Like the Oklahoma dust bowl from which she came, 14-year-old narrator Billie Jo writes in sparse, free-floating verse. In this compelling, immediate journal, Billie Jo reveals the grim domestic realities of living during the years of constant dust storms: That hopes--like the crops--blow away in the night like skittering tumbleweeds. That trucks, tractors, even Billie Jo's beloved piano, can suddenly be buried beneath drifts of dust. Perhaps swallowing all that grit is what gives Billie Jo--our strong, endearing, rough-cut heroine--the stoic courage to face the death of her mother after a hideous accident that also leaves her piano-playing hands in pain and permanently scarred.
Meanwhile, Billie Jo's silent, windblown father is literally decaying with grief and skin cancer before her very eyes. When she decides to flee the lingering ghosts and dust of her homestead and jump a train west, she discovers a simple but profound truth about herself and her plight.
After reading the short description of the book and looking at the cover, comment below about your thoughts before reading the book. What have you learned about the Great Depression so far that you see is similar with this book?
ReplyDeleteI noticed that the Dust Bowl is going on the same time as the Great Depression, and people are in desperate need of food, and shelter. It hasn't rained in awhile and farmers cant grow food. The thing that keeps hope, though is music.
DeleteMy thoughts before reading the book was that the book was going to be about a girl named Billy Joe. She would be in the dust bowl, during the Great Depression. I learned that during the Great Depression, the dust bowl occurred and farmers lost all of their crops. In Out of the Dust, the same thing happened to Billy Joe's family. Also, people didn't have a lot of food to live off of. In Out of the Dust, it is the same thing with Billy Joe's family.
DeleteI think that the main thing that keeps her going is music. Even though her life hardships are difficult she will cling to the good things. So hopefully make it though the difficult time of the the great depression. I realized that the great depression was kind if caused by the dust because farmers could not go crops. That means that there wasn't very much crops so the farmers weren't making any money. But they still had to pay the same amount of money so they were forced off there farm. So at that point they only had very little to eat which is the state Billy Jo is at in this point of the story
DeleteI think that the Dust bowl is effecting farmers because the dust ruins the crops. When this happened many were starving and were doing anything for food.Billie Jo father wanted a boy but now her mom is pregnant and hopefully for the father it will be a boy.At first since the father was not satisfied with a girl I thought that this family was not to nice,but after I saw that even though they were sort on supply, they donated to people in need. So at the end they are a very giving and generous family.
DeleteMy thoughts before reading the book was that it was going to be during the dust bowl. The main character or the person it was going to be about was a girl named Billy Jo. I think that even thought her life is hard she likes to hold onto good memories and work on her talent, playing the piano.
DeleteI see that the dust bowl is ruining her family, and there money and crops. I think she will have to find a way to make money and survive the dust bowl. With it being the great depression it will be hard to make money. I think that she will make hope through music.
DeleteI can see that the dust bowl is going on during the book and ruining her family in some way. The great depression is happening too. I think that music and playing the piano are the best things in her life when her family turned inside out because of the dust. I have a felling that she will find a way to make hope.
DeleteAfter reading pages 1-12 tell me about what you have read so far. What characters have you met and what challenges are they facing during The Dust Bowl and The Great Depression.
ReplyDeleteWhy do you think the author wrote this story this way- in this form.
During pages 1-12, I met Billy Joe, her father, her mother, Mr. Noble, Mr. Romney, Billy Joe's friend Livie, Arley Wanderdale, and Mad Dog. Billy Joe's family's crops are dead from the dust bowl. The family doesn't have much food to live off of. Billy Joe's mother is pregnant again.
DeleteIn, Out of the Dust Billie Jo's best friend moved away. Billie Jo's dad also wished she were a boy to help out on the farm, but Billie Jo can handle anywhere he puts her. These are the challenges so far that Billie Jo has to face.
DeleteBillie Jo is a skinny girl and love the piano.The piano is her way of expressing herself and get her anger out. Her father wanted her to be a boy,but her mother is pregnant. Her very close friend, Livie moved away.The neighbors do unnecessary thing like wager about who can kill the most rabbits.I thing Billie Jo is a very talented girl with a strong personality.
DeleteI think the author wrote this book in a poem way that it stops mid sentence and goes to the next line because the author wants the reader to really stop and think and feel the way the character is feeling and comprehend the details.
In the first twelve pages of the book I have been introduced to the characters Billy Jo, her father, her mother, her friend Livie Killian, Mad Dog, Arley Wanderdale, Mr. Noble, Mr. Rommney, Ray, and Hillary.
DeleteI've also learned a lot about Billy Jo. She is a narrow hipped, long-legged, freckle faced girl who loves Apples and her only solace from her hard life is playing the Piano.
