Circumstances

Introduction

J.D. Vance’s book Hillbilly Elegy. A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis was published in 2017 in the US. The introduction to the book was written as a way to summarise and promote the content of the book. In the introduction, there are many references to the circumstances in the US that inspired J.D. Vance to write the book.

When talking about the circumstances that influence the release of the book, consider also the introductory video included in your assignment. The video shows how people in the Appalachian region have traditionally been treated with superiority and mocked by most Americans although they contributed to American culture and expansion. Also, it shows them as having a particular culture and way of life.

Decline of the white working class

One of the main influential circumstances is the decline of the working class in the Rust Belt and the Appalachian region (l. 104) and of their ability to follow the American Dream. This is first suggested by the reference to the declining industry in the area, as the “Ohio steel town that has been hemorrhaging jobs and hope for as long as I can remember” (ll. 12-13). The tex...