The half-century-long myth of the American dream has dominated the collective narrative of a nation built on the idea that success, freedom, and enrichment are attainable through individual effort and the ability to dream big. Don DeLillo's quote, ‘To consume in America is not to buy, but to dream,’ opens a door to a deeper level of this cultural argument, suggesting that the true meaning of consumerist conduct lies not solely in the material act of buying, but in the symbolic dimension of desire, hope, and aspiration.

This narrative has traversed multiple cultural spheres throughout the 20th century, most prominently art; in particular that of Italian artists such as Costantino Nivola, Salvatore Scarpitta and Angelo Savelli, it reveals a dynamic in which the dream is realized not only as an individual aspiration, but as a space for questioning and interpreting one's cultural identity and America itself.