This is a review 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 Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay In Hillbilly Elegy, JD Vance does a great job helping readers understand what is going on in the lives of poor people (hillbillies). This article will present and support the ideas that JD Vance instills in us about the life and values ​​of a “mountain man”. JD 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's 31 and hasn't done anything extraordinary that would make his life interesting. He defied the odds because he graduated from Yale Law School. After explaining how he beat the odds, he lists the cultural values ​​that are important to his people. Some of the values ​​he listed were persistence, loyalty – a “cultural tradition” that sometimes goes too far. This causes the mountain people to isolate themselves from foreigners or the rest of the population. JD then continues by defining the mountain elegy. Hillbilly's elegy is to "react 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 was fired and then yelled at his manager. This story illustrates the fact that young mountain people do not take responsibility for their actions but 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 Jackson, Kentucky, where he spent every summer until he was twelve years old. When a hearse passed in the street, he asked his mother (grandmother) why people stopped, she replied “we are hill people”. This showed that his community valued unity or group identity. JD wished that what he experienced in Jackson, Kentucky, was his daily life. His family was very close-knit and he admired them. His pet uncle embodied the honor and loyalty of the mountain people. His Uncle Teaberry was feared and admired. His family was respected in Jackson. He was the grandson of the toughest wife and most capable mechanic. In Ohio, he had different men in his life. Different men who would date and marry her mother. In Ohio, Appalachia had taken a turn for the worse. There has been an increase in worn out and weakened buildings. There was prescription drug abuse, epidemics, and failing public school systems. There has also been an increase in dental problems because children are consuming too much sugar. His mom and dad played a big role in his life. In chapter 2, he talks about his grandparents' background. In 1946, Mamaw became pregnant at the age of 13. They fled to Ohio for better economic prospects and to escape Mamaw's brothers. They may have fled to escape the wrath of “mountain justice”. Papaw got a job at a steel company that promised mountain people a better life. JD also goes on to talk about the migration of the mountain people. Hillbillies migrated from Appalachia to the industrial economies of the Midwest. The first wave came after the First World War, as the formerfighters were unable to find work in their rural communities since they were industrialized. The 2nd wave (mamaw and papaw) occurred in the 1940s and 1950s. The neighbors of Mamaw and Papaws were not very welcoming. JD states that the mountain people shared regional characteristics with southern blacks. Neighbors preferred privacy and the mountain people involved themselves in each other's affairs. Although his grandparents were successful during the migration, his family disintegrated. He gives more details about his immediate family. Her grandparents' marriage was falling apart. While his papaya worked, his mom stayed home alone. Due to the stress of their situation, they went to war with each other and did not support each other or their children. JD Vance's mother (Bev) gave in to the risks of growing up in an abusive home. 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 earned a nursing degree. His degree showed that the Hillbilly Elegy debunked 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 couldn't move because they didn't have money due to financial difficulties. Vance recounts how his father Don gave him up for adoption when he was in kindergarten. His mother's legally adopted second husband, Bob, J.D. Mamaw did not approve of Bob even though they looked similar and had the same background. To prove that mountain parents wanted their children to do better and surpass them, Bev instilled in her the importance of education even though she did not go to college. In Chapter 4, Hillbilly values ​​were shown to promote honor and loyalty. JD's mom told him it was okay to fight as long as it defended his family's honor. Bev began acting erratically and was absent. She attempted suicide after Bob found out she was having an affair and wanted a divorce. The family grew closer with 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 to 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 to the court in order to protect his mother in exchange for being able to stay with Mamaw whenever he wanted. In Chapter 6, JD and his sister Lindsay wanted to go to New York to be models. Their mother doesn't think she has the means to finance 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 hugs him. JD asked this to reassure himself. 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 who began visiting his father. Through their new relationship, JD learns that the church is a very important support system. He began to become more involved in the church himself. After JD turned 13, Papaw died. Lindsay was very upset because she thinks she took advantage of him. She was guilty because she often asked Papaw for help. There were twoservices for papaw, one in Middletown and the other in Jackson. Bev was distant during the service and Mamaw was in pain. Bev was furious that anyone but her was grieving and that she was sadder than anyone else. After returning from Jackson, Bev began lashing out at her family over Papaw's death. She broke up with Matt (boyfriend) and told Lindsay to stop acting like she lost her father. Bev began to become addicted to prescription drugs. 