Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture

1. General Impressions

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

• What was your initial impression of Hillbilly Elegy? Did it surprise you, or did it meet your expectations?
• How does this memoir alter your perception of J.D. Vance, if at all?

2. Personal Reflection and Connection

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

• Are there any elements of Appalachian culture that are similar to where you live? Or if you reside near the book’s setting, did you connect with Vance’s representation of it?
• The family dynamic that Vance depicts is complex and often chaotic, but he describes his relatives as fiercely loyal to one another. Do you relate to this portrayal of family? How does it compare to your own?
• Was there any specific character in the book that you related to most? Why?
• The choice to leave family for personal wellbeing or financial stability runs through the text, as Vance often discusses the Appalachian diaspora. Have you or has someone close to you had to move away from home? What was the primary reason?

3. Societal and Cultural Context

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

• Vance expresses strong opinions about Appalachian people, particularly regarding their economic despair, overreliance on drugs and alcohol, and unemployment rates. Do you feel that his assertions are founded? How do his claims compare to his more recent political ideology?
• How do you respond to Vance’s depiction of the economic limitations that hinder working-class Americans’ social mobility? How does classism appear to have affected Vance’s career?
• Vance became the vice president-elect for Donald Trump of the Republic Party in 2024. Do the opinions he expresses in the book align with your perception of the party?

4. Literary Analysis

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

• Vance conveys the transitory nature of his youth in a myriad of ways: his family’s migration from Kentucky to Ohio, his own move between various households, and the impermanence of his mother’s living situations and relationships. What literary techniques does Vance use to represent the impact of these factors on his life? What symbols connect with his feelings of transience?
• While Vance loves his Papaw and grows to enjoy his household, he focuses significantly on his relationships with his female relatives and eventual wife, Usha. How do the positive female figures in his life compare to one another?
• Vance narrates his memoir chronologically, using the events of his youth to develop opinions about Appalachian culture and politics. How does this structure reinforce his arguments? 
• How does “hillbilly” as a motif develop throughout the story? What meaning does Vance assign this term in his youth, and how—if at all—does it change by the end of the memoir?

5. Creative Engagement

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

• A film adaptation was made of Hillbilly Elegy in 2020. Research the film and recast the lead actors to fit how you imagined them while reading the book.
• Create a playlist that you feel fits the atmosphere of the book, which largely discusses Appalachian, working-class culture through Kentucky and Ohio.

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