Nature Vs. Nurture In The Bad Seed

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The nature versus nurture theory is a way to distinguish whether certain traits or characteristics of individuals are impacted more by biological means or environmental means. What the “nature” part signifies in the the theory is that we are more impacted by heredity and biological effects of our personality and what defines us as a person. What “nurture” signifies is that environmental factors have a more powerful impact on our lives and personality. As we mostly know, most things aren’t black and white, and so it’s hard ro determine which type of factors is more effective. Most people believe that it’s a blend of both nature and nurture that makes us who we are.
The Bad Seed supports this theory in a very clear and simple approach. The movie uses a child as a demonstration of both nature …show more content…

This part of the plot demonstrates the nurture of Rhoda and the kind of environmental factors that have influenced her personality. She was loved by her parents and spoiled at a young age. The woman who spoiled Rhoda had given her an even stronger sense of entitlement. The child believed that she deserved the medal and thus is enraged when another boy earns it. Her sense of entitlement, developed by people spoiling her, was an environmental factor and it gave her a motive to kill.
The mother of the child is portrayed as a normal woman with no mental health problem. This would lead the viewer to believe that the child’s tendency to murder developed in her short life span by her sense of entitlement and lack of punishment. She had no sense of consequences and we are led to believe she is like this due to her environment (which is partly the case).
All signs in the beginning of the movie point to her personality was being mostly influenced by the environment. Examples of environmental factors include her overly affectionate parents, her rich upbringing, and no punishments for her

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