Hillbilly Elegy, a memoir written by JD Vance, opens with Vance reminiscing about his youth and his various experiences growing up in Jackson, Kentucky. Vance spent much of his early years in Jackson, Kentucky, where he established many family values ​​by staying with his grandmother for much of his childhood. Vance moves to Ohio, and in moving he essentially loses the family aspect of his life. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Vance is one of many “mountain men” who move from the Appalachian region to the Midwest. After the family moved to Middleton, Ohio, Mamaw (Vance's grandmother) remarried and had 3 children. Papaw's (his grandfather) drinking problems emerge as Vance grows up in Ohio, and Papaw often engages in passionate romps with Mamaw. A work stigma surrounds Middletown, Ohio, that the job your parents did is where you will end up. Vance, trying to chart his own path, turns to his grandfather who often helps him with his studies. As Vance progresses through school, he is surrounded by aggressive behavior among his classmates, including numerous schoolyard fights. When Vance turns nine, his mother and stepfather move away, ending the family value structures he had with his grandmother and grandfather. Disconnected from the only values ​​Vance once had, and amid abuse between his parents, he began to perform poorly in school. Following a suicide attempt by Bev (Vance's mother), he and his mother returned near Mamaws and Papaws. One day, after some heated arguments between Vance and his mother, Bev started speeding up and saying she was going to kill them both. Bev was eventually arrested and Vance was able to live permanently with his grandparents. As life progressed, Vance began communicating and visiting his biological father, Don. In the following years, Papaw passes away, leading to multiple family problems, such as the emergence of Bev's addiction to prescription pills. After Vance graduates from high school, his mother decides that they move to Dayton, Ohio with her boyfriend. Among even more family problems with Bev's new boyfriend, Vance begins experimenting with alcohol and marijuana as a means of escape. After Vance was asked to give his mother his urine to take a drug test, it was decided once again that Vance had to live permanently with Mamaw. With this new chance in life, Vance gets a job at the local grocery store and begins to focus on his studies. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Against all odds, Vance is accepted to Ohio State University, but he decides to join the Marines instead. During Vance's time in the army, Mamaw passed away and he eventually returned to Ohio to attend OSU. Vance then entered law school and attended Yale to pursue his career as a lawyer. While finishing law school, Vance learns that Bev has turned to heroin and is an avid user. The book ends with Vance reminiscing about his life and how he experienced rich and poor social classes during his life..