The following version of the novel was used to create this study guide: Oates, Joyce Carol. Blonde. Ecco, February 14, 2017. Kindle.

In the novel Blonde by Joyce Carol Oates, Oates presents a fictionalized portrayal of the life of Norma Jeane Mortensen, better known as the actress Marilyn Monroe. Norma Jeane is pictured as a woman betrayed by those who were supposed to love her most and exploited by men who made millions off the woman they created. As Norma Jeane became famous, her sense of self deteriorated with each role she played. She longed for acceptance from her parents, but her institutionalized mother could not be a parent to her. Vindictive lovers buoyed Norma Jeane’s sense of self when they wrote letters to her pretending to be her father, but then destroyed her when they acknowledged they were the authors of the letters. Norma Jean’s death is portrayed as being a homicide, ordered by the President with whom she had an affair.

When Norma Jeane was six, her mother, Gladys Mortensen, showed her a picture of the man Gladys believed was Norma Jeane’s father. Gladys did not tell Norma Jeane his name, but led her to believe he would be coming back for them one day. Norma Jeane spent her life seeking her father or a man who would fill the role of her father. Norma Jeane lived with her grandmother, Della Monroe, until Della died. Still a young child, Norma Jeane went to live with her mentally ill mother. It was only a short while before Gladys had a breakdown in which she tried to scald Norma Jeane and then set their apartment on fire. Gladys was institutionalized and diagnosed as being a paranoid schizophrenic.

Norma Jeane was taken to live at an orphanage where three couples wanted to adopt her, but her mother refused to sign over her parental rights. When Norma Jeane was 15 her foster mother decided she needed to be married because her foster father appeared to be infatuated with her. Norma Jeane’s marriage to Buchanan “Bucky” Glazer was the first of several disastrous relationships for Norma Jeane. Norma Jeane was at first deliriously happy to be married, but as the relationship continued and Bucky decided to join the merchant marines, Norma Jeane believed he had betrayed her. There is also a disturbing scene in which Bucky tried to make Norma Jeane pose with a wig and makeup. She complained to him because the disguise made her confused about her identity. Bucky was critical and harsh instead of being understanding.

When Bucky left for the service, Norma Jeane was hired at Radio Plane Aircraft. Otto Öse took pictures of her working for a military magazine, launching her career as a model. She worked as a model and then was hired by The Studio as an actress. Norma Jeane believed she was getting her first big break when she was called for a private meeting with Mr. Z, a high-ranking official with The Studio. During the meeting, Mr. Z raped Norma Jeane anally. When she arrived for an audition later that day, Norma Jeane learned she had the part, even without auditioning. Other men working at The Studio decided she needed a new name and gave her the stage name Marilyn Monroe.

Even with her movie debut, Norma Jeane was barely able to survive. She posed for nude photographs with Öse that would earn her 50 dollars. These photos became famous and earned millions of dollars for men. The nudes caused trouble for Norma Jeane because she had been under contract with The Studio when the nudes were taken. Because a movie had been purchased with Norma Jeane in mind, The Studio did not fire Norma Jeane because of the photos.

Norma Jeane was involved in a new relationship with V, also an actor. They were invited to attend a party hosted by a mega-millionaire. Male officials from The Studio surrounded Norma Jeane at the party seeming to convey to V they all had sex with her. V left in disgust. Cass Chaplin and Eddy G. Robinson Jr. found Norma Jeane and told her to come with them. The three of them formed a sexual threesome which resulted in Norma Jeane becoming pregnant. Norma Jeane planned to keep the baby until Cass and Eddy G. began acting strangely, suggesting they needed to write their wills and buy insurance policies.

Realizing she did not trust her lovers, Norma Jeane called Mr. Z, whose assistant arranged for an abortion. Norma Jeane took the role in the musical Gentleman Prefer Blondes that she had been offered when she first learned she was pregnant. It was after the premiere of this movie that Norma Jeane received the first letter that appeared to be from her father.

Norma Jeane next married a man referred to as the Ex-Athlete. This marriage did not last long because the Ex-Athlete did not understand how to deal with Norma Jeane and her mental illness. When she escaped the noise of his large family he believed it was because she thought she was superior to them. He was angered with Norma Jeane to the point he beat her with his fists after she did a flirty publicity photo shoot for the movie The Seven Year Itch.

At this point in Norma Jeane’s life, she escaped Hollywood and went to New York where she believed she would recreate herself as a stage actress. She fell in love with a man referred to as a Playwright. This Playwright had the most successful relationship with Norma Jeane because he talked to her and reasoned with her through the worst of her mental troubles. Norma Jeane became pregnant and seemed happy with the Playwright in a secluded house on Galapagos Cove. Norma Jeane, however, was tortured by the cellar of the house, believing that the spirit of the baby she had aborted was there. When she was four months pregnant she fell down the cellar stairs, causing her to miscarry the baby. Her relationship with the Playwright fell apart.

Norma Jeane had another short time of happiness when she was able to purchase a house after she played in the movie The Misfits. She was introduced to The President during a party. He insisted on meeting her in private that night to have sex with her. The President called for her again weeks later. After the sexual encounter, he appeared disgusted by her. His secret service men drugged Norma Jeane to get her out of the hotel quietly. Despite this treatment, Norma Jeane agreed when she was asked to sing at The President’s birthday party.

Months later, Norma Jeane received a package by courier. It contained a stuffed tiger that would have been a toy for the baby she was expecting with Cass or Eddy G. There was also a letter included in the package signed “Your tearful Father” (724) the same closing used on the letters supposedly sent to her by her father. Norma Jeane realized her father had never tried to get in touch with her, the letters she had treasured had been Cass and Eddy G.’s cruel joke.

Norma Jeane took an overdose of medicine before she went to bed, but was still alive when a Sharpshooter, a man working for the United States Government, entered her house. The Sharpshooter did not know why he had been ordered to kill her but believed perhaps she held some threat to the President. He injected a fatal drug into her heart, resulting in her death.