J.D. Vance in the novel Hillbilly Elegy(2016) depicts the events of his life growing up in Ohio surrounded by violence, alcoholism, and poverty. As he experiences life, Vance begins to find himself by coming to a realization that your identity does not hold you back but rather pushes you to flourish. Growing up, Vance felt that being known as a “hillbilly” meant that that is what you have to be no matter what. The story displays how Vance and his family struggled with the demands of their new middle-class life. Vance however is able to go above what is expected of him and eventually graduate from Yale Law School. I think that Vance’s struggles with identity also connect with many people in the world. Now there are many different ways to identify yourself including race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, nationalism, social status, and much more that it can be difficult to figure out where you feel you belong. With that being said, I would recommend this book to anyone who has ever felt lost or out of place in the world.
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