Her dad wanted her to be a boy but she wasn't. Her mother is pregnant with a baby. Her close friend livie moved away, There money is scarce and the great depression is not making things better!
DeleteSo far Billie Joe tells about her life so far and then says that Arley asked her to play a piano solo at the Palace Theater. Then she tells the reader how she got Ma to give her permission to play.I met Billie Joe, Daddy, Ma, Mr. Noble, Mr. Romney, Livie, Mad Dog, and Arley. I think the main problems the characters are facing are hunger, no crops, and not much money. To me, the author chose poetry to write this story because it can make you feel the pain and the problems with little words.
DeleteDoes her dad wanting her to be a boy make her feel upset? If her friend didn't move away would it affect the story, how?
DeleteIn the book (pages 1-2) Billy J hasn't won her father approval. Her best friend livie movie away to California. Her mother is pregnant with a second child when their food supplies are already funneling down to the last of it. All in the midst of the Dust Bowl and the Great depression
ReplyDeleteI think the author wrote this way because they wanted certain words to stand out in a page.
Describe the internal and external conflicts Billie Jo is going through. What external things are effecting her life negatively?
ReplyDeleteI think some internal conflicts that Billy Joe are going through are that her father wanted a boy instead of a girl. I think Billy Joe could be arguing with herself, whether or not her father is fully accepting her. Another internal conflict is her playing the piano. I think she is wondering whether her mother is jealous, doesn't want her going somewhere with music, or music taking her somewhere far one day and Billy Joe will never come home. One major external conflict that is effecting Billy Joe negatively is the Dust Bowl. Her family is failing to make money off their crops. Billy Joe's parents are struggling to provide for their family.
DeleteI think that her ma not letting her play piano either because her mother doesn't want her to become good enough to go on tour, or she is just plain jealous. It also might be not being able to earn her fathers respect. Also having her best friend move away almost broke her in the inside.I think the dust bowl and the great depression is making her physically hurt. Mostly because she doesn't have enough to eat and she might be inhaling lots of dust. I also think that she is being effected by the fights between her parents makes her feel uncomfortable.
DeleteI think that an internal struggle for her would be trying to please her father even though she is not a boy, and not being able to satisfy her love for playing the piano. Externally, she is facing hunger, her friend moving away,and having little money to spend. Worse she knows that the dust will come to her small house really soon.
DeleteI agree with you Julianne because I would fell soo lonely and unloved if my parents were unsatisfied with me.
DeleteI like the way that you presented the answer, and I agree with you. I also liked the way you talked about the dust coming to there house and how Billie Jo thought about it.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteI like the way you focused on Billy Jo's more personal struggles/fears, and I agree with you. I also liked how you included how Billy Jo felt about the dust bowl itself.
DeleteBillie Jo is internally being pushed to her limits by no rain for the crops for her family, and not being to play piano at concerts. Billie Jo is hoping her dad will get his boy when the time comes, to. Externally her family is running out of food, and to make matters worse the dust is starting to come back to there tiny home.
ReplyDeleteAlexa, I like what you said about Billy Joe internally being pushed to her limits. But another internal conflict to think about is Billy Joe's father wanting a boy, instead of a girl. As said in the book, by the time Billy Joe turned 9, her father had given up about getting a boy and tried making Billy Joe do. I think the conflict that Billy Joe could be going through is wondering whether or not her father has fully accepted her. She might also think she is not good enough for him
DeleteAlexa- I agree that Billie Joe has an internal conflict of her dad wanting a boy, something that she is not. I like how you said that she was being pushed to her limits with conflicts too. Do you think that that there is no rain for the crops is an internal and external conflict?
DeleteAlexa... I agree that her family might starve but externally you did not acknowledge her social life (Livie, Arley, Etc.)
DeleteAlexa I think that your right about Billie Jo's limits. And I want to add the fact he even though her family is starving and their lives are at stake. They still are donating and giving as much as they can. That proves that they are a very generous family.
Deletewho is the main character
DeleteExternal: Ma is carrying a baby and this could make her moody thus explaining partway why Ma is being very strict about piano. The dust bowl is affecting her diet as growing crops is almost impossible and it is hurting her family economy. Internal: With Livie moving away, Ma taking away her favorite hobby and Pa always wanted a boy she could most likely feel lonely and unloved.
ReplyDeleteI like your answer to the question, and I agree with you, but don't forget to do question format. I like that you added the part about the baby on the way to set the mood and explaining how its affecting everyone else to.
DeleteI agree with you that ma is being moody because of the baby. I also agree that the dust bowl is thoroughly effecting her diet, she has to chew milk!
