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40. Roots
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 has grown distant; Billie Jo feels like she barely knows him anymore. She wishes she were away from him, but she is also scared of being alone. Whenever he’s around, she tries to keep her hands out of his sight because she knows he will stare at them if she doesn’t.
Whereas Billie Jo’s father was one a spring of comfort for Billie Jo, he is now a source of alienation, as well as a reminder of what happened to her mother. He no longer knows how to be a parent to his daughter.
Themes
