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 gets invited to play piano at graduation. However, while on stage, she realizes she cannot play anymore, so she just sits still. In the crowd, Arley lowers his head and Miss Freeland cries. Eventually, Billie Jo gets up and walks off stage. She thinks about how she and her father should see Doc Rice for her hands and for her father’s spots. Since that hasn’t happened yet, she worries that she and her father are “turning to dust.”
This is a terrible moment for Billie Jo, as she realizes what little talent she had left is gone. Miss Freeland’s reaction only makes matters worse because the last thing Billie Jo wants is to be pitied. After the graduation, Billie Jo feels like there is nothing left of her—she is turning to dust just like the world around her.
Themes
