Norma Jean Baker

I chose Norma Jean Baker as my hero. To many, she was known as Marilyn Monroe. She was a talented actor, singer, model and entertainer during the 1950s. Her mother, Gladys Pearl Monroe Baker, gave birth to her on June 1st, 1926. Her story comes to a tragic end on August 5th, 1956. Marilyn overdosed on medication, committing suicide. She was only thirty-six. Within those thirty six years she would change lives and the woman figure forever.

During her childhood, Marilyn had a rough and saddening life. She bounced around from foster home to foster home. Which in one home, she was sexually abused. Marilyn’s mother Gladys was diagnosed with Paranoia/Schizophrenia and was unable to handle a child. Arrangements had been made which Gladys agreed to. These plans were to give her baby to Albert and Ida Bolender to take care of. Norma grew up very unsure of who her father was. On her birth certificate, the father’s name was Edward Mortenson (Mortensen) which was misspelled. This was a sign showing that Gladys was most likely unsure of the father herself. Marilyn would later find out she also had two other half-siblings from her mother’s previous marriage to Jasper Baker, who gained custody of the children. Her childhood makes her a hero because of what had became of her despite her dreadful past.

In the household of Ida and Albert, Marilyn was monitored under very close observation. Ida and Albert were very strict with their religious and moral values. This made having a childhood very difficult for Marilyn. When Marilyn turned 16 she was to marry or return to the orphanage. She decided to marry her 21 year old next door neighbor. This was the 1st failing marriage of 3. Marilyn worked in a factory for many years, but still wanted to pursue her dreams of being a superstar, in which she succeeded. A photographer and Blue Book Modeling Agency discovered Marilyn for the iconic figure she still is today. This makes her a hero because even though she had been through so much in her life she was not going to let personal matters get in the way of her dreams.

From the time she was an up and coming star till she became a superstar, memories of her past haunted her and the press often disgraced her. Marilyn married Joe DiMaggio, a major league baseball player who she later divorced because her acting was getting the way of their marriage. The rumors of Marilyn and President John F. Kennedy was more than Marilyn could take. She was to believed to have shown symptoms of schizophrenia just like her mother and her mother’s mother before her. Marilyn was perceived as anything but a classy lady in her time period. Marilyn was and still is to this day, the definition of femininity. She will always be remembered as strong and iconic figure.

Marilyn went places most wouldn’t to pursue a dream. That is what I believe made her a hero in my heart. She never let the downfalls of her past get in the way of her future. Marilyn once said, "I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn to let go, things go wrong so that you appreciate them when they're right, you believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself, and sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together." This quote states how influential she really was and how by following her advice you can move on easier in life. That is why I believe Norma Jean Baker (Marilyn Monroe) was a hero.