John Updike's "Rabbit" series—Rabbit, Run (1960), Rabbit Redux (1971), Rabbit Is Rich (1981), and Rabbit at Rest (1990)—provides a reflection on American society in the latter part of the twentieth century by centering on the life of the suburban, upper-class protagonist, Harry "Rabbit" Angstrom.

In Washington Irving's "Rip Van Winkle" (1819), the main character falls asleep and wakes up years later to find that much has changed during his "nap." Rip's entire journey, similar to Neddy Merrill's, has often been seen as a dream.

Cheever's The Brigadier and the Golf Widow (1964) explores themes related to American prosperity and suburban life.

J. D. Salinger's classic, Catcher in the Rye (1951), tells the story of a young man's coming of age and his quest for truth in a world filled with "phonies."