Let's face it—we've all looked in the mirror or glanced at our surroundings and wished things were different, sometimes even way different. It can be so easy to focus on the negative things about who and where we are that we completely miss all the things we have to be thankful for.
This is exactly where Billie Jo finds herself throughout Out of the Dust. The bad things she goes through are too big and overwhelming for her to see the little things that matter so much. So for Billie Jo and her family to find contentment and happiness in a land wrought with loss and drought is really their greatest victory.
Questions About Dissatisfaction
- Where does Billie Jo's discontent toward home come from?
- What are some reasons why people leave the Panhandle throughout the story? How does this affect Billie Jo?
- How does Billie Jo's relationship with Mad Dog play a role in her dissatisfaction with life?
- How does Billie Jo's view of her circumstances change between the beginning and end of the story?
Chew on This
Billie Jo's desire to get "out of the dust" is rooted as much in her dissatisfaction with herself as in her dissatisfaction with her physical location.
Billie Jo's inability to see things from other people's points of view fuels her discontent with where she is.