Growing up she was known as Norma Jeane Mortenson. She was born into a troubled home full of chaos and confusion. For myself, growing up in a well balanced home, I can't even imagine the pain this little girl must have endured.
Her mother, Gladys Baker, was mentally as well as financially unstable making her unable to care for her daughter. This caused young Norma Jeane to be transferred from foster home, back to her mother, to another foster home, to an orphanage, and to multiple more foster homes throughout her childhood.
One day when Marilyn was still with her first foster family, her mother, Gladys, decided to take Marilyn back. When Grace McKee, the foster mother, wouldn't let her, Gladys took matters into her own hands. She persuaded Grace to come into the yard then outran her back to the house and locked herself indoors. She then preceded to stuff 2-year old Marilyn into a duffel bag and walked out of the house with her. A horrified Grace ran to save the little girl and found her almost suffocating inside the bag. The courts then relinquished all rights from Gladys and Marilyn continued switching residences for 13 years. During these years she suffered from physical and sexual abuse on multiple accounts. Finally, so as not to be sent to another foster home or orphanage, she married young, at the age of 15, to a friend of her last foster family. His name was James Dougherty and he was 5 years older than her. As anyone can see this is a terrible environment for a child to be raised in, with never any stability or love.
Despite all the hardships little Marilyn endured she continued to follow her dreams of "making it big" and she did, in Hollywood. Although she fulfilled the dream of becoming a star she never got what anyone truly desires. . .love. In her life Marilyn looked for love from many sources: foster families, the men she married, producers, fans etc. She lived her life based on appearance and how the world viewed her. It was what kept her going. Marilyn was never able to find this love she so desperately wanted because no one ever taught her how to love herself.
"I was never used to being happy, so
that wasn't something I ever took for
granted. You see, I was brought up
differently from the average American
child because the average child is
brought up expecting to be happy." --
I had posted a comment on here already but as I was reading I couldn't find it anymore... What I had said was that I love that you are learning about Marilyn's life. In the media she was reflected as a sex icon. Which she was, but no one openly explain, or even tried to,explain, why she was acting that way. No one focused in on the sadness she was living, trying to cope with
ReplyDeleteOn a daily basis. Marilyn had suffered and no one had the heart or time to ask her about it. Her sexiness was always first. We forgot that she was
ReplyDeleteOnly human. She needed love, true love, and appreciation for the person she was and since she didn't get that through her , she used her body. But was never truly happy. I love your topic, thank you for shining light on the truth!
ReplyDeleteThis blog is so interesting, I am glad someone is looking back to see the roots of such an influential woman. To know who she is, you need to know where she comes from. Its interesting to see people take interest in such an iconic person. She is viewed as primarily seductive, and risqué for her time, but also, she came from a rough childhood, and messed up past. It gives hope for other rising stars, and such a key role in the fashion industry!!
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