Cultural Identity In Vance's Hillbilly Elegy

Have you ever wondered how life may look for a poverty stricken family? "Hillbilly Elegy" by JD Vance explains the southern culture and how he grew up along with the struggles of poverty, family issues , and how the strive for the American Dream looked like for him and his family. The book goes through many different themes such as social status, identity, and the impact that society has on people's lives. His family's struggles demonstrate how powerful the influence of cultural identity is, which offers a sense of belonging and support but also comes with its problems.
The book is centered around the themes of cultural identity and the American Dream. The author begins by explaining the concept of cultural identity and how it shapes peoples'

Vance's portrayal of his family and their struggles demonstrates the powerful influence of cultural identity. It also brings about challenges such as limited social status and lack of education making it difficult for people to break poverty. J.D. was mostly raised by his grandparents he called Mamaw Papaw and as a teenager, his grandparents moved away from a little coal mining town in Kentucky called Jackson, to Middletown Ohio where they raised Jimmy (their son), and two daughters, Bev(JDs mom) and Lori. At home there was alcoholism and domestic violence for JD. In public, the Vance family were very protective of each other and not interested in middle class behavior or rules. Thankfully, Papaw had a steady job at a steel mill which employed a lot of men from Middletown at the time. Through hard work, Papaw and Mamaw became financially stable and were able to provide for their kids. After JD was born the town of Middletown started to fall in the wrong direction both socially and economically. The generation with a strong work ethic that once filled the town was now lost. After Papaw’s death, Bev’s mental health and physical behavior went downhill fast. When JD was in high school

He uses words such as “I” and “me” in the story to help build the story and give more context. “Whenever people ask me what I’d most like to change about the white working class, I say, “The feeling that our choices don’t matter.” (JD Vance). In this quote, he is explaining that when others ask about his background and upbringing he explains that he wishes they had more of a voice and felt as if it mattered. I like how he used the word “our” because I interpreted that as he doesn't separate himself from that culture even though it's not desirable, that's how he was