Weber 1
Abby Weber
Mrs. Bowman
American History
5 December 2013
Clara Bow
Despite all of the arduous circumstances this talented actress had growing up, Clara Bow's aptitude and flair on the big screen never failed to amaze.
Clara Bow's difficult time growing up only made her stronger, and less dependent on loved ones.
The success of her first major film "It" made Clara Bow 'the girl of the year", showing off her talents and vulnerability. [1: David Stenn, Clara Bow: Runnin' Wild, (New York City: Cooper Square Press, 1988), 1.]
A Difficult Childhood
Clara Bow's parents, Robert and Sarah Bow, never wanted to have any children in the first place; Sarah had two miscarriages before Clara came.
Robert Bow was an orphan by two years old, when his mother passed away giving birth to her thirteenth child. He was "raised without affection, attention, or care, and by adulthood his appearance and character showed it".
It (1927)
English: Press photo of Robert and Clara Bow, June...
English: Publicity image of Clara Bow in 1922 "Dow...He disregarded and disrespected the female race to an extreme extent. [2: David Stenn, Clara Bow: Runnin, (New York City: Cooper Square Press, 1988), 5]
Sarah Bow was a child raised by an abusive father, who had a past in "drinking and wife beating". Sarah almost died when she was sixteen, falling down flights of stairs and smashing her head open. She was diagnosed with "serious anemia". She promised herself she would never let herself come to be like her mother, letting the husband rule her, but broke that promise when she married Robert Bow on November 26th, 1902.[3: David Stenn, Clara Bow: Runnin, (New York City: Cooper Square Press, 1988), 6.]
Clara Bow was born on July 29, 1905. She never obtained a birth certificate because both of her parents expected, and wished, for her to be dead in hours, like the two...