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 has been sober for a year and Lindsay has gotten married and become 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's against it. Bev thinks JD has anger issues, so she takes him to his therapist. Instead of going to Dayton, JD lives with his father Don. Living with Don was good, but JD missed his family so he returned home. Mamaw told him 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 moved in with Ken. One of Kens sons called JD's mother the B word. JD defends his mother and because of that he and his mother go to spend the night with Mamaw. JD starts smoking weed and drinking. Her relationship is also strained with Lindsay. Bev told JD to give her his urine, proving she was still using drugs. JD tells her she's a horrible mother and he told Mamaw she's a bad mother too. He won't give her his urine because he smokes weed. Mamaw tells him that the weed will be eliminated from his system and that he must give his urine to Bev. So he does it. JD now lives full-time with Mamaw, his grades are improving, 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 when he returned, Mamaw would be dead. The marines were a good change for JD. He gained confidence in himself. When he returned home, he was treated as an equal. JD was being shipped to Iraq and Mamaw was worried. He would send her $300 every month. One day he received a call that her lung had collapsed and she was in a coma. The family took her off life support. JD was strong during Mamaw's passing. She dedicated part of the will to Bev, which was to be shared 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 Navy wasn't exciting but it was a great experience. JD says in 2007 he left the Navy and attended Ohio State University. He was very studious with his schoolwork. He has worked at the Ohio Statehouse and at a nonprofit firm. Because he was always busy, he fell ill. His mother came to Columbus and brought him home. She took good care of him while he was sick. This upset JD because she was so kind and caring. JD returned to Columbus and became an SAT tutor. It paid very well, so he left his position at the State House. He really enjoyed working at the Statehouse, but chose to “love” his job later in life. Because he didn't really like his peers, JD wanted to finish his education as soon as possible. JD returns to Middletown while attending law school. He expresses the factthat there is no political “hero” for the mountain people. The Mountaineers liked Obama but distrusted him. JD started applying to law school. He applied to Yale and Harvard, but he didn't believe he would be admitted there. He got accepted to Yale and he's really excited. So he was thrilled that he was willing to go into $200,000 in debt to attend Yale. Yale ended up making him travel almost an entire trip to attend. Once he arrived at Yale, JD felt like he belonged. He made friends and he also didn't have to be ashamed of his origins because people were generally interested in his origins. Once he returned home to Middletown, he felt like a stranger in his own hometown because he thought people would treat him differently because he went to Yale. JD fell in love with one of his classmates, Usha. He said she was smart and knew a lot about the world and Yale. She was basically JD's support system. JD was invited to a fancy restaurant with other students applying for jobs at a prestigious law school. Throughout the night, he felt like he was making a fool of himself since he wasn't used to a wealthy lifestyle. He ended up receiving a job offer from this company. Amy Chua, one of JD's teachers, told him that instead of pursuing an internship, he should focus on his relationship with Usha and find a more suitable career. Once JD entered the second year of law school, his relationship with Usha became problematic. One night, after JD came home from a bad job interview, he and Usha got into an argument and he accused her of making him weak. He stormed out and found her sitting on the steps of a theater and she told him he needed to be more open with her and not storm out. JD still sometimes has to resist the urge to fight and must learn to control his temperature. He says childhood experiences affect mountain people as they grow up. JD learns that Bev is using heroin and because of it she didn't attend her graduation ceremony. JD and Usha are married and live in Cincinnati. Her mother calls her for help because her husband at the time kicked her out for selling her stuff to pay for drugs. JD leaves Cincinnati to help his mother and pays for her to stay in a motel. One day, while JD was in the car with Usha, a car cut them off. JD opened his door to go out and yell at the person but he calms down and doesn't do it. In the book's conclusion, JD talks about the time he volunteered to buy Christmas presents for underprivileged children. The list the organization gave him didn't sit well with JD. He felt that the gifts on this list were unnecessary for children and instead purchased what he thought were gifts suitable for underprivileged children. One day, JD takes a boy named Brian to lunch. Brian calls JD back to 15 years old. Brian's father was not in his life and his mother was a drug addict. A few months later, Brian's mother died. JD expresses that Brian has no other family or support system. He believes that if Brian goes to church, he will find some stability in his life. JD concludes 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 comes in and starts screaming and throwing furniture. His Mamaw and Lindsay escape the treehouse, but he doesn't. He always wakes up just as Bev is about to catch him. This time, when he has his dream, he chases his dog Casper. When he catches his dog, he doesn't hurt him, but he hugs him. That's when JD decides he finally has.