Stereotypes In J. D. Vance's Hillbilly Elegy

In Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance argues that “hillbillies” are stereotyped and perceived as being “lazy, poor, and violent.” Vance tells the reader to look beyond the stereotypes, and shows a new position that many before weren’t previously aware of. He tells a story about the culture in which he grew up in, which showed some of the stereotypes, but was extremely different from what people had originally thought. He showed that the people in this culture cared about one another and would go to extreme measures to make sure that they are all protected. The main message of writing the story was for J.D. Vance to prove to the reader that hillbillies aren’t just what the stereotypes say, that they are good people who were just dealt a bad hand

This can lead to somebody tending to avoid these people or places because of the stereotype. In reality, these people or places could be incredibly rich in culture and vibrant in life, yet this is missed because of the unfair stereotypes that are portrayed with them. Both authors are trying to prove the same thing, yet J.D. Vance does a better job with it because he is able to successfully connect it to the larger purpose. In Marquart’s article, the larger purpose is up to the interpretation of the reader. She never explicitly states that stereotypes can cause people to miss meaningful experiences beyond the subject in which her article was about. She only focuses on the midwest when in reality, this is a common theme among people and places. J.D. Vance, however, is able to connect this back to the main point. He explicitly states that these stereotypes are unfair and that they can cause people to believe something that is different from reality. He also talks about more than just his subject. Not only does he show that hillbillies are unfairly stereotyped and that people can miss their rich culture just by following the public opinion, but he also shows that this applies to the rest of the world. He says that we should use our own judgment insteading of listening to those who may not have experience. Vance shows that the hillbilly culture is much different than what is perceived by the public. He proves this by writing an entire memoir from personal experience about the culture. After he proves this, the reader has no choice but to listen to him. He uses this to his advantage to connect his story to the rest of the world. He states that the unfair stereotypes that were placed on hillbillies don’t only apply to hillbillies, they apply to all groups. By listening to