From Norma Jean to Icon: Marilyn Monroe’s Profound Impact on Society

Early Life and Struggles

“No one ever told me I was pretty when I was a little girl. All little girls should be told they’re pretty, even if they aren’t” (Marilyn Monroe). Marilyn Monroe was born as Norma Jean Mortensen on June 1, 1926. Her mother, Gladys Pearl Monroe, had a complicated relationship with her previous husband, children, and Norma’s biological father. Gladys recorded Norma’s last name incorrectly as Mortenson rather than Mortensen. The person listed on Norma Jean’s birth certificate as her father did not exist.

Before she ever saw herself as Marilyn Monroe, Norma Jean struggled with her self-identity. Only 12 days after her birth, Norma was sent to live with Wayne and Ida Bolender. Gladys lived with her best friend Grace McKee-Goddard, whose house was across the street from the Bolender’s 2-acre farm. Grace was a big part of Norma’s life. Living with different families became a staple for Norma, but Grace always made sure she had a safe place to stay. She could always tell when it was time to move to the next house.

For a while, Norma lived with Grace and her husband, Erwin “Doc” Goddard. One night, Doc went into Norma’s room and raped her. After that, Norma was moved to an orphanage. Not many families were looking to adopt a teenage girl. By this time, Gladys had already been admitted to a mental hospital, and there was nowhere else for Norma to go. Between never knowing her father and her scarce relationship with her mother, Norma Jean began to see the people around her as temporary and untrustworthy. The people caring for her could hand her off anytime they did not want to take care of her anymore.

From Norma to Marilyn: The Rise to Stardom

When Norma Jean turned sixteen, Grace arranged for her to marry a then twenty-one-year-old Jim Dougherty. Without the marriage, Norma would have been forced to return to an orphanage until she turned eighteen. Jim and Norma had a unique relationship. They did not love one another, yet they got along quite well. One year after the wedding, Jim decided to enlist in the Merchant’s Marine. Norma felt alone while Jim was away, and she needed something that could both keep her busy and support her financially. Jim’s mother took Norma in and got her a job at Radio Plane, an aircraft plant. One day, a photographer named Conover came to the plant to photograph some of the more attractive women working there to boost the soldiers’ morale. He came across Norma and quickly snapped a picture. After seeing her potential in the photograph, Conover asked Norma to pose again.

Conover and Norma created a portfolio, and he introduced Norma to Emmeline Snively, a modeling agency. Norma Jean’s success in modeling became evident when she appeared in five magazines in one month. 20th-Century Fox’s casting agent, Brent Lyon, wanted an introduction after hearing about Norma. Once the screen test had been completed and approved by Darryl Zanuck, vice president of productions, Fox offered Norma Jean her first movie contract. Fox was the company that brought Marilyn Monroe into the spotlight.

Marilyn Monroe: The Screen Siren

Lyon decided Norma Jean Mortenson needed a new name. She already felt as though her name did not fit, so she did not object to the idea of having a new name. Lyon felt Norma should be named Marilyn. Norma wanted to keep some part of her past with her on this new adventure, so she decided to keep her mother’s maiden name. Little did they know Marilyn Monroe would become one of the most iconic movie stars of the 1950s.

Marilyn Monroe played many small parts as a budding actress. Those who saw her movies did not know her name, yet left the theatre wanting to see more of the “hot blonde.” Her song “Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend” became the most popular part of one of her first big movies, “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.” People craved not only the emotional attributes Marilyn brought to the stage while acting but also the way she looked on screen. Her looks captivated the audience.

Being adored by audiences was appealing to Marilyn. When she was growing up, Marilyn never felt as though her presence was valued. So, being cherished by thousands of fans was comforting. Marilyn loved walking down the street because the paparazzi would take pictures of her, or she would hear guys whistling at her. As a movie star, she gained a sense of stability from her fans, but her work quickly became debilitating. Marilyn was getting less and less sleep. Her condition escalated to the point where she became dependent on sleeping pills. In the morning, Marilyn would show up at the studio late and tired. Her performance in front of a rolling camera was spectacular; however, once the cameras turned off, she immediately looked to her acting coach for confirmation. Marilyn was in a constant state of worry when it came to her acting.

Recognition, Struggles, and Mystery

It took the media many years to recognize Marilyn was not just an attractive person on the screen. Newspapers and magazines finally began to realize Marilyn Monroe’s talent after the release of her movie “Bus Stop” in 1956. Every movie she stared at was a hit. Marilyn Monroe was no longer just the “hot blonde.” By 1959, Marilyn had been married three times, had two miscarriages, and starred in 24 movies. Marilyn Monroe led a stressful life. Many times, she turned to alcohol and sleeping pills to ease her mind.

In the early morning hours of August 5, 1962, Marilyn Monroe was found dead in her Los Angeles home. Her cause of death was ruled as an overdose of sleeping pills. By the time her body was discovered, she had been dead for a long time. Marilyn is said to have called many people during her last night of life. When reporters attempted to obtain Marilyn’s phone records, they were told the FBI had already collected them. Her phone records were never found.

References

1. Spoto, D. (2001). Marilyn Monroe: The Biography. HarperCollins.
2. Monroe, M., & Hecht, B. (2007). My story. Taylor Trade Publications.
3. Banner, L. W. (2012). Marilyn: The passion and the paradox. Bloomsbury Publishing USA.
4. Wolfe, D. H. (1998). The last days of Marilyn Monroe. William Morrow & Co.
5. Churchwell, S. (2004). The many lives of Marilyn Monroe. Macmillan.

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