Structure

As a memoir, this book is structured in a generally chronological way. It begins with a general overview of hillbilly culture and its value, before specific depicting the history of Vance’s family. This section is relatively short and quickly shifts to J.D.’s own life. Throughout the memoir, the author uses specific anecdotes to illustrate larger patterns in his life. For example, his mother experienced multiple cycles of recovery and relapse in her drug addiction, but J.D. describes only the most impactful of these events. Further, he frequently inserts examples of academic research to provide larger context to his narrative. While this story is about his life, it is intended to give insight into hillbilly society as a whole. Particularly in later sections, the author also incorporates specific suggestions on how to improve the prospects of people like him. By his own admission, government...