Edie Sedgwick: a Troubled Beauty
Edie Sedgwick was a short-lived socialite and actress that rose to fame in the 1960s. Beloved but misunderstood by all she met, her actions puzzled many throughout her life and have continued to fascinate since her untimely death in 1971 at a mere 28 years old. She was troubled throughout her life, constantly being placed under the care of various therapists and psychiatric hospitals, though doctors were never able to diagnose her erratic behavior. Due to her strict and sheltered upbringing, she did not make an independent social debut until she was 20 years old, but given the opportunity, her fame and influence skyrocketed. Despite her instability, she became an icon of her time and continues to inspire books and movies based on her short life. I aim to explore some of the experiences of her childhood and the more pronounced aspects of her personality as a young adult in order to offer some explanation as to how this young woman was able to capture the hearts of innumerable people in such a short time.
Biography
Edith Sedgwick was born on April 20, 1943 in Santa Barbara, California, to an affluent family (Painter & Weisman, 2006). She was the seventh of the eight children of Francis Sedgwick and Alice De Forest, both of exceptional lineages, but who together created a dysfunctional household (Stein, 1982). Francis, who insisted on being called “Fuzzy” by his children, was advised not to have children due to a diagnosis of manic depressive disorder and a previous institutionalization due to a breakdown (Painter & Weisman, 2006). Fuzzy exhibited his disorder by behaving almost like a “Greek god:” he was obsessed with his physical appearance, worked out for hours each day and was largely absent in his children’s lives except to discipline them (Stein, 1982, p. 56). Both parents seemed to live separate lives apart from their children, creating space both emotionally and physically (Stein, 1982). For example, Edie’s parents relied on nurses to raise their children;
Biography
Edith Sedgwick was born on April 20, 1943 in Santa Barbara, California, to an affluent family (Painter & Weisman, 2006). She was the seventh of the eight children of Francis Sedgwick and Alice De Forest, both of exceptional lineages, but who together created a dysfunctional household (Stein, 1982). Francis, who insisted on being called “Fuzzy” by his children, was advised not to have children due to a diagnosis of manic depressive disorder and a previous institutionalization due to a breakdown (Painter & Weisman, 2006). Fuzzy exhibited his disorder by behaving almost like a “Greek god:” he was obsessed with his physical appearance, worked out for hours each day and was largely absent in his children’s lives except to discipline them (Stein, 1982, p. 56). Both parents seemed to live separate lives apart from their children, creating space both emotionally and physically (Stein, 1982). For example, Edie’s parents relied on nurses to raise their children;
Bibliography: Ellis, A., Abrams, M., & Abrams, L.D. (2009). Personality theories: Critical perspectives. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications, Inc. Painter, M. & Weisman, D. (2006). Edie: Girl on fire. San Francisco, California: Chronical Books LLC. Stein, J. (1982). Edie: An American biography. G. Plimpton, (Ed.). New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.