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100. Something Lost, Something Gained
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
On her way home, Billie Jo thinks about how leaving was worse than staying because of how lonely life became. She would rather be around her silent father and giant piles of dust.
This is a significant moment for Billie Jo’s character as it is a reversal of what she has told herself previously. Even before her mother’s death, she always dreamed of getting “out of the dust.” Now, she realizes that the dust is home, even if it’s inhospitable.
Themes
