Out of the Dust Poverty Quotes

As ridiculous as the rabbit battle is, Billie Jo takes heart in knowing that there are positive outcomes to the rivalry. Families who have been struggling to fill their cupboards can have meat, which is probably a really big deal for people having trouble getting by.

This might look like a huge act of selflessness, but it's also terribly sad. Because Livie's going away to California—and facing a very uncertain future—there's no point in her going home with everyone else to study. Instead she stays behind to clean up. It's a painful reminder that because of her family's condition, education will probably be an inconsistent part of her childhood from this point forward.

A great thing about Out of the Dust is all the ways Hesse adds historical detail to the story. In particular, we get a lot of glimpses of the government's extensive efforts to restore the people living in the Dust Bowl from poverty. Seeing the characters interact with these real-life recovery plans makes the story that much more authentic.

It goes without saying that being pregnant with five babies at the same time probably isn't at the top of most women's bucket lists, but Ma's heartbreaking reaction to the news story of the Dionne quintuplets reveals how dire the family's position really is. Having a baby in the midst of extreme poverty and the dust's destruction of the land is clearly a heavy burden for her, and the idea of having five in her position is too much to bear.

The "wild boy of the road" is another case where a minor character drifts into the story to reveal something about the harshness of life in the Depression. Like Livie's brother, this boy has been forced to leave his family to find work to support them. The book gradually builds a portrayal of poverty's ability to rip apart families, on top of its other hardships.

Miss Freeland speculates that the Dust Bowl region's poverty, though made worse by the Depression, was the product of greed and pride—the desire for profit became greater than the need to farm efficiently, and as a result, their soil and livelihood are now damaged. Like the United States before the Depression, good, profitable times can easily descend into harsh conditions.

For these kids, having a real meal is like hitting the jackpot. The government's provisions of canned meat, rice, and potatoes, plus local donations of bread and milk, might seem pretty meager, but the children's excitement demonstrates what a delicacy these foods are for them.

What the Williams family does is technically illegal and Miss Freeland has the right to bring in the sheriff, but instead she chooses to see moving into her classroom as an act of desperation, and not only allows them to stay, but shows them kindness.

The thousand pounds of sugar Sheriff Robertson finds in the still and his decision to have Miss Freeland bake up a storm for the kids is another example of bad circumstances resulting in something good. The still, like the rabbit battles, is an unfortunate byproduct of the Dust Bowl's impoverished circumstances. Nonetheless, people in need receive food and treats as a result, transforming negative actions into positive outcomes.

During the 1930s, many photographers came to the Dust Bowl to capture its devastation on the lives of local people. The Farm Security Administration wanted to comprehensively document their lives to create awareness about how bad the conditions really were. While these photographs are now valuable primary historical sources, it's easy to see how Billie Jo could imagine photography exploiting the Panhandle's people.