Hillbilly Elegy Lesson Plan

In his introduction, Vance explains that this book is not an academically research argument but rather an accounting of his own experience and family history. What do you think is the value and limitations of such an account?

While Vance has used research and expert opinions to help inform his view of the issues he explores in his memoir, the author emphasizes that his account is intended to explain how it feels to live within the social phenomenon of Appalachian/ Rust Belt poverty as well as social mobility. He wants to help the reader understand the lived experience of people who live in circumstances in which he grew up, in order that readers might better understand...