Marilyn Monroe may be seen as the greatest sex symbol in American history, but she wasn't just that. She had an extremely troubled life from the beginning, but still managed to put on a brave face in the eyes of the public. Marilyn was a great actress, a singer, and one of the most beautiful women alive. Difficult events in her life sent her into a downward spiral, making her last few months dark. Marilyn left a legacy, however, through many films and many public relations, the nation got to see every side of her. Her beauty made her a goddess, but her flaws made her human. Norma Jean Baker was born to Gladys Baker and an unknown father, in 1926 in Los Angeles, California ("Biography" 1). Not even two weeks after her birth she was placed in the care of a foster family when her mother was institutionalized because she was mentally ill and consequently could not care for her daughter (Henriksen). Soon after going through numerous orphanages and foster homes she was adopted by Grace McKee, who was her mother's best friend (Biography par. 3). McKee loved actress Jean Harlow and allowed Norma Jean to wear makeup and curl her hair at the tender age of nine (Biography par. 3). When McKee ended up getting married, she and her husband were having financial problems and wanted to move to start over, without Marilyn (Bell 2). His next home was with his great aunt, Olive Brunings (Biography par. 4). While living there she was sexually assaulted by Olive's son; at this young age this may have been the reason why she was a bit promiscuous later in life, as well as leading to substance abuse (Biography par. 4, 5). It was only known that he had been sexually abused simply because he had talked about… in the middle of the paper… and he thought that the inevitable end of these relationships would lead to his death (Bell). It was Robert who fell in love with Marilyn, but she never got those feelings in return: it was JFK she had her eyes on. Yet, even with someone to keep her company, Marilyn ended up back in a mental hospital. in Through the many ups and downs of Marilyn's life, she never stopped trying, she always tried to be the best and knew she had what it took to be a star. Her long struggle to become a star paid off when fame surrounded her everywhere, but it was this constant public curiosity that contributed greatly to her mental problems. I think the camera gave her that sense of affection that she wanted, but in the end no one was really there for her. His need for love was his driving force and also the cause of his downfall.