The Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann takes place primarily in New York City and Los Angeles from 1945-1965. The story begins with nine-teen year old, Anne Welles, who is eager to leave her hometown of Lawerenceville, Massachusetts and move to the lively New York City in hopes of adventure and self-discovery; “ Oh Mama, I don't know what I like or what I am. That's why I want to go to New York.”( Susann 9).Once in New York, Anne rents out a single room where she meets Ethel “Neely” O'Hara, a struggling vaudeville performer with impeccable talent. Eventually she finds employment as a secretary for an entertainment lawyer at the Bellamy and Bellows talent agency. Through the agency she meets the attractive but talentless actress, Jennifer North. Over the next few years, the three young women's lives intertwine as they struggle with the highs and lows of fame and love (marriage). However, the climb to the top of 'Mount Everest' (symbolizing fame) is not as easy as the three young women imagined. The women succumb to drug use i.e. 'dolls' as they try to cope with the pressure of fame and love— 'dolls' become the…show more content… Neely, the talented young girl, becomes a famous Broadway singer, all thanks to Anne who helps Neely get her first lead role. After moving to Hollywood for a role in a new movie, Neely's rise to fame begins to crumble as the demands of fame begin to overwhelm Neely. She is first introduced to 'dolls' by Jennifer to help her sleep. Neely begins abusing both 'uppers' to keep her awake during daylight and maintain her thin physique as she is pressured by her agent to lose weight. Jennifer drug dependency existed before she met Anne and Neely. The beautiful bombshell, uses 'dolls' recreationally to pass the time and help her sleep. However, her pre-existing dependency worsened as her personal issues escalated. This caused Jennifer to develop insomnia, which lead to her abuse of sleeping