Reference no: EM133289650
Hillbilly Elegy Chapters 8 and 9 Questions
1. What are the ways in this chapter in which Vance's home life becomes more tumultuous?
2. This chapter talks in some detail about education reform to help kids in poor Appalachia communities. How do you fix the issues in these school systems when the problems these kids face also stem from their lives at home?
3. How do you think not being able to feel like you can drop your guard feels? What would that be like for Vance and his sister?
4. How does living with Mamaw help Vance understand her better? How does he get to know her in ways he didn't previously?
5. Working at the grocery store, Vance is exposed to how class difference and work ethic manifests itself in Middletown. The kinds of contradictions he brings up in Chapter 4 are evident here. Do you think Vance is justified in the anger he feels at what he sees?
6. In what ways is the eternal hope Vance feels for his mother a series of complex emotions? Given the trajectory of their relationship, would you also feel hopeful if you were in Vance's position?
7. Living with Mamaw gives Vance a chance at a stable home life. Do you think this stability is what manages to change Vance's life around? Why or why not?