What is a good book or poem that show the shallowness of America?

Life is strange

The constant struggle

With all the complexities we have to juggle

The disdain with pain

So we take a pill

“A gram is better than a damn”

Just chill

Replace God with empty sensuality

Forget yourself inside heightened sexuality

The sly sentiment where once was prayer

Occasional greeting cards instead of daily care

Love is a challenge

Take the dare

-anonymous

Tom Wolf: The Bonfire of the Vanities

John Kennedy Toole: A Confederacy of Dunces

short story written by Ernest Hemingway called " Solider's Home"

it's about a solider from WWII who enlisted in the Army instead of waiting to be drafted. as a result he gets home after all those that were drafted and the people in his hometown have lost interest in the war and have heard all the soliders' stories that came home after being drafted.

the main character Harold Krebs comes home but doesn't feel at home anymore. the link below will take you to a "critical analysis" of the story.

I first read in in college, where I was a cadet at at military school and the professors (in particular the one who assigned it for us to read) didn't like cadets.

What Narcissisms Means to Me by Tony Hoagland

The Poisonwood Bible. I don't remember who wrote it, but I think it's by a female author. One of the sisters was really shallow, and it really shows our apathy.

The man he killed by Thomas Hardy

or

Civilization and its Discontents by Sigmund Freud