Hillbilly Elegy Essay Prompt Race vs Class

LENGTH: 750-900 words (3-4 pages) Use MLA Format with a clever title AUDIENCE: Assume your reader is familiar with the memoir 6 QUOTES FROM THE BOOK Provide personal or world connections (should be specific) Race vs. Class: In Vance’s view, race and class seem to be two separate issues. In the book’s introduction, he writes, “This is not a story about why white people have more to complain about than black people or any other group. That said, I do hope that readers of this book will be able to take from it and appreciation of how class and family affect the poor without filtering their views through a racial prism” (p. 7-8). At the same time, Vance discusses how people of different racial backgrounds experience the world. He cites controversial political scientist Charles Murray’s 1984 book Losing Ground, calling it a “book about black folks that could have been written about hillbillies” (p. 144). What does this comparison say about Vance’s view of race and class? Is it possible to look at how class and family affect the poor without considering race? Do you think where you live affects your view on race and class? If so, how?