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Marilyn Monroe

by Brianna Deil from Rochester, New York in United States

Norma Jeane Mortenson. Famously known as Marilyn Monroe. She originally changed her name to Marilyn Monroe on February 23, 1956. Marilyn Monroe was a stage name when she first signed her contract in August 1946. The first name was picked by Lyon, who was reminded of Broadway star Marilyn Miller; the last was Monroe's mother's maiden name. She lived from 1926 to 1962. She was born in Los Angeles, California and died in Brentwood, California. She was a famous actress, model, and singer. I chose Marilyn Monroe as my hero because even though she’s a well-known, world-wide celebrity, she is also a regular human. Just like any other regular person, Marilyn struggled with depression and mental health. When Marilyn Monroe was growing up in the 1920s and 1930s, having mental health problems was looked upon as being crazy. Those people who were put in a psych ward or mental asylum by the “normal” group, because people who had mental health problems had no role in society and were almost always viewed as not normal.

Even though it was seen and known, those who struggled with and fought to be looked upon as ‘normal’ even with whatever mental health issues they battled with were judged by those surrounding them. “They asked me why I felt ‘different’,” Marilyn Monroe said. When she was placed in Payne-Whitney's Psychiatric Ward, she wasn’t like the other patients who were placed there before and even after her, because even though she struggled with depression and she was suicidal, she was still herself and ‘normal’. Even today, people who struggle with mental health issues like depression, anxiety, behavior/personality disorders, etc., they may hide whatever it is they believe is wrong.

Page created on 1/23/2020 7:23:49 PM

Last edited 1/30/2020 8:23:13 AM

The beliefs, viewpoints and opinions expressed in this hero submission on the website are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs, viewpoints and opinions of The MY HERO Project and its staff.