Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture

These prompts can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before or after reading the memoir.

Pre-Reading “Icebreaker”

What does the phrase “the American dream” mean to you? Think about where you have heard this term before and in what context. If you had to explain this term to someone who did not know, how would you define it?

Teaching Suggestion: This Pre-Reading “Icebreaker” can be considered via a larger class discussion or within small groups. Encourage students to think about their upbringing as they work together to write a definition. This question directly links with the Post-Reading Analysis.

• This definition from Merriam-Webster provides a basic understanding of the phrase “the American dream.”

Post-Reading Analysis

Consider Vance’s relationship with the American dream in his memoir. In your opinion, does he believe that the American dream is an achievable reality for individuals from his background? Why or why not?

Teaching Suggestion: This Post-Reading Analysis can be considered through a larger class discussion or within small groups. Encourage students to incorporate their definitions from the Pre-Reading “Icebreaker” in their analysis and to incorporate examples from the text. Ask students to note examples that also fit the connected themes of Personal Versus Societal Responsibility for the Disenfranchised and Societal Law Versus Family Code/Family Loyalty.