Problem
Hillbilly Elegy, A memoir of a family and culture in crisis by J.D. Vance; remember to provide evidence from the book
Vance provides many examples of lives interrupted and plagued by addiction to alcohol and drugs, including his own mother's. Though his mother's drug addiction is ultimately what forces Vance to choose to permanently live with Mamaw instead of his mother, Mamaw persuades him to help his mother cheat on a drug test, saying, "I know this isn't right, honey. But she's your mother and she's my daughter. And maybe, if we help her this time, she'll finally learn her lesson" (p. 131). Throughout their lives, Vance's mother struggles with her drug addiction, and Vance struggles with how much to help her, financially and emotionally. Were Vance and Mamaw enabling his mother to continue using drugs by helping her pass the drug test? What are some other examples of drug use that Vance includes in the book? Does his analysis of the drug epidemic provide a clear portrait of the problems facing America?