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The 1956 film, The Bad Seed, based on the book by William March explores child psychopathy. The main character, eight-year-old Rhoda Penmark (per Wikipedia) appears to be what every little girl brought up in a loving home should be. Outwardly, she is charming, polite and intelligent beyond her years. To most adults, she’s every parent’s dream: obedient, well-groomed, and compliant. She reads books, does her homework, and practices her piano scales, all without being asked by her parents. However, most children keep their distance from her, sensing there is something not quite right about her…”
She is a little girl. She is a thief. She is a liar. She is a murderer.
For obvious reasons, to many people who know her, the behavior and actions of the subject of this website is strongly reminiscent of the subject of the book, (minus the murder, to the best of our knowledge, to be fair).
Included are two quotes from the book that help to clarify how Rhoda, (and anybody Rhoda-like) might be understood.
