marilyn monroe the start

<Tab/>MARILYN MONROE
Marilyn Monroe's status as a sex symbol and popular icon has set a standard for American beauty
that no one else can set.
<Tab/>Throughout the years of Monroe's childhood, she encountered many hardships
unsuitable for a girl. She was born with the name of Norma Jean Mortensen and into a family not
quiet secure, forcing her to have spent little time with her birth mother, Gladys Monroe Baker
Mortensen, and most of her early years in foster homes. There were many different times when
she would contemplate whether or not she was a mistake, and doubted her own mothers love for
her. This "painful, naked and embarrassing need for love," (#6) mislead her into marriage at age
16, to James Dougherty in 1942, and within four years had a divorce.
<Tab/>Later in the years of her adolescence she found true love, both in her marriage and
her career. Monroe followed her new husband when he was sent out to sea duty for his job at the
aircraft factory. Her stunning looks caught the attention of a man who was photographing the
army and Monroe soon became his number one priority. This opened the doors for her career and
Monroe was soon taking modeling classes. Word got around and then next thing you know
Marilyn Monroe's face was on the cover of magazines everywhere. This excited Monroe and she
gave up her husband to move to Hollywood to pursue her dream of being famous, "i knew I
belonged to the public and to the world" (#3) .
After moving to Hollywood Norma Jean Mortenson soon became Marilyn Monroe. In 1946
Monroe got a contract with 20th century fox and is from then on known as the blonde bombshell.
Monroe's, "first films relegated her display of such talents to modeling jobs and acting classes"
(#6). America had never seen such an admired beauty. <Tab/>In the times of the 1950s no
one could have ever guessed that simply a set of platinum locks and a glamorous wardrobe could
have changed the way the United States portrayed sex. The word "sex" takes on a whole new
meaning when intervened with Marilyn Monroe; she caught the eyes of the public and vigorously
showed her opinion on the subject. America still considered, "free sex a taboo, but Monroe's
portrayals subsequently helped to change that by making it something beautiful and acceptable."
(#4) Without Monroes help to modernize the way America scrutinized sex, there may not be the
fabulous playboy, or even the risqué movies that have been produced over the past
decades. With this image that she contained, "the power of Monroe was just as great as a political
icon such as the president" (#4).