Marilyn Monroe once said “sometimes I think it would be easier to avoid old age, to die young, but then you'd never complete your life, would you? You'd never wholly know you.” She was right, she never got to complete her life or see who she truly was and how people look up to her. However she achieved a lot in her lifetime. Marilyn was born to the name Norma Jeane Mortenson on June 1, 1926. (“Marilyn”) She had a good life until her mother became mentally unstable and gave her up for adoption at the age of seven. She spent a couple of years in and out of an orphanage and foster care. (“Marilyn”) She suffered from abuse and was very badly treated. When Monroe was 11 a family friend took her in and were paid $25 a week from Marilyn's mother …show more content…
Army photographers showed up to the company to take pictures of female war workers and discovered her. He direct sexuality--mingled with her beauty, her innocence, and her now lightened blonde hair--accounted for her popularity with photographers and filmmakers. (Henriksen) When Marilyn was 20 she signed a contract with 20th century-fox and adopted her stage name Marilyn Monroe. She changed her name legally in 1956. Her big roles didn’t happen until 1950. She was labeled as a “dumb blonde”. Monroe wanted to be above the limitations they put on her image in The Asphalt Jungle (1950), and All About Eve (1950). (Henriksen) She brought humanity and intelligence to her small roles in those movies. She wanted to still overcome the name she was given and showed her abilities in Clash by Night (1952), Don’t Bother to Knock (1952), and Niagara (1953). Monroe started to play darker, more demanding roles in Clash by Night and Niagara. Her first cover shoot for the magazine was in April 1952. (Ronk) Even though it took Marilyn a couple of years to ge whee she was, she never gave up on her dream on becoming a star. Marilyn once said “give a girl the right shoes, and she can conquer the world” and sure enough she did, even till this