How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Stanza)
Quote #1
Daddy named me Billie Jo. / He wanted a boy. / Instead, / he got a long-legged girl / with a wide mouth / and cheekbones like bicycle handles. (1.3)
The accident isn't the only thing Billie Jo feels guilty about in her relationship with her dad—her very identity causes her to feel that she let Daddy down by not being a boy. Rather than liking herself for who she is, she sees herself as a disappointment to him.
Quote #2
Daddy says, "Look it, Pol, who's the farmer? / You or me?" / Ma says, / "Who pays the bills?" / "No one right now," Daddy says. (21.8-10)
Even before the accident, blame is clearly a problem in this family. Ma accuses Daddy of stubbornly focusing on wheat rather than diversifying his crops and trying new farming techniques, while Daddy accuses her of not knowing what she's talking about.
Quote #3
"Billie Jo threw the pail," / they said. "An accident." / they said. / Under their words a finger pointed. (38.5)
Wow—way to give a teenager a guilt complex. Overhearing the women cleaning her house and talking about Billie Jo's role in the accident plays a big role in her inability to forgive herself for what happened to Ma.