The Influential American Icon: Marilyn Monroe

Marilyn Monroe, born as Norma Jean Baker, started out as a girl in poverty with no family, to being one of the most unforgettable iconic women in American history. She raised herself and created an eye catching persona for herself. She was known for her “blonde bombshell” image and is one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950’s; giving the era of her life an amazing perspective on sexuality. The struggles and hardships that she went through helped shape her as a person, henceforth motivating her to be successful and make a name for herself. Marilyn Monroe is one of the most memorable American icons who is remembered for her seductive and sensuous beauty, her outstanding modeling and acting career, and her psychological struggle. Monroe inspired not only women, but many people globaly to love and have confidence in themselves. The acting and modeling career that Monroe had would be the career of a lifetime for most people. Marilyn Monroe was discovered very early on as a fluke. She dropped out of high school at age 16 to marry her neighbor, James Dougherty, that she later divorced. During this new time of her life, she decided to work on her husband’s military plant; this landed her her first …show more content…
“Flesh impact, her face was her fortune as much as her voluptuous figure. The luminosity of her face!” (billy wilder). Her image was sometimes considered as sexual greed and postwar male expectations. Her sexuality and VULNERABILITY originally gave her an image. “Half child, but not the part that shows.” “dangerous” sexuality in her acting. “Dumb blonde” transcended her image in some of her first movies. Her nude images of the cover of calendars and magazines gave the world an inside look at monroe's vulnerability and her expressive presence. Everything that Marilyn did throughout her life was not only to make sure that other people love her but to love