This the same thought that came to my mind as well. We can all romanticize the tough rural life but in my experience it act as a big obstacle in advancement.
Having a supporting family who you can turn to for advice and who will encourage you , is not a bad thing. Abuse can leave scars that almost never leave you.
WOW..This was the book that helped me through a very tough period.
"When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves."
"Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way."
This is also the reason why "Shawshank redemption" is my favorite movie. Very similar concepts.