This is a critique of the book Hillbilly Elegy, written by JD Vance and published by HarperCollins Publishers. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay In Hillbilly Elegy, J.D. Vance does a great job of helping readers understand what happens in the lives of the poor (hillbillies). This article will outline and support the ideas that JD Vance instills in us about the life and values ​​of a “hillbilly”. J.D. Vance begins the book by listing his credentials and explaining how he found a way to beat the odds. In the introduction, JD 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 explaining how to beat 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 mountain people to isolate themselves from strangers or the rest of the population. JD then goes on to define hillbilly elegy. Hillbilly elegy means "reacting to bad circumstances in the worst possible way." It tells the story of a 19-year-old soon-to-be father who worked in the tile factory where JD worked. He missed work at least once a week and took very long and frequent bathroom breaks. He got fired and then yelled at his manager about it. This story illustrates the fact that young hillbillies do not take responsibility for their actions but instead blame others. The book is about HIS life experiences, so JD is not impartial. In chapter 1, JD talks about his family. His mother moved around a lot, but he still memorized her address in case he got lost. His "real home" was in Jackson, Kentucky, where he spent every summer until he was twelve. When a hearse passed on the street he asked his mother (grandmother) why people stopped, she replied "we are hill people". This demonstrated that his community had value for togetherness or group identity. JD wanted what he experienced in Jackson, Kentucky to be his daily life. His family was very close and he admired them. His uncle's pet embodied mountaineer 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 the most skilled mechanic. In Ohio, she had different men in her life. Different men who would date and marry her mother. In Ohio, Appalachia had taken a turn for the worse. There is an increase in worn out and weakened buildings. There was prescription drug abuse, epidemics, and inadequate public school systems. There has also been an increase in dental problems because children consume too much sugar. His mother and father played an important role in his life. In chapter 2, he talks about his grandparents' background. In 1946 Mom became pregnant at the age of 13. They fled to Ohio for better economic prospects and to escape Mother's brothers. Perhaps they fled to escape the wrath of “mountain justice”. Papaw found work at a steel company that promised hillbillies a better life. JD also goes on to talk about the migration of mountain people. Mountain people migrated from Appalachia to the industrial economies of the Midwest. The first wave came after World War I because veterans could not find work in their rural communities as they were industrialized. The second wave (mum and papaya) occurred in the 1940s and 1950s. Mom and Dad's neighbors weren't very welcoming. JD states that ihillbillies shared regional characteristics with southern blacks. Neighbors preferred privacy, and hillbillies became involved in each other's affairs. Even though his grandparents were successful during the migration, his family was falling apart. He goes into more detail about his close relatives. His grandparents' marriage was falling apart. While his father worked, his mother stayed at home alone. Due to the stress caused by their situations, they went to war with each other and did not support each other or their children. JD Vance's (Bev) mother succumbed to the challenges of growing up in an abusive home. She didn't go to college, got pregnant, and couldn't settle down with a man. Despite being a drug addict and an unstable mother, she earned a nursing degree. Graduation demonstrated the hillbilly elegy that dispels stereotypes. Jackson's company had its problems, but so did Middletown, Ohio. In chapter 4, many people were "trapped" in the declining town of Middletown. People could not move because they had no money due to financial difficulties. Vance talks about how his father Don gave him up for adoption when he was in kindergarten. Her mother's second husband, Bob, legally adopted J.D. Mamaw, but did not approve of Bob even though they were similar and had the same background. To prove that hillbilly parents wanted their children to do better than them and surpass them, Bev instilled in them the importance of education even if she didn't go to college. In Chapter 4 it was shown that hillbilly values ​​promote honor and loyalty. J. D's mother told him that it was acceptable to fight as long as his family's honor was being defended. Bev began acting erratically and was absent. She attempted suicide after Bob discovered she was having an affair and wanted a divorce. The family grew closer to Mom and Dad after she and Bob separated. Bev would stay out late and party with strangers. She also had a new boyfriend every month, which brought instability into JD's life. She was arrested because she tried to kill JD in the car and chased him to a lady's house, who called the police. JD lied in court to protect his mother in exchange he could be with Mamaw whenever he wanted. In chapter 6, JD and his sister Lindsay wanted to go to New York to be models. Their mom doesn't think she can afford to fund their modeling dreams. Their mother, Bev, then argued with the children and slapped them. She stops hitting them when Mamaw threatens to shoot her in the face. When they arrive at the modeling agency, JD asks Mamaw if God loves them. She starts crying and hugging him. JD asked for reassurance. Bev continues to bring men in and out of the house. Bev encouraged JD to contact his biological father. JD learned that his father was kind, religious, and involved in the church. His father also fought to gain custody of JDJD and began visiting his father. Through their newfound relationship, JD finds the church to be a very important support system. He himself began to become more involved in the church. After JD turned 13, Dad died. Lindsay was very upset because she believes she took advantage of him. He was guilty because he often asked Dad 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 in pain. Bev was angry that someone other than her was grieving and she must be sadder than anyone else. After returning to Jackson, Bev began talking to her family about Dad's death. She broke up with Matt (boyfriend) and told Lindsay to stop acting like she lost her father. Bev started to becomeaddicted to prescription pills. She went to rehab and that gave JD and Lindsay some freedom. Lindsay became the head