Life in America has come under criticism from a number of authors this week. Two of the authors who are particularly scathing in their views are William Faulkner and F. Scott Fitzgerald, both of whom were critically acclaimed American writers during the early 20th century. Though each man had his own take on life in America at that time, they shared several key points of criticism regarding certain qualities inherent to life in America which have left an indelible mark on our culture and society even today.

One key quality that both Faulkner and Fitzgerald criticized was materialism and consumerism as hallmarks of American life during that era. The idea was perpetuated by over-worked Americans with little free time who nonetheless spent their hard-earned wages on luxury items such as cars, gadgets, clothes, etc., just to keep up with the Joneses or achieve some sense of status through material possessions. In this way, people became enslaved to their own desires for more wealth or objects; these desires eventually drove them away from meaningful relationships and pursuits like family, artistry or spirituality leading instead towards lives full of emptiness devoid of deeper meaning or purpose beyond just accumulating more things. This kind of lifestyle leads ultimately to feelings like dissatisfaction and unhappiness due to its shallow nature – something both Faulkner & Fitzgerald recognized throughout much of their work such as The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald) & As I Lay Dying (Faulkner).