I recently reread the comic mini-series Give Me Liberty, by Frank Miller and Dave Gibbons, and was inspired to identify the generation/generational archetype of each of the major characters. I'm referring to the generation according to the generational theory of William Strausss and Neil Howe, of which I have long been a proponent. I determined that the author of the comics endowed the characters with the archetypes that match their ages in the era when the work was published, not the ones that match their ages in the future era in which the story is set.

This is common in speculative fiction, as authors are unaware of cyclical patterns in history, and tend to see trends contemporary to their time and project them in a linear fashion into the near future. It's as if to say, "look, everyone, given what I'm aware of, this is where we're headed!" They imagine that the young people of the future are going to be like the young people of their own time, only more so. In the case of this comic series, the result is a projected near future that is a ragged dystopia where only the tough and self-reliant thrive - that is, it's a world built for the Gen X Nomad archetype. This is common in 1990s sci-fi.

So I'm assigning the archetypes according to this linear projection. Meaning that the hero, Martha Washington, is a Gen Xer, even though she was born in 1995, which would make her a Millennial by a strictly birth year determined definition. But since Miller was probably unaware of the Millennial generation when the comic came out in 1990 (the oldest Millennials were 8 years old at that time, and only obscure generational historians even used the term "Millennial" then), he made his heroine like the Gen X teenagers he saw around him.

The list is below, grouped by series, and won't mean much to anyone who hasn't actually read the comics.

Give Me Liberty

President Rexall - GI (Greatest) Generation. He is clearly a parody of Ronald Reagan, and kind of represents a liberal's worst fears of what Reagan could have become. He's a dictator strongman version of Reagan, but still has that Gipper charm.
Pepper Rexall - GI Generation. The First Lady doesn't have much of a character arc, but she's obviously a parody of Nancy Reagan.
President Nissen - Silent Generation. He replaces Rexall after a terrorist attack, and is his political opposite. Since he's kinder and more tolerant, I assign him to the Silent Generation, though he could be a Jimmy Carter-like cusper.
Martha's mother - Silent Generation. Her gentle and timid disposition mark her as a Silent, though she could be Boomer Generation if she had Martha at a young age.
The Pope - Silent Generation. The sleazy criminal boss who predates on neighborhood children is probably older than the criminals who work for him, making him Silent Generation.
Donald - Boomer Generation. Martha's trustworthy teacher comes across as an idealistic young man who has chosen a career helping the disadvantaged.
The Ice Man and Thunderballs - Boomer Generation. The Pope's criminal minions are young adults during Martha's childhood.
The Surgeon General - Boomer Generation. Clearly a Boomer, since he is obsessed with purity of living and maintaining perfect health.
Colonel Moretti - Boomer Generation. Ambitious, egotistical and narcissistic - also clearly a Boomer.
Chief Redfeather/Wasserstein - Boomer Generation. I'm assigning him as a Boomer, since he is a bit older than Martha, but he's probably on the cusp (Joneser).
Martha Washington - Generation X. With her hardscrabble childhood, scrappy disposition, and stubborn streak, she is the perfect embodiment of Generation X. She's the kind of Gen Xer who is fiercely loyal and devoted to honor.
Raggyann - Generation X. Martha's loveable sidekick is about the same age as her, as established in an early part of the comic.
Supersoldier Clones - Generation X. Since they are young adults at the time that all that action happens, they must also be Gen X.

Happy Birthday Martha Washington

Nixon - Boomer Generation. No, this isn't the reanimated corpse of a former U.S. President. He's a civilian whom Martha rescues from a war zone, and by his age and his ramblings about society falling apart I'd say he's a Boomer.
First Sex Confederacy soldier - Generation X. A soldier who is a lot like Martha, and we suspect has a similar backstory.
Captain Kurtz - GI Generation. He's this universe's version of Captain America, and from what we learn about his history is clearly GI Generation.

Martha Washington Goes to War

Texan soldier - Boomer Generation. He gets stuck with Martha in a foxhole during a battle. He looks a bit older than her, like he could be middle aged.
TV evangelist - Silent Generation. Even though he's not drawn to look old enough, he just reminds me so much of Jerry Falwell that he must be Silent Generation.
The Captain - Generation X. She's only in the comic briefly, and looks to be about Martha's age. She proves her Nomad archetype with her honorable sacrifice.
Coogan - Boomer Generation. Older than Martha, a bit grizzled; he's a midlife Boomer.
Charles Shock - Silent Generation. This white haired four star general and veteran of every war the U.S. fights since the comic series begins is a well respected elder from the Silent Generation, probably modeled after Colin Powell.

Martha Washington Stranded in Space

Pearl - Generation X. She's one of the supersoldier clones from the first comic series, therefore Generation X.
The Big Guy - Silent Generation. He's a bit mysterious, being a cyborg. Since his artificial body has a 1950s style, let's assume he was cyborgized as a young man in that time period. That would make him Silent Generation.
"Alien" leader - Generation X. He's barely a character at all, but from the brief look at his face and the role he plays he's probably a young adult and in the same generation as Martha.

Martha Washington Saves the World

Venus - Generation X. Since she's an A.I., it's hard to fit her into a generation. Do you determine her archetype from when she was first programmed, as if that were her birth year? Arguably, she comes into being with her adult personality, making her the same generation as Martha. And with her power hungry ruthlessness and determination, she definitely fits with the Nomad archetype of Generation X.
Professor Daumier - Silent Generation. We only know him by reputation, but since he's the genius expert scientist responsible for much of the advanced technology of the time period, he fits as Silent Generation.
Dr. Nitobe - Boomer Generation. His annoying, egotistical personality and presumptions of superiority mark him as from the generation above Martha - the Boomer Generation.

Martha Washington Dies

This interesting, reflective, and very short story takes place when Martha Washington is 100 years old, in a far future, war ravaged America. Based on the circumstances, I'd say it's the end of the next cycle, which lets us identify the generations of the scarcely defined characters as below.
Narrator - future Hero archetype generation.
Gorecki - future Nomad archetype generation.


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