Attainability (or Unattainability) of the American Dream in Hillbilly Elegy Eric Kane 11th Grade

J.D. Vance, in his memoir Hillbilly Elegy, uses his own experiences living in rural Kentucky and industrial Ohio to paint a picture of the problems facing the poor white class—and its accompanying “Hillbilly” culture— which dominates American Appalachia. Recounting his experiences from childhood, to his time in the marines, to his college education, Vance sympathetically portrays the struggles of many who share his class and culture. However, he also portrays himself as a paragon of an upwardly mobile American, sustaining the idea of the American Dream. In doing both simultaneously, Vance argues that the condition of poor white “hillbillies” is due to economic disadvantages, but compounded by a destructive culture. In this arena his argument succeeds, as he sufficiently demonstrates throughout his own life’s narrative an awareness of the negative cultural effects he overcame. However, he fails to account for the factors and resources to help achieve that awareness which others in his class lack.

Vance introduces his memoir with the notion of pessimism, establishing the foundation for his argument that hillbilly culture has created a hereditary and debilitating mindset. It is this mindset, he argues, that should be primarily...