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
Every day after class, Billie Jo starts practicing the piano again. It hurts her hands, but she plays as much as she can stand. Soon, the Palace Theatre is having a music contest and talent show, and Billie Jo wants to enter. If she wins, she will get a prize—three dollars for first place, two for second, and one for third. Billie Jo is unsure if she will win, but she wants to prove she still has musical talent. Additionally, she wants people to look at her like they do Mad Dog, though she fears they never will because of her hands.
Billie Jo is starting to return to the person she was before the accident. Although she has a long way to go, she is playing music again and seems to think she has a shot at winning the talent show. However, her hands remain an issue; not only do they hurt, but they also single her out as someone who inspires pity rather than admiration.
Themes