DeleteOne of the most prominent conflicts Billy Jo is going through is the dust bowl. This conflict is both external and internal. On one hand she has the dust bowl in general, which is also a external that is affecting her life negatively. The dust bowl is affecting her externally by destroying all the crops. Her father is a farmer and he needs those crops to sell and make a profit. With the money from the crops, he could provide for his family. Without those crops, Billy Jo's family doesn't have enough to heat, clothes that don't have holes in them, and overall a nice lifestyle. Internally the dust bowl makes Billy Jo worry about her mothers unborn child. She worry's that her little brother/sister will have to live with the dust bowl and great depression.
ReplyDeleteCassel could you imagine knowing that you will probably not eat tonight. Also having the burden that your sibling will have to be born during the Dust Bowl and might not even be born healthy or without enough food.
DeleteCassel... I would like to add on about her internal conflict as I found that hunger, Livie, and piano were all internal.
DeleteI think some of the external conflicts Billie Joe is going through are her dad wanted a boy but he got a girl, I think she feels like a burden too her family because she is not a boy. The great depression is hurting her life too, with a baby coming she worries if it will survive the great depression and have a good life. Other bad impacts the great depression is having on her are the amount of money they have, scarce food and the dust bowl(destroying there crops)
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about being a burden to her family. However I am not sure that she is worrying about the baby being born, I believe that she is more worried about Ma because many women died giving birth. I think you could add something about how the dust storms are getting sand and dirt inside the house and they are inhaling a lot of dust.
DeleteReplying to... Sam B.
Billie Jo must feel neglected knowing her father wanted her to be a boy. Now that her best friend is gone she must feel lonely when she goes to school. The dust bowl has now a cured and her families crops are ruined leaving them starving. This terrible outcome must make Billie Jo feel hopeless because the dust is ruining everything,and she cant do anything about it.All these negative events and thoughts are Billie Jos' conflict right now.
ReplyDeleteRaania I agree with you. I liked how you put all the problems in the answer, but how did you separate the internal and external conflicts?
DeleteI agree that the dust bowl is making her feel hopeless, but I don't think her losing her friend isn't the biggest conflict right then. I don't think that starving is a very big problem, I know this because if they have enough money for a birthday cake there is enough to live resonably
DeleteRaania, I agree with the internal conflict of her feeling neglected, but another thing to think about is her mother's feelings against her playing the piano. Billy Joe is probably wondering what her mother's problem is with her playing the piano. Whether it's jealousy, her mother is afraid that music will take Billy Joe somewhere where her mother can't follow, or if her mother is worried music will take her somewhere far away and Billy Joe will never come home.
DeleteIf you feel comfortable share your poem here. If not share it with the group and discuss during this time. Share why you wrote it the way you did and what tone you were trying to set.
ReplyDeleteI look into the catchers glove
ReplyDeleteFocus
I feel the sharp laces
of the baseball.
I wind up and,
Throw.
it shoots out like a cannon.
Buzzing past the batter,
strike two.
As I look at the score,
Pressure crashes down on me.
Focus,
I lock my eyes,
on my target.
I wind up,
Throw
faster than ever
Strike three, out.
We win!
I wrote it the way I did to show the pressure and importance of each second.
ReplyDeleteThe
ReplyDeletebat
sliced the air
to hit its mark, like
a arrow hitting the bull's-eye.
The softball
bounces off the bat like
a bouncy ball bouncing
off a wood floor.
The softball flies
through the
air. Dancing to the hole in the
out fielders.
I wanted my poem to feel like it was from the batters point of view. I also wanted the poem to feel like it had suspense.
Does this have an ending to it? Could it have and ending to it?
DeleteIn the early hours
ReplyDeletethe sun peeps above the trees
Ma yells
for meh to get up and eat breakfast.
I stumble downstairs
and slather my pancakes
with butter and syrup
As I scurf it down
I do my homework
and wait for ma to
tell me to go brush
my teeth and hair
ant then we leave.
Dust
ReplyDeleteThe wind stirs the dust
Like a bear waking
From a long winter sleep
The wind stirs the dust
Like a music box ballerina
Pirouetting endlessly
The wind stirs the dust
Like mini whirlpools
Whirling, twirling
The wind stirs the dust
Creating dust clouds
In its wake
Moving closer
And closer
To home
I wrote it this way to make the poem feel more dramatic. Like it was building up in some way. The tone I was trying to set was mystery and a little dramatic like at the end.
The First Snow
ReplyDeleteLooking through the window,
my breath fogging the glass pane,
I wait.
Waiting for that first white flake
to dance down
from the sky,
gracefully,
until it makes its way down
to the ground.
Then,
more,
and more,
just as graceful and white,
different shapes,
and patterns,
dance across the sky
to come down,
making a pure white blanket,
covering
the wintery ground.
That is what I call
The First Snow.
I wrote my poem the way I did because I wanted pauses so people reading my poem could picture exactly what is happening. The tone I was trying set was a graceful setting while snow was falling.
