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 receives a letter from her Aunt Ellis asking if Billy Jo wants to come live with her in Lubbock, Texas. Billie Jo wants to leave, but she does not want to go to her aunt or live in Texas. When she asks her father about the letter, he responds, “Let’s wait and see.”
Billie Jo’s problem is that she sees no good options for herself. She does not like where she is, but she also does not have anywhere to go where there are people she knows and likes.
Themes
