Since the first page of Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance, perseverance is prevalent. No matter what comes J.D. Vance’s way he always works through it. There are many ways people respond to the adversity in life, and there are many ways people respond each distinct time. Perseverance has been key in my life, not just J.D. Vance’s; I would argue every person in this world as well. Whether it be in the military, like Vance, school, sports, or a job, there is no hiding from adverse situations. J.D. Vance talks about his adversity extensively in Hillbilly Elegy, and if success is wanted, perseverance is a major key in the process. Fighting through the challenging times in life is what will get the job done in the end. Grit and perseverance, in my …show more content…
It is a way to remind oneself that giving up is not an option; neither should be getting complacent with what is going on or your class in life. Perseverance should drive people to do good in their lives, much like it did for J.D. Vance. Much of my life is devoted to sports. I’ve played and have been a student of sports since I was five years old. There are not many days that I do not pick up a baseball bat or dribble a basketball. As can be imagined, I have fought my way through some tough situations; the one I remember the most vivid and learned that perseverance will make things better, was when I was in the fifth grade. I made the “A” team for basketball, and many might think, how is that an issue? Classmates and teammates even said that I should not be on the team because I was not fast enough, strong enough, and could not shoot well. They told me this, and it hurt my feelings (remember I am only in the fifth grade, so these were big issues). It was the first time I could remember that someone had doubted me, and it sucked. Instinctively I, being the competitive person I am, who will get wildly into a student-center air hockey game, wanted to prove my teammates wrong. I went to practice each day and worked my butt off, and even after practicing went out in my backyard and practiced more by putting up more shots. I was not going to let a bunch of fifth graders tell me I am not good enough to play the
Persistence, resilience, and grit- three traits that I believe are often the most sought after by professionals all over the world. Developing these three skills can be a difficult process, however when all three are present in a person, that person can become a valuable asset for any company or business. In JD Vance’s memoir, Hillbilly Elegy, we see how he develops these important traits throughout his life. Through his struggles and victories, we the reader learn that no matter the situation you are placed in, you can succeed if you develop 3 important skills- those being persistence, resilience, and grit.
In Hillbilly Elegy, J.D. Vance talks about his rise from the poor, working class Hillbillies of the Rust Belt to the more affluent middle class. In doing so, he talks about the work needed to move up the economic ladder (to a different social class), expressing that it is always possible but very difficult. Vance talks about the struggles he faced within his family and his community, as well as how he overcame them. Vance’s reason to write this book was because he accomplished something ordinary, which does not happen to most children that grow up like him.
The multidimensional expression “hillbilly” carries different cultural significances throughout the book Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance. First, Vance utilizes the term “hillbilly” to refer to the working class white Americans of Scots-Irish descent who have no college degree (3). Second, Vance uses the term hillbilly to refer to a group of people from a specific geographic area, namely the area of the Appalachian Mountains. According to Vance, the area stretches from Alabama to Georgia in the South to Ohio to parts of New York in the north (4). Third, hillbilly indicates the way of life, behavior, or identity of the people of Greater Appalachia.
When Mamaw and Papaw were teenagers back in 1947, they got married and it was the beginning of a long and adventurous marriage. In the first seven chapters of Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance, Mamaw and Papaw have a very unique relationship. Mamaw and Papaw are somewhat abusive towards each other due to Papaw’s drinking problem. Not only Mamaw and Papaw’s relationship suffers because of their behavior, their family as well is very dysfunctional because of Mamaw and Papaw’s relationship.
“We tend to overstate and to understate, to glorify the good and ignore the bad in ourselves.” (20) J.D. Vance introduces his readers to a world which many didn’t know existed, the world of white working class people, known as hillbillies, living in Rust Belt towns. Vance gives an inside look by telling stories of his life that are common circumstances in the hillbilly society. But as he says in the quote above, humans, no matter their race, background, or hometown, have a tendency to stretch the truth. Often we avoid putting ourselves or those we love in a bad light, we make our stories more grand so we can gather peoples interest, or we simply leave things out because its easier than reliving things that cause us so much heart ache.
Thoreau says, “If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears” (Thoreau 385). This quote is trying to explain that you should march to your own beat you shouldn’t let someone else control who you are or what you do. Do what you feel is right and stick with it don’t let anyone change the way you step to your own beat. The repost asked, “‘Whatcha gonna do if one of these pitchers throws for your head?’ Jackie Robinson Responded with, ‘I'll duck’” (42). This quote is explaining that if people are going to be mean to him that he is going to go around it or just ignore them. He doesn’t want there to be any problems with anyone he just wants to play baseball. The perseverance of these quotes its to try and stay out of trouble with people and be good and being the better person no matter what. Overall these texts show that character perseverance proves that hard work and dedication leads to success in
In the memoir Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance, Vance is portrayed as achieving the American Dream. This comes from Vance being determined and by working very hard so he can make something out of his life. So, in the memoir Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance, it is shown that Vance's argument about developing success is that hard work leads to success.
