Critical Analysis of J.d. Vance’s Book 'Hillbilly Elegy'

This a critique about the book Hillbilly Elegy, written by J.D. Vance and published by HarperCollins Publishers.

In Hillbilly Elegy, J.D. Vance does a great job of helping readers understand what happens in the life of the poor (hillbillies). This paper will be outlining and supporting the ideas that J.D. Vance instills on us about the life and values of a “hillbilly”. J.D. Vance starts off the book by listing his credentials and saying how he found a way to beat the odds.

In the introduction, J.D. Vance tells us about himself. He is 31 years old and hasn’t done anything extraordinary that would make his life interesting. He beat the odds because he graduated from Yale law school. After saying how he beats the odds, He lists the cultural values that are important to his people. Some of the values he listed were, Persistence, Loyalty- “cultural tradition” that sometimes goes too far. It causes hillbillies to isolate themselves from outsiders or the rest of the population. J.D then goes on to define hillbilly elegy. Hillbilly elegy is “reacting to bad circumstances in the worst possible way”.

He tells a story about A 19-year-old soon to be father was working at the tile factory J.D. was working at. He missed work at least once a week and took really long and frequent bathroom breaks. He was fired and then yelled at his manager about it. This story illustrates the fact that Young hillbillies don’t take responsibility for their actions but instead blame others. The book is about HIS life experiences so, J.D is not unbiased.

In chapter 1, J.D. talks about his family. His mom moved a lot but he still memorized his address in case he got lost. His “true home” was in Jackson, Kentucky where he spent every summer until he was twelve. When a hearse would pass on the street he asked his mamaw (grandmother) why people stopped she said “we’re hill people”. That showed his community had a value for togetherness or group identity. J.D. wished that what he experienced in Jackson, Kentucky was his daily life. His family was tight knit and he admired them. His Uncle pet embodied hillbilly honor and loyalty. His Uncle Teaberry was feared and admired. His family was respected in Jackson. He was the grandson of the toughest woman and most skilled mechanic. In Ohio, he had different men in his life. Different men who would date and marry his mom. In Ohio, The Appalachia had taken a turn for the worst. There was an increase in worn down and weakened buildings. There was Prescription drug abuse, epidemics and Failing public schools’ systems. There was also an increase in dental problems because kids are consuming too much sugar. His mamaw and papaw played a big role in his life.

In chapter 2, He talks about his grandparent’s background. In 1946 mamaw got pregnant at the age of 13. They fled to Ohio to get better economic prospects and to escape mamaws’ brothers. They maybe fled to escape the “hillbilly justice” wrath. Papaw got a job at a steel company that promised hillbillies a better life. J.D also goes on to talk about the hillbilly migration. Hillbillies migrated from the Appalachia to industrial economies in the Midwest. The first wave came after world war 1 because veterans couldn’t find work in their rural communities since they were industrialized. The 2nd wave (mamaw and papaw) occurred in the 1940s and 50s. Mamaw and papaws neighbors weren’t too welcoming.

J.D states that hillbillies shared regional characteristic with southern blacks. Neighbors preferred privacy and hillbillies involved themselves in each other’s affairs. Even though his grandparents found success during the migration, his family was falling apart.

He goes into more detail about his immediate family. His grandparents’ marriage was falling apart. While his papaw was working, his mamaw stayed home by herself. Because of the stress with their situations, they went to war with one another and didn’t support each other or their children. J.D. Vance’s mom (Bev) gave in to the odds that came with growing up in an abusive household. She didn’t go to college, got pregnant and couldn’t settle down with a man. Even though she was a drug addict and an unstable mother she got a nursing degree. Her getting her degree showed Hillbilly elegy- debunking stereotypes. Jacksons society had its problems but so did Middletown Ohio.

In chapter 4, many people were “trapped” in the declining town of Middletown. People couldn’t move because they had no money because of the financial hardships.

Vance talks about how his father Don gave him up for adoption when he was in kindergarten. His mother’s second husband, Bob, legally adopted J.D. Mamaw didn’t approve of bob even though they were alike and had the same background. To Prove that hillbilly parents wanted their kids to do better than them and to surpass them, Bev instilled the importance of education to him even though she didn’t go to college. In chapter 4 it was shown that Hillbilly values promote honor and loyalty. J. D’s mamaw told him it was acceptable to fight as long as it was defending his family’s honor. Bev began acting erratic and was absent. She tried to commit suicide after bob discovered she was having an affair and wanted a divorce. The family moved closer to mamaw and papaw after her and bob’s separation. Bev would stay out late and party with strangers. She also had a new boyfriend every month which brought instability into J.D.s life. She got arrested because she tried to kill J.D. in the car and chased him to a lady’s house, who called the police. J.D. lied in court in order to protect his mom in exchange he got to stay with Mamaw whenever he wanted.

