How And Why Did Marilyn Monroe Overcomes

Marilyn Monroe Overcomes Hardships Many celebrities that are put into the public eye all have an accomplishment that many people would not know to be obvious. Marilyn Monroe had a hard life when she was a child due to many circumstances but was still able to become one of the most famous actresses of all time. Marilyn Monroe had a troubled childhood, however, she did not let that control her life and fulfilled her dreams in becoming a successful actress. Norma Jeane Mortensen was born on June 1st, 1926 to Gladys and an unknown father. During her lifetime she moved to several different houses and even New York City to be an actress in the Actor’s Studio. Norma changed her whole image with the platinum blonde hair and the catchy name of “Marilyn Monroe”. She wed 3 times in her life, one including the late and great baseball star, Joe DiMaggio. Even Marilyn Monroe, who many individuals look up to, admired people herself. Two of these role models included the actresses Jean Harlow and Lana Turner, whom Marilyn based her image off of. Marilyn’s unfortunate death was August 5, 1962 due to a drug
overdose, although investigations were unable to prove whether it was accidental or suicide. Some people wonder if this tragedy was possibly a murder case (“Marilyn Monroe”). Marilyn Monroe had to deal with many hardships in her early life in Los Angeles. The terrifying memories of her mother trying to suffocate her in a crib as a toddler stayed in her mind as she grew older. Gladys Baker developed psychiatric problems and could not care for her daughter. The Goddard’s, friends of the family, were able to take care of little Norma for a few years while Gladys was put into a mental institution. Unfortunately, a job transfer came up and the Goddard’s ended up moving to the East Coast. Therefore, they could not take Norma with them due to the lack of affordability. Moving then to many different foster homes, Mortensen would not have a life like an ordinary child. In some instances she later said she was sexually assaulted. Mortensen had also aforementioned that she was raped at the age of eleven. In order to get out of the foster system, Norma married at the age of 16. While not long after the newlyweds were married, Jimmy Dougherty was sent to the South Pacific, leaving Norma for the time being. Although she was pretty use to being neglected by now, she began working in a factory where she was first revealed to the world by a photographer. It wasn’t hard for her natural beauty to pay off and began modeling right away-becoming Marilyn Monroe. This was just the beginning of her career and the start of a new life, to get away from all of her troubles in her childhood (“Marilyn Monroe”). Marilyn Monroe began her acting career in 1946.
Monroe signed with many movies and was able to really start getting into the acting in the 1950s. There was a problem, though. “Monroe suffered from performance anxiety that sometimes made her physically ill and was often the root cause of her legendary tardiness on film sets…” (“Marilyn Monroe”). Although a downfall, she was often discharged from contracts due to this disorder. “Tired of bubbly, dumb blonde roles, Monroe moved to New York City to study acting with Lee Strasberg at the Actors’ Studio.” (“Marilyn Monroe”). At the Actors’ Studio, acting was more personal than anywhere else and many actors and actresses would go there for classes, including Marlon Brando and Paul Newman. Strasberg became a big part of Monroe’s life, like a father-figure, seeing how she never had one.
(Kashner) Marilyn Monroe was a very successful woman in acting, modeling, and was “…one of the biggest and most enduring sex symbols.”(“Marilyn Monroe”). Monroe’s films grossed more than $200 Million altogether. Monroe was also voted “Best Actress in a Comedy” for the movie Some Like It Hot in 1959 at the Golden Globe Awards. Taking everything into account, Marilyn Monroe had a very challenging childhood but was able to overcome it and become an actress in her time and an admiration for today’s generation.

Works Cited
Kashner, Sam. "Marilyn and Her Monsters." Vanity Fair. Vanity Fair, Nov. 2010. Web. 11 Sept. 2013.
"Marilyn Monroe." The Biography Channel. A&E Television Networks, 2013. Web. 12 Sept. 2013.