The book Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis was a book that BGSU chose for its students to read as a common read so student could get together and have discussions on how this book might or might not relate to themselves. Although I was half impressed with this book, it did have a lot of positives that came out of it. Hillbilly Elegy was written by J. D. Vance and was published on June 28, 2016, by HarperCollins and has a handful of life learning lessons and situations that were written about which gave me a whole new perspective on how people from different working classes live. The author Vance, tells the true story of what a social,
Either it’s losing a game in basketball or a death of a loved one. Everyone at sometime goes through something in life. Doing something to push through that or forgetting about is very important. I think without persevering, the whole world wouldn’t be the same. For example, without Magic Johnson fighting through all the talk about how he could never play again, he would never be where he is today. Or when I got my concussion and went through all the steps to become healthy again, I wouldn’t be the same. Life is filled with mistakes and I think it’s about how you move past those mistakes to become a better person.
Capital in the Twenty-First Century by Thomas Piketty attempts to answer some questions regarding inequality. He argues that we are now re-entering a more typical period of low growth. Thus, the rate of return on investment rapidly outpaces the rate of overall economic growth (r > g). A trend well-nknown through history until the 19th century. He predicts that this path will likely continue in the 21st century, resulting in wealth growing faster than output and income—thus pushing towards divergence of equality.
In J.D. Vance’s Hillbilly Elegy, Vance describes his view of the role that hillbillies play in America and how their lifestyles can affect future generations. Hillbilly Elegy is also touted as one of the books that could explain President Trump’s rise in the Midwest, especially throughout the Rust Belt and Appalachia. Unlike other candidates, Trump voiced the perspective of many in this region (even if this perspective was more extreme). As a result, they helped him get elected, by helping swing the Midwest in his favor. Vance refers to these people as “hillbillies” or people of Scottish and German ancestry that lived in states like Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia. Once working in industries like coal and steel, they are no longer employed with these industries decreasing. Unlike most hillbillies, Vance did not fall into the region’s cyclical nature involving drugs and unhealthy relationships and instead, served in the Marine Corps, attended college at Ohio State University and received his law degree from Yale University. Through education, Vance abandoned this cycle and moved to a higher social class.
The novel, Hillbilly Elegy by J. D. Vance, connects with the literature from this semester through the religious devotion and reliance similar to Mamaw and Vance’s dad. Much like the Pilgrims and Puritans, “the Christian faith stood at the center of our lives, especially hers” (85), Vance explains about Mamaw. She is aware God has a plan and always stands by her side. He helps those who help themselves (87). The Pilgrims hold this same ideology when they leave for the New World, travelling across stormy seas, so they could freely worship God, and God proved to protect them (60, Bradford). Jacobs’ grandmother is another example of trusting in God’s will (7). Mamaw and the grandmother stay loyal and faithful throughout the hardships they face. Vance’s dad’s devotion towards religion is strict. It is much like the death of self concept: giving up a personal life to focus completely on God. Vance does not listen to his Led Zeppelin music or play the card game, Magic, because with the rules of his dad’s religion, he must comply or leave (96).
The final reading of Hillbilly Elegy starts with J.D applying to law school. This was J.D’s goal, and I was so happy that he was about to achieve this. I found it interesting that J.D did not apply to Stanford Law School because to be admitted, you need a letter of recommendation from the dean from your undergraduate school. Vance did not apply because he didn’t know the dean from Ohio State. I think this says a great deal about how Vance views outsiders. I feel that J.D is hesitant to trust outsiders in every part of his life, and I think this feeling started with his upbringing. I was also happy to read that his financial aid allowed him to attend Yale. I was initially shocked to read that the most
In the fifth reading assignment of Hillbilly Elegy, the chapters highlight J.D’s time in high school, the Marines, and college.
1. I have mix feelings about this article. I do not agree with this article, but the part I do agree with this article. The reason I disagree with this article is that not everybody needs the army to be disciplined and to go to college. Even though It does help to pay for college. Is it worth to join the army, just so you can go to school? When people come back from the war, they are suffering from the post-traumatic stress disorder. Anyone can be whatever they want to, they just need put in the work.