Norma Jean
Norma Jean was born on June 1, 1926 in Los Angeles, California. At just two weeks old, Norma’s Mother Gladys gave her up to a woman named Ida Bolender. This was the right thing to do at the time because Gladys was suffering from postpartum depression and was very unwell (Taraborelli). Norma Jean spent some years with her foster mother, Ida, until she was seven. Ida then insisted that Gladys should take Norma back. Norma was forced to build a relationship with a woman who she felt was a stranger although it was her birth mother. Norma Jean’s Mother was hospitalized after being diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic. This life changing incident forced Norma Jean to be left in a series of foster homes where she recounts numerous incidents of being sexually and physically abused (gagaloo, 2011). She also spent two years at the Los Angeles Orphans’ Home Society. The foster mother Norma Jean had when she was 16 decided that Norma should get married to prevent her from going back to an orphanage because she was becoming very ill and could no longer watch over Norma. She married Jim Dougherty in 1942. Within a year of their marriage Jim was shipped out to the Pacific with the Marines. During the time Norma spent without her husband she began to take on some modeling gigs and earned some recognition. She decided that she wanted to pursue a career in modeling and film and then filed for divorce. The marriage lasted until Norma was 20. Her career was slowly beginning to take off when 20th Century Fox decided to sign a contract with her, under one condition, she were to change her name because it was too difficult to pronounce. Ben Lyon and Norma Jean concluded that she would be named Marilyn Monroe. Marilyn after a Broadway performer, Marilyn Miller; and Monroe after her mother’s family name.
Norma Jean