Marca Kaplar
Longer Paper #1
Hillbilly Elegy, Trump and the Death of a Culture President Trump's appeal to the culture, identity, and ideology of the often forgotten working class people was successful by simply allowing a group of disenfranchised, forgotten, and loyal citizens the capability for the hopes and belief that they can be great again. Through the promise of “Making America Great Again,” he sparked a fire in many who have gone from a level of wealth that to them allowed for a very good life to the exurban and now abandoned areas such as Middleton, Ohio in J. D. Vance’s, Hillbilly Elegy. Through the promise that there would be employment possibilities, improvements of our infrastructure, a medical program that they could choose …show more content…
Vance speaks to the truth and heart of the problems associated with economic and educational strife. Vance’s journey from “the holler” to Yale, as well as every memory of his dysfunctional family can be applied to many American households. These households, households that need change, relief and hope were the core voters for Trump. Yet, Hillbilly Elegy lives up to its title. It is an “Elegy,” not necessarily calling hours for “the good old days” or “how things used to be,” just a medium that helps those who do not understand the vast differences in our economic divisions or cultural communities. We also are shown how respect in and for the “holler” is key to the dynamic of that cultural identity. The care for each other and struggles faced would never be understood unless you have lived them or are part of the community. One cannot possibly understand the weight of the cultural identity. Vance seems to mourn the current state of hillbilly culture most of all. He describes a lack of purpose, a lack of community, and a lack of spiritual identity. How certain hillbilly values, once revered, have had negative …show more content…
The Appalachian identity crisis is a representation of one microcosm in a much larger pond of crises on a national level. The crisis in the current political climate, is a combination of individual choices based on ideologies that are motivated, many times, by fear, misunderstanding, misinformation or done and outright misleading information. Vance is able to show that while this election may or may not be a true realignment (it is too soon to tell), he easily presents all of the choices that were evident in the campaign. He embraces the fear that he experiences and leads his readers through those fears and into the intimacy of ideology cultural values and all of the fears, hopes and dreams are seen in human form through himself, his family members and life experience. While everyone has their own set of fears of change and aspirations of stability, success, and love it is that component of cultural identity That is so key especially to the swing voters/Reagan Democrats/or disenfranchised citizens that voted with their heart and not necessarily their core party values in hopes of “Making America Great
Longer Paper #1
Hillbilly Elegy, Trump and the Death of a Culture President Trump's appeal to the culture, identity, and ideology of the often forgotten working class people was successful by simply allowing a group of disenfranchised, forgotten, and loyal citizens the capability for the hopes and belief that they can be great again. Through the promise of “Making America Great Again,” he sparked a fire in many who have gone from a level of wealth that to them allowed for a very good life to the exurban and now abandoned areas such as Middleton, Ohio in J. D. Vance’s, Hillbilly Elegy. Through the promise that there would be employment possibilities, improvements of our infrastructure, a medical program that they could choose …show more content…
Vance speaks to the truth and heart of the problems associated with economic and educational strife. Vance’s journey from “the holler” to Yale, as well as every memory of his dysfunctional family can be applied to many American households. These households, households that need change, relief and hope were the core voters for Trump. Yet, Hillbilly Elegy lives up to its title. It is an “Elegy,” not necessarily calling hours for “the good old days” or “how things used to be,” just a medium that helps those who do not understand the vast differences in our economic divisions or cultural communities. We also are shown how respect in and for the “holler” is key to the dynamic of that cultural identity. The care for each other and struggles faced would never be understood unless you have lived them or are part of the community. One cannot possibly understand the weight of the cultural identity. Vance seems to mourn the current state of hillbilly culture most of all. He describes a lack of purpose, a lack of community, and a lack of spiritual identity. How certain hillbilly values, once revered, have had negative …show more content…
The Appalachian identity crisis is a representation of one microcosm in a much larger pond of crises on a national level. The crisis in the current political climate, is a combination of individual choices based on ideologies that are motivated, many times, by fear, misunderstanding, misinformation or done and outright misleading information. Vance is able to show that while this election may or may not be a true realignment (it is too soon to tell), he easily presents all of the choices that were evident in the campaign. He embraces the fear that he experiences and leads his readers through those fears and into the intimacy of ideology cultural values and all of the fears, hopes and dreams are seen in human form through himself, his family members and life experience. While everyone has their own set of fears of change and aspirations of stability, success, and love it is that component of cultural identity That is so key especially to the swing voters/Reagan Democrats/or disenfranchised citizens that voted with their heart and not necessarily their core party values in hopes of “Making America Great