Marilyn Monroe - the Idol of Generations

The idol of generations

Marilyn Monroe has always been an idol to thousands, and a household name through generations. She was the biggest sex symbol of all time. Her soft, child like voice, her beautiful body, and the way she would walk, no guy could resist. But who was she really? Was she more than just the blonde bombshell she was typecast for? Why did she go through so many marriages, and what made her overdose, killing herself in her prime years? There are so many things about her that people know nothing about. These are things that really seem the most important, because they are what made a beautiful woman more than just a movie star, but someone to be remembered forever.

Born under the name of Norma Jeane Mortenson on June 1, 1926 to her mother Gladys and an unknown father, she was later put into a foster home due to her mother's mental instability and the fact she was unwed. Norma lived with foster parents Albert and Ida Bolender for the first 7 years of her life. Though she lived with her mother for a short time "Gladys begin to show signs of mental depression and in 1934 was admitted to a rest home in Santa Monica." (ellensplace.net) Then Norma was placed under the care of a close friend of her mothers, Grace Mckee. This seemed perfect for Norma Jeane. Grace loved and truly cared for Norma Jeane, which showed through how much Norma Jeane looked up to her, and even took after who she loved," Grace was captivated by Jean Harlow, a superstar of the twenties, and Marilyn would later say..."and so Jean Harlow was my idol."" (ellensplace) Sadly, due to financial difficulties, Norma Jean was put into an orphanage in 1935. She later married her boyfriend James Dougherty at age 16. He later joined the Merchant Marines, and was sent overseas. While he was overseas, Norma Jeanes modeling career started to blossom. "Norma Jeane, while working in a factory inspecting parachutes in 1944, was photographed by the Army as a promotion to show women on the assembly line contributing to the war effort." (ellens..) The photographer noticed Norma Jeane and asked to take more pictures of her, and by 1945, she was known as the "photographers dream" and was seen on 33 covers of national magazines. When her husband returned home, Norma Jeane was focused on her career, and the couple soon got divorced, which left Norma Jeane to say, "My marriage didn't make me sad, but it didn't make me happy either. My husband and I hardly spoke to each other. This wasn't because we were angry. We had nothing to say. I was dying of boredom." (ellens..) This did not stop Norma Jeane from pursuing her career as a model and actress, in fact, "The couple divorced in 1946--the same year she signed her first movie contract." (biography.com). With her new movie contract with Twentieth Century-Fox Studios also came her new name,