BLONDE | THE CONFLICT

From DeviantArt @fiveisafemme

       In Blonde, I find Norma Jean Baker’s internal conflict between the wishes of Norma and aspirations of Marilyn Monroe and her consequential external conflict between the Studio and herself extremely prevalent, yet forever unsolvable. 

         Norma Jean Baker is born to be ordinary, yet is repeatedly tested to choose between her personal values and those of Marilyn Monroe. When she is pregnant, she dreams of “... [a] beautiful blond woman… impatiently tugging at her hands…trying to yank the crying infants from Norma Jean’s weakening hangs” (Oates 391). The blonde woman here, Marilyn Monroe, would not allow the child, for such a ‘scandal’ can end her Hollywood career. Hence Monroe is conflicted with Norma, her other personality, who only dreams to have a happy family. 

         The product of this conflict is Norma’s implicit struggle with the Studio. The power to choose a role she garners after her fame thrills her because “ Like a brothel girl who had to accept any client forced upon her… she’d had to accept from the Studio any role forced upon her” (Oates 555).  Monroe identifies with Cherie, the role she chose because Cherie too, wants to become a star and sacrifices her 'dignity' for the same. While Monroe acknowledges that the Studio exploited Gladys and now her, she remains silent. In both conflicts, Norma is forced to choose between her aspirations and her values. In both cases, Marilyn Monroe, once just a “friend in the mirror” as taught by Gladys, overpowers young Norma. Such conflicts are rife, not only in Monroe’s life but also for many women who are forced to choose between motherhood, ‘a woman’s prime duty’ and their careers. Neither are these conflicts resolved in Monroe’s life as she never unleashes the Norma in her nor is it often resolved in lives of average women as they, willingly or otherwise, confine to societal norms.