of the family. When Bev returned from rehab she became more religious and often “spoke” in Bible verses. Bev got sober for a year and Lindsay got married and became a mother. Bev wants to move her and JD to Dayton to live with Matt. JD doesn't want to leave his family and friends behind, so he resists. Bev believes JD has anger issues, so she takes him to her therapist. Instead of going to Dayton, JD lives with his father Don. Living with Don was nice, but JD missed his family, so he moved back home. His mother told him that she loved him and that he was welcome home. JD lived with Mamaw for the remainder of the summer and moved to Dayton but continued to attend Middletown High School. Bev and Matt broke up and she started dating her boss, Ken. JD and his mother have moved in with Ken. One of Kens' sons called JD's mom a word that starts with B. JD defends his mother and because of this he and his mother go to stay with Mamaw for the night. JD starts smoking weed and drinking. His relationship is also strained with Lindsay. Bev told JD to give her his urine, basically proving that he was still using drugs. JD tells her she's a horrible mother and told Mamaw she was a bad mother too. 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 it. JD now lives with Mamaw full time, his grades improve, and he gets a job at a grocery store. JD was accepted to Ohio State University. He wasn't ready for the college commitment, so he joined the Marines. He feared that Mamaw would die when he returned. The marines were a good change for JD. He gained confidence in himself. When he returned home, he was treated like an equal. JD was being shipped to Iraq and Mamaw was worried. He would send her $300 every month. One day she received a call telling her that her lung had collapsed and that she was in a coma. The family took her off life support. JD stood strong during Mamaw's passing. He dedicated part of the will to Bev, which was to be split with JD and Lindsay. Bev got angry because JD and Lindsay were acting like Mamaw was their mother. Lindsay says Mamaw was actually their mother. J.D says his time in the Marines wasn't exciting but it was a great experience. JD says he left the Marines in 2007 and attended Ohio State University. He was very studious with his schoolwork. He worked at the Ohio Statehouse and at a non-profit company. Because he was always busy he fell ill. His mother came to Columbus and brought him home. She was taking care of him while he was sick. JD was conflicted because she was so kind and thoughtful. JD returned to Columbus and became an SAT tutor. It paid really well, so he quit his job at the State House. He really enjoyed the job at the Statehouse, but chose to "like" it later in life. Because he didn't really like his peers, JD wanted to finish college as soon as possible. JD returns to Middletown while studying law. It expresses the fact that there is no political “hero” for the mountain people. Hillbillies liked Obama but were suspicious of him. JD began applying to law school. He applied to Yale and Harvard but didn't think he'd get in. He gets accepted to Yale and is really excited. So, thrilled that I was willing to go into $200,000 in debt to attend Yale. Yale ends up giving him almost a full ride to participate. Once JD arrived at Yale he felt like he belonged. He made friends and didn't have to be ashamed of his pastbecause people were generally interested in its origins. Once he returned home to Middletown he felt like an outsider in his own town because he thought people would treat him differently because he went to Yale. JD fell in love with his classmate, Usha. He says he was smart and knew a lot about the world and Yale. He was essentially JD's support system. JD was invited to a fancy restaurant with other student applicants for a job at a prestigious law school. All night he felt that he was making a fool of himself as he was not used to the rich lifestyle. He eventually received a job offer from that company. Amy Chua, one of JD's professors, told him that instead of pursuing employment he should focus on his relationship with Usha and find a more suitable career. Once JD entered his second year of law school, his relationship with Usha was becoming problematic. One night, after JD came home from a bad job interview, he and Usha started arguing and he blamed her for his weakness. He left and found her sitting on the steps of a theater and she told him he needed to be more open with her and not leave. JD still has to resist the urge to fight sometimes and has to learn to control his temperature. He says childhood experiences influence hillbillies as they grow up. JD discovers that Bev uses heroin and that's why she didn't attend the graduation ceremony. JD and Usha are married and live in Cincinnati. The mother calls him for help because her husband at the time had kicked her out of the house because she had sold her things to pay for drugs. JD leaves Cincinnati to help his mother and pays for her stay at a motel. One day, while JD was in the car with Usha, a car crossed them. JD opened the door to come out and yell at the person, but he calms down and doesn't. In the book's conclusion, JD talks about the time he volunteered to buy Christmas presents for underprivileged children. The list given to him by the organization did not suit JD. He felt that the gifts on that list were useless for children and instead purchased what he thought were suitable gifts for less privileged children. One day JD invites a boy named Brian out to lunch. Brian reminds JD of himself at 15. Brian's father was not in his life and his mother was a drug addict. A couple of months later Brian's mom dies. JD expresses how Brian doesn't have any other family or support system. He believes that if Brian goes to church he will find some stability in his life. JD ends the book by describing a dream he has had since he was a child. He's in a treehouse with Lindsay and Mamaw and Bev walks in and starts screaming and throwing furniture. His mom and Lindsay escape the treehouse 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 takes his dog he doesn't hurt him, on the contrary he hugs him. This is when JD decides he has finally got his temper under control. 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 in him. He talks about his family and the difficulties they faced. Basically his grandparents raised him since his mother wasn't that present in his life. The city he was in was in decline, which fostered even greater isolation among the mountain people. His family valued honor and loyalty, so this was a value he carried with him throughout his childhood. JD Vance does a great job of illustrating how chaotic his home life was. He went through a lot of trauma in his childhood. THE.