The Hero’s JourneyMarilyn

Monroe

The Call • From the Secret life of Marilyn Monroe– Norma Jeanne's

Foster Mother, Ida Bolender. • Albert and Ida adopted Norma Jean less than 2weeks after

her birth, since Glady was not yet able to be a mother.• On the birth certificate, her father was Martin Edward

Mortensen with an unknown residence . • Glady Baker had mental illness of paranoid schizophrenia,

her religious beliefs restricted the use of medication to treat the illness, it never came under control. ( Courtesy of Maryanne Reed Collection- “ The secret life of Marilyn Monroe”)

• Below is a photograph of Glady and Marilyn, 3years of age, to the right is a photo of Ida and Albert who took care of Norma and their own baby Lester who is 3months older than baby Marilyn.

:THE CALL Injustice in her life

• Norma Jean struggles growing up, overhearing conversations about who wants to take care of the “ Mental case”. She would shiver in her bed at night knowing It wasn’t a good thing to be talked about.

• She dealt with her mother who gave up Norma Jean and had lost. It was hard for Glady to watch her friend Ida be able to take care of her child when she was over visiting.

• When Norma Jean was 3 she began to call Ida Bolender “Aunt Ida” since she recognized her “ mommy” was in and out of her life at a very young age. (page 37 “Secret Life Of Marilyn Monroe”)

• Whenever Marilyn refereed to Ida as her mother she would get shut down and told repeatedly by Ida that she was not Norma Jeans real mother, This had to of made Marilyn question about her real mother.

• By age 7 She attended Washington Street School and didn’t relate well with other children, A tragic event with Norma’s beloved dog “tippy” has scared her and she was convinced that the neighbors killed the dog with a garden hose, a story that she put together herself in her own mind. She became sensitive over the emotional trauma. A couple days after, Ida was confused within herself on how to deal with Norma's emotion, she decided that Norma Jean needed her mother and told her she would be going to live with her for the first time since she was 2weeks old. (p.44)

• She moved in with her mother and roommate Grace Atkinson she adjusted well in 1933 she enrolled into 2nd grade at the Selma Avenue Elementary school. Being with her real mother gave Norma Jean a sense of security back. (pg50)

• By 1934 Grace recognized that Glady needed mental care, events of Glady having “seizures” falling down stairs excusing that someone is trying to kill her. Norma Jean can remember the incident it was remembered as a defilement of who her mother was to her and how she had become a danger to herself and others, Glady was committed to the state mental institution, Norwalk Hospital indefinitely(pg54)

• Grace filed the necessary papers to become her legal guardian• Norma Jean is in distress again. (pg55)– this all causes philological issues for Marilyn though out her life.

ThresholdThreshold- her jumping off point

• 1941 Van Nuy High School is where Marilyn meet and then later married Jim Dougherty, who was 5 years her senior.

• Jim was skeptical about marrying 16yrold Marilyn but he did it for the good to keep her out of more foster homes.

• Marilyn shared her fears of being intimate with Jim, with Grace. • Wedding took place June 19th 1942• Ida and Wayne Bolender attended but not her mother or Grace.

• Jim remembers taking Norma Jeans virginity and eventually was having sex with her outside and in public places when no one was looking…

This indicates to me that Marilyn often felt abandoned and alone and reached out in extreme ways to grab attention that she felt she missed while growing up. Example- nude modleing.

Threshold—jumping off point

• Why did Norma Jean change her name? She signed a contract with Blue Book’s modeling agency. Ben Lyon’s attention was grabbed by the stunning Norma Jean. She was signed for a 6month contract starting off at 125$ per week. Ben did not think he could work with the standard name of “Norma Jean” She came about the last name of Monroe from her idol, Jean Harlow, she used her mothers maiden name of Monroe. Ben suggested to use the name of Marilyn after Marilyn Miller, an early 1930’s Broadway star. She felt that the double “M” name had a nice flow and was sexy and may even be “lucky”.

Stardom taking off 1947, a big year for Monroe.

• 1947- Norma Jean Bleaches her brunette hair because modeling agents were looking for models with lighter hair.

• Her early work was not so much credited, movies include as listed• -- The Shocking Miss Pilgrim, Dangerous Years, Green Grass of Wyoming, and you

were meant for me• How ever, these movies didn’t come out until her contract was up and posed for nude

photos while being unemployed in 1949.• In March of 1952 some of their nude photos were released in a calendar, Monroe

signed the nude pictures back in ’49 as Mona and scandals reports of the media began, Marilyn came clean and it gave her a sense of a struggling actress in deep measures to do degrading things in order for her career to persevere.

• However, it could be said that Hefner owes his career to Marilyn, at least in part. Many of the celebrated Playboy cover girls – including Pamela Anderson – have imitated Monroe’s style. ----- http://blog.everlasting-star.net/2011/02/celebrities/hefner-i-never-met-marilyn/

Such a sex symbol• Everything about this photo is still

what modern day “sexy” is, the teasing leg shown, the messy bed head, breakfast in bed, two meals in one. Marilyn may have been naughty and sexual but its an inspiring feeling, not a dirty feeling.

Every high, comes a low.

• Marilyn had a drama filled journey in her career. Her marragies, home life, stardom all resulted in one dreadful event, her death. Many converioues over her death still live on today, whatever the reason, her name and fame is still used everyday.

• Todays examples of how she lives on http://www.giftapolis.com/marmongif.html?cmp=google&kw=marilyn%20monroe%20merchandise&gclid=COvespnzk64CFYmK4AodJCgWIg

Works cited

• "Redirect Notice." Google. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Feb. 2012. <http://www.google.com/imgres?q=brunette+marilyn&um=1&hl=en&sa=X&nfpr=1&biw=1280&bih=856&tbm=isch&tbnid=5vfS8prNCMWnDM:&imgrefurl=http://jenniferghelardini.com/%3Fp%3D408&docid=YEHlGMwYjCTEZM&imgurl=http://jenniferghelardini.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/tumblr_l4yi6s9Tb41qcpormo1

• Redirect Notice." Google. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Feb. 2012. <http://www.google.com/imgres?q=ida+bolender&um=1&hl=en&biw=1280&bih=856&tbm=isch&tbnid=oIPZR4XslwZqLM:&imgrefurl=http://www.xtimeline.com/evt/view.aspx%3Fid%3D43111&docid=76VN6D-YKu22OM&imgurl=http://www.xtimeline.com

• Redirect Notice." Google. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Feb. 2012. <http://www.google.com/imgres?q=glady+baker+1950s&um=1&hl=en&biw=1280&bih=856&tbm=isch&tbnid=VTKgPob6Y7kRTM:&imgrefurl=http://www.glamoursplash.com/2009/06/happy-birthday-marilyn.html&docid=qg9at2l4qJUwVM&imgurl=http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_99U_pO3l2-Y/SiU36WOgU5I/AAAAAAAABVg/DhpcuCjqQEk

Doll, Susan, and PhD. "HowStuffWorks "Marilyn Monroe Develops Her Acting Talents"." HowStuffWorks "Entertainment". N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Feb. 2012. <http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/marilyn-monroe-early-career1.htm>.

Valdes-Dapena, Peter. "Playboy archive contents to be auctioned - Jul. 23, 2003." CNNMoney - Business, financial and personal finance news. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Feb. 2012. <http://money.cnn.com/2003/07/22/pf/

• Valdes-Dapena, Peter. "Playboy archive contents to be auctioned - Jul. 23, 2003." CNNMoney - Business, financial and personal finance news. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Feb. 2012. <http://money.cnn.com/2003/07/22/pf/