Summary:
The subtitle is
accurate enough: “A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis,” although the
author J.D. Vance is, in fact, the focal point of view throughout, from his
childhood to his success as an adult. Few young people made it out of the hills to enjoy stable and successful
lives, but J.D. was one of them, earning a degree at Ohio State University,
then a law degree at Yale. While recounting his life, he also describes
his relatives and neighbors, and he interprets the many dilemmas of his
hillbilly culture.
Vance was born
in 1984 and grew up in Jackson, Kentucky, a poor town following the collapse of
coal mining. His family was beset with poverty, alcoholism, mental instability,
and more. His mother had nine miscarriages and suffered from addictions; she
had multiple husbands. The culture around him suffered from domestic violence,
drug abuse, hoarding, unemployment, honor defended by fists, knives, or guns, as
well as bad financial habits, bad diets, obesity, lack of exercise, sugary
drinks, dental problems, and what he calls “emotional poverty.” There was welfare abuse and, in general “a
chaotic life.” He credits his grandparents, other relatives,
various teachers and professors for supporting him, guiding him, and comforting
him when he was hurt, angry, and/or confused.
Like many other
hillbillies, J.D. moved some hundred miles north into southern Ohio, where
steel companies provided jobs—that is, until they closed, like many other employers
in the Rust Belt. There also, hillbillies were left without income and social
problems increased. Stores and restaurants closed. Payday lenders and
cash-for-gold shops took their place. Drug dealers and users took over empty
houses.
After high
school, Vance joined the Marines. He credits the military for teaching him discipline,
persistence, and for developing his self-respect. For his success at Yale, he
thanks his professors, his girlfriend (later wife), and classmates for helping
him understand customs of New England society. One example: he leaves a banquet
to call his girlfriend; she instructs him on how to handle the nine pieces of unfamiliar
silverware surrounding his plate.
The last three chapters (11, 12, 13) and the conclusion analyze
his experience on more conceptual terms, including the “social capital” prized by the the New
England world, social instability of the culture he was raised in, and “adverse
childhood experiences” (or ACEs), the psychologists’ phrase for the damaging
events children experience in a culture of poverty, violence, and
limited futures. He writes that governmental child services have policies that
don’t understand the important roles of aunts, uncles, and grandparents in subcultures that rely on extended families. Indeed, faithful to his mother, he, as an
adult, provides specific help to her.
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