Sally Rooney's Take on Millennials. NewsWire

NewsWire: 10/16/21

• What does Sally Rooney’s latest novel tell us about the Millennial zeitgeist? Op-ed writer Christine Emba argues that her peers, like Rooney’s characters, are increasingly attracted to community and traditionalism. (The Washington Post)
• NH: Author Sally Rooney, who just released her third book, has been described as “the first great Millennial novelist.” At 30, Rooney is indeed a Millennial--and so are her protagonists, who are mostly concerned with matters of love, sex, friendship, and growing up. She’s certainly not the only popular young author out there. So why do readers say no other writer better evokes what this rising generation is all about?
• First and most obviously it’s the mood of her books. Rooney’s characters are persistently worried that the future won’t live up to all that they and their peers and parents have imagined. They wrestle with anxiety and depression and worry about climate change and sustainability. They’re checking off all the boxes and trying to climb the career ladder. Life is always tinged with stress, even while having fun.
• But interestingly, as columnist Christine Emba writes here, Rooney’s latest novel departs from her previous work. The protagonists in Beautiful World, Where Are You? have the same problems, but now they’re searching for--and finding happiness in--conventional solutions. They start families. They’re “curious about religion.” They go to church. And they end up much better adjusted than her earlier protagonists.
• Some of this, to be sure, could be attributed to phase of life changes. The idea of settling down tends to get more appealing as you get older. But it also speaks to a real trend we’ve observed among Millennials for years: They’re attracted to traditionalism (see “Millennial Moms Stay at Home” and “Religion-Free Millennials and Nuns Live Together and Learn From Each Other”)--which for some means traditional values (e.g. gender roles), and for others the structure and the community that comes with institutions like marriage and religion.
• We have often pointed out that Millennials’ divergence from earlier generations in life milestones is not largely driven by lack of desire for those things. Rather, it's lack of ability to attain them in the way they imagined. Ultimately, most early-wave Millennials are still taking the path that Rooney depicts. This picture of early adulthood today is not that of rebels, but well, squares.

Did You Know?

• Supply Chain Crunch is Resale’s Gain. By now, you’ve surely seen the exhortations from marketers and retailers to get your holiday orders in early. Supply chain issues are affecting everyone from booksellers to automakers, resulting in inventory shortages, product delays, and higher prices. For struggling brands, the stakes are high: A recent survey from tech firm Oracle found that fully 84% of consumers would cancel an order due to delays, and 80% would stop buying from a brand entirely if they experienced delays or shortages. According to Advertising Age, many consumers are turning to resale sites to search for goods instead. In Q2 2021, eBay reported a 14% increase in revenue and “surging demand” for gifts like watches, refurbished electronics, and sneakers. Carvana, the used car seller, saw a 198% revenue increase amid near-record resale prices. And Etsy, which sells vintage goods along with new crafts, recently sent a marketing email trumpeting their fast delivery times.