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Twomens experiences through the ages have much in common, but heroines at different ages are all indelibly marked by their times. Esther from The Bell Jar, for example, is a product of the “silent generation” and her struggles would be hard to imagine at another age.
Millennial heroines have echoes of the story of Esther and other characters born before them; however, they also embody their own distinct experiences. They range from apologists for serial killers to office drones trying to survive a plague, pregnant pizza delivery women and atheist and lesbian church receptionists.
In my novel Everyone In This Play Will One Day Be Dead, a morbid and anxious millennial heroine named Gilda finds a job in a Catholic church. There, she hides her identity and becomes obsessed with the mysterious death of her predecessor.
When researching traits that represent millennials, it was difficult to find results that didn’t present them in the context of work. Our characteristics seem to be defined by how we are as employees, which speaks volumes. Like many millennial heroines, Gilda has a hard time working. This is not because she is lazy or has the right, but because it is difficult to wake up in the morning and go to work when you are mentally ill, very aware of things like climate change , and worried that somehow everyone around you is both insignificant and incredibly important. Although she is deeply anxious and depressed, Gilda is hopeful. She cares very deeply for those around her and, should the opportunity arise, she would care about each of the brilliant heroines listed below.
1. Reese of Detransition, baby of Torrey Peters
Reese has always wanted to be a mother, but it’s difficult because she’s trans and because her longtime girlfriend, Amy, also trans, is in transition. They have now broken up and Amy lives like a man named Ames. Ames has slept with her boss, Katrina, and Katrina is accidentally pregnant. Confronted now with fatherhood – a component of man’s life that is particularly incompatible with Ames’ real self – Ames reconnects with Reese to offer to help a parent. Reese stands out as a clever and complex millennial heroine in an insightful, intelligent and touching story.
2. Pizza Girl by Jean Kyoung Frazier
The heroine here is 18, pregnant, grieving and in love with the single mother she delivers pizza to. This is a character study of a troubled, funny, and can relate to narrator. It’s a coming of age story that centers on grief, trauma. And order pickles on a pizza.
3. Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams
Queenie is a 25-year-old Jamaican British woman caught between two cultures, facing career challenges and trying to overcome trauma. She works for a national newspaper where she is constantly reminded of her cultural difference. She is struggling with her sanity, facing a toxic breakup, and coping in unhealthy ways. Her story is funny – and heartbreaking.
4. Korede from My Sister, the serial killer of Oyinkan Braithwaite
Korede’s sister is a beautiful sociopathic slayer whom Korede cleans up forever. She murdered three of her boyfriends and now intends to date a doctor Korede works with and is in love with. Korede is a devoted sister and an imperfect heroine. It’s a dark and clever thriller.
5. Edie de Luster by Raven Leilani
Edie is a 23-year-old black woman who lost her job as an editorial assistant in New York City. Unemployed, she moves in with her adulterous white boyfriend in New Jersey. She lives with him, his wife and their adopted black daughter, Akila. She becomes an ally of her boyfriend’s pragmatic wife and a role model for their intelligent daughter. Edie is a sexually charged, lonely, insightful, and comedic character. It is the story of a millennial heroine who gives meaning to her life.
6. Ruth from Goodbye, Vitamin from Rachel Khong
Ruth is 30 years old. She just ended her engagement and quit her job to help care for her dad who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease. Like many millennial heroines, Ruth is a flawed and witty woman at a crossroads. He’s a sweet, well-meaning character with a unique and memorable voice.
7. Candace de Severance by Ling Ma
This story follows Candace Chen after the collapse of society caused by a pandemic. Candace works like a desktop drone and is so engrossed in her daily routines that at first she barely notices the plague. It represents a remarkable millennial experience under late capitalism, and its history reflects thoughtfully on topics such as immigration, gender, and race.
8. Helen from Sorry for disturbing the peace of Patty Yumi Cottrell
Helen returned home after her adopted brother committed suicide. She aims to understand why someone would choose to die. She’s angry, eccentric, and unreliable (both as a narrator and as a person). She’s also funny and human, and, like many millennials, haunted by very dark worries.
9. Wendy Reimer of Casey Plett’s Little Fish
Wendy is a 30-year-old trans woman who finds out that her late grandfather, a devout Mennonite, could also be trans. She is in a dark time in her life: struggling, feeling stagnant and unhappy. She feels drawn to finding the truth about this mystery. She is a millennial heroine full of hope, realistic and sympathetic.
10. Marianne from Normal People by Sally Rooney
A list of millennial heroines would be incomplete without a mention of at least one of the Rooney’s. This is the story of Marianne and Connell, who navigate their relationship within changing social hierarchies. They hide their relationship at school when Marianne is seen as unattractive and shy, but later gains status and popularity. Connell starts out in high esteem, but then struggles to fit in. It’s a clever story about relationships and class, and Marianne is the perfect millennial heroine for anyone wondering why they can’t be a normal person.
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