Hillbilly Elegy Lesson Plan

What did JD say at Papaw's funeral? Why might his words been upsetting to his mom and Mamaw?

JD talked about how Papaw was the best dad anyone could have and about how important he was to JD because JD hadn't had a stable father of his own. In addition to the grief they were feeling about Papaw's death, the different in JD's experience of Papaw as a father to that of Bev or Mamaw might have been upsetting. Bev grew up in Papaw's house when he had been drinking, and was frightened by her parents' violent fights. Mamaw had been hurt by Papaw's neglect due to alcoholism and cheating on her. While Bev and Mamaw both loved Papaw, it may have been hard for them to deal with...