Marilyn Monroe, or Norma Jeane Mortenson, born in 1926 in Los Angeles, did not have a carefree childhood. She never knew her father, and she spent most of her childhood in orphanages, as her mother was not capable of caring for her. In there, Monroe stated that she was sexually assaulted. Monroe, fortunately, got out of the foster system by marrying her boyfriend at that time, but she had three husbands in total. When her husband was away because of his career, Marilyn started her model career, and in 1946 she got her first movie role. For this role, she dyed her hair blonde, and her stage name “Marilyn Monroe” was born. Due to her appearance, she was also known as a sex symbol of that time. Marilyn Monroe died in 1962 due to a drug overdose.
I do not think that Monroe’s death should be considered a coincidence. Even though the drug overdose does not seem to be planned, what influenced her into taking drugs in the first place? Her problems already occur in her childhood. Her mother was a volatile person herself, and even though Marilyn was quite young at that time, this can still influence a person subconsciously. Not having a fatherly figure in her life could result in insecurity, which could be related to Monroe’s stage fright. In general, childhood trauma always affects the child and has long-lasting consequences. Her lack of a father figure in her life could have also led to her many relationships with various men.
Fame itself also contributed to that. When someone is considered to be a sex symbol, they have very high standards to fulfill. Also, Marilyn Monroe’s private life was highly talked about due to her many relationships and a rumored one with John F. Kennedy. The media interfered a lot with her privacy because they wanted to reveal the latest news about her life. This could have made Monroe feel as if she had nowhere to go in order to escape from the public since they wanted to know her every move. She felt like she could not keep everything private, and this led to a constant uneasy feeling of being watched, which could make a person freak out and be paranoid. Maybe when Marilyn Monroe took drugs, she felt free from all her feelings and burdens, merely enjoying the moment to herself.