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.