Coupland illuminates the nineteen eighties by utilizing characters Andy, Clair, and Dag to construct a literary portrait of their generation. The job market, consumerism, and literary terms each contribute to identifying the 1980s generation that came of age. Generation X presents the post baby boomer generation who lost the “genetic lottery” causing job dissatisfaction, baby boomer resentment, and the search for something different.

Dag’s story illustrates the X generation job market headed by those such as his boss, which Dag explains “Now, Martin, like most embittered ex-hippies, is a yuppie, and I have no idea how you’re supposed to relate to those people.” Dag furthers yuppie classification as, “Dickoids like Martin who snap like wolverines on speed when they can’t have a restaurant’s window seat in the nonsmoking section with cloth napkins” (21). As his story continues in the chapter titled “Quit Your Job” Dag reflects baby boomer resentment but first he explains to Dickoid Martin, “Well, if I’m going to quit anyway, might as well get a thing or two off my chest.” Following Di

Andy, Claire, and Dag each construct X generation history by adhering to the obvious common theme of hating their jobs, the dishonest consumerist society surrounding them, and the search for something different where they can share common ideologies. This explains their migration to the California desert. Generation X incorporates literary terms which portray the X generation adhered to by Andy, Claire, and Dag. Accepting below skill or education level jobs i.e. “occupational Slumming” which entail low prestige, low pay, and low dignity jobs commonly referred to within Generation X as (in Coupland’s terminology) “McJobs” represent another aspect of the generation illuminated by Andy, Claire, and Dag. The literary terms “occupational slumming” and “McJobs” are displayed by Andy and Dag’s bartending job as well as Claire’s retail employment.

In conclusion analysis of the job market, consumerism, and literary terms by adhering to the characters stories ultimately identify the 1980s generation that came of age during that decade as unsatisfied with employment (represented with the Dickoid yuppie boss Martin), resentful of baby boomers (also illustrates by Dickoid), an

Some topics in this essay:
Kraft Dinner, World Dag, Clair Dag, Claire Dag, Andy Dag’s, Dag Accepting, Dickoid’s Martin, Martin’s Press, Generation Coupland’s, Dickoid Martin, andy claire, literary terms, claire dag, job market, andy claire dag, baby boomer, 1980s generation age, california desert, nineteen eighties, “occupational slumming”, baby boomer resentment, dag construct, consumerism advertising/marketing, job market consumerism, generation job market,