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 thinks about how dinosaurs used to roam Cimarron County, where she lives. She imagines what it would be like if they still existed in the modern day and imagines Joe De La Flor herding them rather than cattle. Nearby, some paleontologists are digging up dinosaur bones, and Billie Jo asks her father if they can go look at the dig site. However, her father tells her no, so they stay home.
Even though she dreams of escaping it, Billie Jo is interested in the history of the region where she has spent her life. Unfortunately, her father does not care about encouraging this interest, so she does not get a chance to see the dinosaur bones.
Themes
