Understanding Only Child Syndrome. NoBullying - Bullying & CyberBullying

Resources, 18 Sept. 2016, nobullying.com/only-child-syndrome/.

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