In chapter 6, J.D. and his sister Lindsay wanted to go to New York to be models. Their mom doesn’t think she can afford to finance their modeling dreams. Their mom, Bev, then got into an argument with the kids and slapped them. She stops hitting them when Mamaw threatens to shoot her in the face. When they got to the modeling agency J.D. asks Mamaw if god loves them. She starts crying and hugging him. J.D. asked this for reassurance. Bev is still bringing men in and out of the house. Bev encouraged J.D. to reach out to his biological father. J.D learned that his father was kind, religious and involved in church. His father also fought to get custody of J.D. J.D. started visiting his dad. Because of their new-found relationship, J.D. learns that church is a very important support system. He started being more involved in church himself.

After J.D. turned 13, papaw died. Lindsay was very upset because she believes she took advantage of him. She was guilty because she often asked papaw for help. There were two services for papaw, one in Middletown and the other in Jackson. Bev was distant during the service and Mamaw was hurting. Bev was mad that anyone but her was grieving and that she should be sadder than anyone. After coming back from Jackson, Bev started going off on her family about Papaws death. She broke up with Matt (boyfriend) and told Lindsay to stop acting like she lost her father. Bev started becoming addicted to prescription pills. She went to rehab and that gave J.D. and Lindsay some freedom. Lindsay became the head of the household. When Bev returned from rehab she became more religious and often “spoke” in bible verses.

Bev has been sober for one year and Lindsay got married and became a mother. Bev wants to move her and J.D. to Dayton to live with Matt. J.D. doesn’t want to leave his family and friends behind so he objects. Bev believes that J.D. has anger issues so she takes him to her therapist. Instead of going to Dayton, J.D. lives with his father Don. Living with don was good but J.D. missed his family so he went back home. Mamaw told him she loved him and that he was welcome back home. J.D. lived with Mamaw for the rest of the summer and moved to Dayton but, he continued to go to Middletown high school. Bev and matt broke up and she started dating her boss, Ken. J.D. and his mom moved in with Ken. One of Kens’ sons called J.D.s mom a B-word. J.D. defends his mom and because of that he and his mother go and stay with Mamaw for the night. J.D starts smoking weed and drinking. His relationship is also strained with Lindsay.

Bev told J.D to give her his urine basically proving that she was still using drugs. J.D tells her she is an awful mother and he told Mamaw that she was a bad mother as well. He doesn’t want to give her his urine because he smoked weed. Mamaw tells him that the weed will be out of his system and to give Bev his urine. So, he does. J.D. lives with Mamaw full time now, his grades improve and he gets a job at a grocery store.

J.D. got accepted to Ohio State University. He wasn’t ready for the commitment of college so he joins the marines. He feared that when he came back Mamaw would be dead. The marines were a good change for J.D. He became confident in himself. When he came back home, he was treated like an equal. J.D. was being shipped out to Iraq and Mamaw was worried. He would send her $300 every month. One day he got a call that her lung collapsed and that she was in a coma. The family took her off life support. J.D was strong during the passing of Mamaw. She dedicated part of the will to Bev, which was to be split with J.D. and Lindsay. Bev got mad because J.D. and Lindsay were acting like Mamaw was their mother. Lindsay says that Mamaw was in fact their mom. J. D says his time in the marine was not exciting but was a great experience.

J.D says in 2007 he left the marines and attended the Ohio State University. He was very studious with her school work. He worked at the Ohio statehouse and at a nonprofit company. Because he was always busy he became sick. His mom came down to Columbus and took him back home. She was taking good care of him while he was sick. That conflicted J.D. because she was being so kind and caring. J.D. returned back to Columbus and became an SAT tutor. It payed really well so he quit the statehouse job. He really liked the statehouse job but chose to “like” his job later in life. Because he didn’t really like his peers, J.D. wanted to finish college as soon as possible. J.D moves back to Middletown while studying for law school. He expresses the fact that there is no political “hero” for the hillbillies. The hillbillies liked Obama but were suspicious of him.

