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 father fought in World War I, but he does not like to talk about it. He does mention that he loved the poppies that grew all over the French countryside. They were always a sight for sore eyes because the war ripped France apart worse than any dust storm ever could.
Billie Jo’s father’s solemn attitude and reticence likely came from his time in World War I—at that point the deadliest war in history. Despite the horrors of the war, Billie Jo’s father managed to find some beauty in his situation by examining the natural world. However, now the natural world has turned on him and left him impoverished and afraid for his future.
Themes
