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 dreams about how her piano is like her mother because it is always by her side. It never complains and consistently provides her with comfort. It is her support system, which she calls “the mirror with my mother’s eyes.”
Billie Jo’s dream is pleasant, though it also serves as a reminder that she has lost the two things she loves the most. Neither her mother nor the piano can support her in the waking world.