James Thurber's 1933 work, My Life and Hard Times, is a semi-fictional autobiography brimming with humorously exaggerated episodes from his life.

T. S. Eliot's 1917 modernist poem, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, delves into the hollowness of modern existence through its portrayal of Alfred Prufrock, who grapples with the nature of his being. Critic Peter DeVries labeled James Thurber as a "comic Prufrock," highlighting Thurber's knack for capturing human frailties and blending both tragedy and comedy in his writing—qualities also present in the Prufrock poem.

Mark Twain's 1885 novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, is an iconic piece of American humor. The story follows a young boy who opts to flee from home rather than be "civilized," and it stands as Twain's most renowned work.

John Updike's Rabbit, Run, released in 1960, narrates the tale of blue-collar Harry "Rabbit" Angstrom, who escapes from adult responsibilities and relationships.

David Riesman's sociological examination of modern life and the American individual, The Lonely Crowd: A Study of the Changing American Character, offers historical and social perspectives on the dilemmas faced in twentieth-century life.