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
In January, there are piles of dust scattered across the prairie. Conditions are poor, and Joe De La Flor does not have the resources to feed his cows. He calls a county agent, who comes and shoots the cows. If he didn’t do this, the cows would die slowly, their lungs clogged with dust. In the spring, Joe De La Flor will have to ride around the prairie picking Russian thistle, which he will use to feed the few cows he has left.
Desperate times call for desperate measures, and Joe De La Flor does not want to see his animals needlessly suffer. Similar to Billie Jo and her family, Joe De La Flor’s situation is especially tragic because there is nothing he can do except hope that the climate improves and try to show his cows mercy.
Themes
