Hillbilly Elegy: a Memoir of Family and Culture in Crisis
By J. D. Vance
“Hillbilly elegy: a memoir of family and culture in crisis,” is one of those books that has reached bestselling status largely through word of mouth. J. D. Vance’s true story of his poor upbringing in Appalachia (Kentucky and Ohio), has captured the attention of both conservatives and liberals throughout the country because his explanation of the struggle of poor, white people gives this growing segment of American society a voice that can’t be ignored by our current political milieu.
The story Vance tells of the town where he grew up and the surrounding area is all too familiar: a disappearing job market, drug addiction, breakdown of the family, falling graduation rates, dwindling church attendance. But, he is proud of his hillbilly (or “redneck,” “white trash”) heritage, “Hillbillies…, are proud of their “loyalty, honor, and toughness”; of their fierce, unpretentious patriotism; of their work ethic, their tight-knit families, and the decisiveness with which they administer “hillbilly justice.”” It sounds like he could be describing our own Cajun culture.
Although proud in many ways of his culture, Vance is also realistic when he says that that culture could be the cause of the community’s problems. Vance states that one large issue is… ““learned helplessness” — the fatalistic belief, born of too much adversity, that nothing can be done to change your lot.” Hence the popularity of his book to Democrats and Republicans, Progressives and Independents. Vance writes in a way that makes sense, without talking down, and with compassion, without making you feel sorry for anyone. He can speak the hard truths about poor white people because those are his people.
He closes “Hillbilly elegy” with these points, “But are we tough enough to look ourselves in the mirror and admit that our conduct harms our children? Public policy can help, but there is no government that can fix these problems for us. . . . I don’t know what the answer is precisely, but I know it starts when we stop blaming Obama or Bush or faceless companies and ask ourselves what we can do to make things better.”