On Aug. 5, 1962, Marilyn Monroe was found dead in her Brentwood apartment from an apparent drug overdose.  English 61 student Yessenia Alvarez thinks otherwise.  She believes the Hollywood icon died of a broken heart.  In her research, Yessenia discovered that Marilyn came from a dysfunctional family.  Her mother was a paranoid-schizophrenic and her grandmother died in an asylum.  As a child, Marilyn was shuffled from one orphanage to another foster home.  Yessenia’s thesis is Marilyn must have looked for love in all the wrong places.   She died sad and alone.

 

Yesenia Alvarez                                                                                                                                               

Mr. Lewenstein

English 61

18 October  2017

Marilyn Monroe: A Tortured Icon

Depression is being bipolar. It’s not how sad you look in public; it’s how good you can play it off with close acquaintances.  It's about hiding your loneliness with a smile. Its pretending everything is ok but emotionally you’re a disaster. Marilyn Monroe suffered from depression, anxiety, and drug addiction. “Marilyn Monroe suffered serious bouts of depression (bipolar disorder) in her life. Her first bout was when her mother died ” (MARILYN MONROE – Famous Bipolar Actress).  Looking for a man to love and for someone to love her was not easy. She had countless lovers. “She was a girl who knew how to be happy even when she was sad. And that’s important-you know” (Marilyn Monroe).

In “Marilyn Monroe Was No Role Model,” I discovered a darker and lonely side to Norma Jeane Mortenson. We all ask if her death was a suicide or murder. Let's set that aside, and lets focus on the facts. Love, that's something Marilyn was not surrounded by. Growing up, Norma Jeane became an orphanage at the age of four and spent her early life in foster homes. Her mother was mentally ill and grandmother committed suicide. Becoming a Hollywood popstar and desperately looking for love,                                  Norma Jeane ended up finding herself in a tunnel. She was trying to find light in this lonely, scary, and dark tunnel.  We knew she started abusing prescribed medication and alcohol. Not her therapist nor her physiatrist was able to understand her deep emotional pain. In a world of popularity and fame, Norma Jeane became the famous legendary sex icon, Marilyn Monroe. “Marilyn was a sex icon, and it served her well in her career, but terribly in her personal life” (Bergeron).

Being passed on from foster families and orphanages, Norma felt unwanted. During this time in her life she was sexually abused and molested. Her first marriage happened at such an early age. Could this have been the first step to her pursuit in finding love? Being a beautiful woman in her modeling and actressing career was a big deal. “Marilyn Monroe was one of the most glamorous and sought-after stars of her time” (Stephens). Things escalated differently and soon she was recognized as a sex icon in the acting and modeling industry. Her sex partners and her secret affairs were her stepping stones to the top. Many will say she slept her way to the top. But like Marilyn, there are plenty of women who have similar situations.

Sleeping their way to the top is something Marilyn Monroe and Kim Kardashian have in common. Unlike Monroe, Kim grew up in a wealthy environment. On October 2002, Kim Kardashian and R&B singer Ray J, filmed themselves having a sexual intercourse. Who knew this would be the beginning to her multi-million empire. On today’s time, having talent is not required to become rich or famous. A simple “Catch me outside-Quote” or a YouTube video can make you filthy rich. For Marilyn Monroe’s case, things didn’t go as planned. Having an affair with the president of the United States was the cherry on top of a sundae for her. “After Marilyn performed a steamy rendition of "Happy Birthday" at the commander-in-chief's 45th birthday party in May 1962, rumors of an affair were propelled — and those rumors have persisted throughout history, even though details of an ongoing relationship between the two are actually pretty scarce” (Stephens). Let alone, she also slept with Mr. President’s brother. Who does that? The secrets were out and it could have been that Marilyn was ashamed and embarrassed. It could have been she was murdered or it could have been she wanted an easy way out; suicide. Conspiracies have been around for many years. Although they ruled her death for barbiturate overdose, I think her depression and slut-shaming caused her to do this. Her reputation and her career were on the line. We will never know the main reason why she did it but she is an idol to many people, especially women.

Work Cited:

 

Bergeron, Meg. "Marilyn Monroe Was No Role Model."

"Did Marilyn Monroe Really Kill herself?"  ABC News. Aug. 6 2005.                                                                                                                                                                    

Stephens, Brittanny. "The Details of JFK's "Affair" With Marilyn Monroe Are Way More Chill Than We've Been Told."  Pop Sugar. 27 December 2017. Web.