Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. In the years after World War II, the midwestern states of Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Wisconsin were important hubs for industrial production. With the increase of globalization and the movement of jobs from the US to overseas manufacturing facilities in the 1970s, however, these states experienced a loss of industry and employment. The resulting economic difficulties incurred the use of the nickname “the Rust Belt” by many academics and politicians.

• Consider the term “the Rust Belt.” What type of images does this phrase conjure?
• How did the movement of jobs from this region to overseas affect local economies?
• What effect would such economic change have on future generations?

Teaching Suggestion: This question will initiate discussion on the historical and geographical contexts of the region in which the author was born. Students should consider the larger effects of economic decline on societies, particularly as it relates to unemployment and the effects of job insecurity on families. Consider linking this question to U.S. History and Government curricula related to the topics of the 1970s recession, the Reagan era, political election strategies and the theme of Appalachian Migration.