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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. How much money did Mamaw pay to get Vance a graphing calculator for his Advanced Math class in his junior year?

2. What relative was Vance smuggled into a hospital to visit on his death bed?

3. When was Vance's grandfather (Papaw) born?

4. Who is the Middletown High School teacher who works with at-risk youth in Middletown and is quoted by Vance in Chapter 4?

5. Who among his mother's love interests does Vance describe as a mid-life sufferer with an earring to prove it in Chapter 1?

Short Essay Questions

1. How did Vance's life change when his mother and stepfather moved the family to Preble County?

2. How does Vance describe the differences between Ohio and Kentucky that Mamaw and Papaw encountered after they moved?

3. What actions led to Vance's mother's arrest for abuse, according to the narrative in Chapter 5?

4. How does Vance define the term "hillbilly" in his Prologue?

5. How does Vance describe his experiences while living with his mother and Ken in Chapter 8?

6. What were the circumstances of Mamaw and Papaw's move to Ohio?

7. How does Vance describe Mamaw and Papaw's children in Chapter 3?

8. How did Vance's mother respond when he refused to move in with her and Matt?

9. How did Vance's mother's behavior change after Papaw's death?

10. What led to the migration of hillbillies from Appalachia to the Rust Belt?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe the region known as Appalachia and its residents and culture. How large is this region? What is the economy of the region like? How does Vance describe the "hillbillies" of this region?

Essay Topic 2

Why was education so highly valued by Mamaw and Papaw? Why did they not encourage their children and grandchildren to pursue blue-collar careers? How did this influence impact Vance and Mamaw and Papaw's children?

Essay Topic 3

How does Vance describe Papaw's death in the memoir? How was Papaw's death discovered? How did the family respond to his death? In what ways did Papaw's death impact Vance?

(see the answer keys)

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