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22. What I Don’t Know
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Out of the Dust, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Nature, Survival, and the Dust Bowl
Poverty, Charity, and Community
Coming of Age
Family and Forgiveness
Summary
Analysis
Billie Jo’s mother has two apple trees that she has been taking care of since before Billie Jo was born. Despite the terrible conditions, Billie Jo’s mother still gets the trees to blossom. Billie Jo loves looking at the trees and letting their petals fall on her head.
The apples are a symbol of hope, nourishment, and motherly care that both Billie Jo and her mother cherish. The fact that they are able to produce fruit at all given the circumstances is a miracle.
Themes
