Home is a complicated word for Billie Jo in Out of the Dust, and even before Ma dies, she feels out of place on her family's farm, wanting something more than life in the Panhandle can give her. Her mother's absence basically shatters what little notion of home she had, intensifying her desire to get away.
This doesn't just apply to Billie Jo's physical house, but the environment inside it, as she and Daddy have a harder time communicating than they ever have before. Often in life it takes getting away from places we know very well for us to see them in a clearer light, and the same can be said for Billie Jo's journey out of Oklahoma, which helps her recognize how deeply her home is ingrained in her—and how much she'd like it to stay that way.
Questions About The Home
- Why does Billie Jo want to leave home so badly? How do her reasons change throughout the story?
- In what ways is the meaning of home tied to Ma for Billie Jo?
- How do the dust storms outside the home parallel the grief and conflict inside it?
- How does getting away from home help Billie Jo see it different?
Chew on This
Without losing Ma, Billie Jo never would have discovered the true meaning of home.
While Billie Jo blames Daddy for the state of their home after Ma dies, she is equally culpable.