Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture

Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay. 

Scaffolded/Short-Answer Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the below bulleted outlines. Cite details from the book over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. At the heart of the story, Vance recalls that his Mamaw and Papaw left Appalachia to pursue the American dream.

• Why do Mamaw and Papaw want to achieve the American dream? (topic sentence)
• Identify 3 ways that Mamaw and Papaw try to provide a particular lifestyle for their children.
• Are they successful in their attempt to allow their children to live their own American dreams? In your concluding sentence or sentences, briefly discuss the way in which this outcome is ironic.

2.  Vance’s influential relationships include those which he shared with his mother and Mamaw.

• Compare and contrast Vance’s relationships with his mother and with Mamaw in a general introductory statement. (topic sentence)
• In what ways are his relationships with each female figures similar? In what ways are they different? Discuss 3 examples which support the similarities and 3 that demonstrate the differences.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, briefly discuss how these relationships shape his adverse childhood experiences.

3. Consider Vance’s beliefs in hard work and perseverance as important personal traits.

• Why is hard work important to Vance? (topic sentence)
• Find 3 examples in which Vance chooses the more difficult route in life.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, briefly discuss how this mindset affects his life choices.

Full Essay Assignments

Student Prompt: Write a structured and well-developed essay. Include a thesis statement, at least three main points supported by text details, and a conclusion.

1. In Chapter 14, Vance poses the following question: “How much of our lives, good and bad, should we credit to our personal decisions, and how much is just the inheritance of our culture, our families, and our parents who have failed our children?” Based on the memoir and your own research and experiences, which factor should be more strongly credited (i.e., personal decisions or inheritance of outside factors)? Argue the validity of your choice in a structured essay. Connect the memoir’s theme of Personal Versus Societal Responsibility for the Disenfranchised in your discussion. Incorporate in-text citations as well as statistics from research.

2. The 2020 film adaptation of Hillbilly Elegy, available on Netflix, received mixed reviews overall. Watch the film and research these reviews, particularly those which focus on the content of the story. Based on the memoir, do you believe the film captures Vance’s intent to demonstrate the themes of The Non-Nuclear Family, Appalachian Migration, and Societal Law Versus Family Code/Family Loyalty? If not, in what ways could the film adaptation have been improved?

3. In Chapter 9, Vance states that “Our elegy is a sociological one, yes, but it is also about psychology and community and culture and faith.” While the title uses the term “elegy,” Vance’s work is defined as a “memoir.” Based on your impressions, consider the following: In what ways is Hillbilly Elegy an elegy? In what ways is it a memoir? Be sure to consider writing style as well as content and approach of the core topic in your response.