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68. Dreams
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
Everyone from miles around comes to watch the music competition at the Palace Theatre. Billie Jo waits backstage with 16 other acts, all nervous and excited for the opportunity. The Hazel Hurd Players, a famous act that will headline the show, helps the children with their hair and makeup. They also give them helpful advice for the performance itself. Ivy Hurford, the leader of the Hazel Hurd Players, looks out at the audience and says she has never seen so many people in the Palace Theatre before. Packed in among the crowd is Billie Jo’s father, who came to watch after finishing his chores.
These community events are well-attended because they are rare and important to everyone involved. Even Billie Jo’s father—who rarely shows his face—comes to the Palace Theatre. Although it is great that the community is so supportive, it is also stressful for the performers because if they fail, they fail in front of everyone they know. This is especially true for Billie Jo, who is self-conscious about her hands and how people react to them.
Themes
When the show starts, the acts vary in quality, though all of the musical acts shine. Billie Jo performs just past the show’s halfway mark and plays “Bye, Bye, Blackbird.” She gets off to a shaky start but quickly settles in and puts on a great performance. For a moment, she even forgets the pain in her hands. The audience gives her a big round of applause when she finishes. In the end, she gets third place. Meanwhile, Mad Dog Craddock gets second, and a clarinet player named Ben Grover gets first.
This performance is a big moment for Billie Jo. It is the first time she has performed in front of a large group of people since her accident, and she does not know if she will be any good. Luckily, she manages to put on a performance that wins her a cash prize, which is good for her ego and her family’s finances.
Themes
After the show, some of the losers pout because they did not win. One girl even blames Billie Jo for her loss—saying she would have won if the judges had not taken pity on “a cripple.” However, Billie Jo is too overwhelmed by her victory—and the warm congratulations from the Hazel Hurd Players—to care. At the end of the night, the judges give Billie Jo’s father her prize money and ribbon because her hands hurt too much to hold them.
After the high of her performance, Billie Jo experiences the downside of her situation, although it doesn’t bother her in the moment. Her fellow contestant’s comment about her hands is a rare moment of cruelty in the novel. Meanwhile, Billie Jo’s inability to hold anything after playing the piano shows the toll the performance took on her.
Themes