J.D started applying to law school. He applied to Yale and Harvard but he didn’t believe he would get in. He gets accepted to Yale and he is really excited. So, excited that he was willing to go $200,000 in debt to attend Yale. Yale ends up giving him almost a full ride to attend. Once J.D. got to Yale he felt like he belonged. He made friends and he also didn’t have to feel ashamed of his background because people were generally interested in where he came from. Once he went back home to Middletown he felt like stranger in his own home town because he thought that people would treat him different because he went to Yale.

J.D. fell in love with one of his classmate, Usha. He says that she was smart and knew a lot about the world and Yale. She was essentially J.D.’s support system. J.D. was invited to a fancy restaurant with other students who were candidates for a job at a prestigious law form. Throughout the night he felt that he was making a fool of himself since he wasn’t accustomed to the rich lifestyle. He ended up receiving a job offer from that firm. Amy Chua, one of J.D.’s professors, told him that instead of pursuing clerkship he should focus on his relationship with Usha and find a more suitable career.

Once J.D. entered his second year of law school his relationship with Usha was becoming problematic. One night after J.D. came home from a bad job interview, he and Usha got into an argument and he accused her of making accuses for his weakness. He stormed out and he found her sitting on the steps of a theatre and she told him that he needs to be more open with her and to not storm out. J.D still has to resist the urge to fight at times and has to learn how to control his temperature. He says that childhood experiences affect hillbillies when they grow up. J.D. learns that Bev is using heroin and because of that she did not attend his graduation ceremony.

J.D. and Usha are married and living in Cincinnati. His mother calls him for help because her husband at the time kicked her out because she sold his things to pay for drugs. J.D leaves Cincinnati to help his mother and pays for her to stay in a motel. One day when J.D. was in the car with Usha a car cut them off. J.D opened his door to get out and yell at the person but he calms down and doesn’t do it.

In the conclusion of the book, J.D talks about the time he volunteered to buy Christmas presents for under privileged children. The list he was given by the organization didn’t sit right with J.D. He felt that the presents on that list were useless for the children and instead purchased what he thought were suitable presents for under privileged children. J.D. takes a boy named Brian out to lunch one day. Brian reminds J.D of himself at 15 years old. Brian’s father wasn’t in his life and his mother was a drug addict. A couple months later Brian’s mom passes away. J.D. expresses how Brian doesn’t have any other family or a support system. He believes that if Brian goes to church he will find some stability in his life.

J.D. concludes the book by describing a dream that he’s been having since he was a kid. He’s in a tree house with Lindsay and Mamaw and Bev walks in and starts yelling and throwing around furniture. His Mamaw and Lindsay escape the tree house but he doesn’t. He always wakes up just as Bev is about to grab him. This time when he has the dream, he is chasing his dog Casper. When he catches his dog he doesn’t hurt him, instead he hugs him. This is when J.D. decides that he has finally controlled his temper.

In hillbilly elegy, J.D. Vance does an amazing job of detailing what life was like growing up as a hillbilly and the values that were instilled. He talks about his family and the hardships that they had to go through. His grandparents basically raised him since his mom wasn’t that present in his life. The town he was in was declining so that promoted even more isolation with the hillbillies. His family was very big on honor and loyalty so that was a value he carried with him throughout his childhood. J.D. Vance does a great job of illustrating how chaotic his home life was. He went through a lot of trauma in his childhood. His grandparents, who basically raised him, passed away. He became very distant from his sister, who was like a mother to him. His own mother just paraded men in and out of his life and was abusive to him. In the end, he still loved his family and his mother is making a real effort to be better. After J.D. starts law school he starts to find a sense of belonging. He falls in love with his soon to be wife Usha. While things are going good in his life, J.D still struggles with his temper at time and that’s something he’s had to deal with since he was a kid. His mother comes back in the picture and he helps her no questions asked. In the end of the book, J.D is very happy and has learned to control his temper.

J.D does present his case about hillbillies well. Throughout the whole book he has to deal with problems caused by his upbringing. He was violent and had a bad temper and that was because of the fact that violence was encouraged. His mother being a drug addict was something he had to deal with even as a grown married man. The book does present a reason for on-going economic review because, his community was financially burdened. They couldn’t better themselves even if they wanted to because they didn’t have the means. School wasn’t really an option because no one could afford it. The book doesn’t really compare and contrast poor communities in America because in my opinion there wasn’t enough communities talked about for that. The only communities thoroughly talked about were the hillbilly communities and the higher-class community once J.D went to Yale. Gender is not as important in this book because the things J.D went to as a child and his adult like could happen to anyone regardless of their gender.