What has happened in the book? Do you like this book so far? Is it like the great depression or is it different? Do you know anything about the dust ball so far?
DeleteThe cloud drops it,
ReplyDeleteone,
by one,
turning the concrete,
to a moist,
dark floor,
The instant of the water,
from such high up,
blinds the eyes of us,
making everyone,
put up the umbrellas,
close the doors,
And stop the fun
For instead of a sunny day,
they get gloominess,
and moist,
their clothes are ruined,,
putting on rain shoes
As they wait for it to end,
the plants are rejoicing,
for this is there water,
there way to survive,
a chance to grow,
Though we dislike rain ,
the plants are thankful,
or else they can't do there job
Art
ReplyDeleteAs my
Pen
Touches my
Paper
My brain
Stimulates
As I
Think about what to
Draw
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletePage 55-69.
ReplyDeleteThis section is very emotional. Comment first about your own thoughts about the reading, then look at what others have said and responds. Concentrate on the wording the author uses and how it helps to convey her tone.
I thought that this section of the book was very sad for Billie Jo and for Billie Jo's father. First, Billy Jo and her mother are burnt by fire and her mother got burnt badly. Then, Billie Jo's mother's apple trees' apples have been eaten by grasshoppers. Finally her mother died giving birth to the baby. I think Billie Jo might be thinking about how she is going to survive without her mother. Her mother was a great person for Billie Jo. Even though Billie Jo's father got his boy, he was out drinking while this happened.
DeleteThe wording the author used mad me think that the tone was sad and depressed. Some words the author used to show this were groaning, moans, cried, pain, and stung with pain.
I thought that this was very sad and lonely, because the mom had died and Billie Jo and the mom got burned bad. The mom was put out of her pain, but Billie Jo still has to live with the bad burns on her hands all because she tried to save the house. Although, Pa got his boy after all. All while he was out drinking. On top of that, as Ma died Grasshoppers ate all her apples on the apple trees.
DeleteThe wording made me feel the tone was gloomy and depressed, because there were words like, "sickly with pain." And, "stung with pain."
I agree with you Elizabeth. It was really sad for Billie JO and her father. I like how you summarized all the bad things that happened. I also wonder how Billie Jo will survive without her mom since she was such a great person to her.
DeleteAlexa, I agree that the words "sickly with pain" and "stung with pain" definitely show and support your tone. But some more words that could have also described and supported your tone are groaning, moans, cried, pain, and stung with pain.
DeleteThe tone the author is trying to set is a tense but sad tone. When Ma got flames on her it was very tense.(will she live or not, will the baby survive)After she gets burned it is a very sad part, Ma can hardly drink and is in a world of pain. The dad goes and gets drunk. At the end When ma dies it doesn't say much about, At least she got a brother.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about the tense tone I wish I had added that in my answer. I disagree with you about the brother I think that the brother will not live because of the injuries ma had before she gave birth.
DeleteThis section really made me feel that now and days It a blessing to have a child but back then if you have a child medicine was rare so you are most likely to die and maybe even your child. Although this is sad I'm sure Pa is happy to finally have a son who can help in the fields. Because the way the author showed Pa gratitude with that boy helping. He must want one of his own. I'm really like the authors style of making every thing seem so hack tick because this must be very scary for her. She must not know what to do.
ReplyDeleteGood response, I would add something about the tone...
DeleteI would also add something about how the dad goes out and gets drunk
I think that Billy Jo's dad is being so sad about her mother dieing that he wants to just forget about all together. So I don't think he was being mean I think he was just so devastated. I think the tone that the author was trying to set was a mix of shock and gloominess and that is exactly how I feel.
ReplyDeleteI agree Isaiah, but it has not said yet how the father feels. But I like how your connecting with Billie Jos feeling and yours.
DeleteI like how you introduced the answer to the question, but I think you should add the part about the Grasshoppers eating ma's apple trees when she died.
DeleteI agree with Isaiah but we may not know as PA got his baby boy so he could be feeling mixed emotions of joy and depression.
DeleteThe tone the author is trying to express is the amount of pressure and concern that Billie Jo must feel. Because her father is out drinking and her mother is in soo much pain. And she doesn't know what to do. And who know if she or the baby will survive or not.
ReplyDeleteWhen I read the part about the description of Billie Jo's hands I felt really sad for her and frankly, a little grossed out. Then when Billie Jo's mother was burned badly the description of her made me feel so bad for her. I was angry at Daddy for going out to drink while Ma and Billie Jo were hurt. And at the last line of the last poem when Ma died I was surprised at how quickly it happened. When I finished the section I thought that if Daddy hadn't put kerosene next to the stove nothing bad would have happened.
ReplyDeleteI think that the wording the author uses conveys the tone of tremendous sadness by using simple wording that really shows sadness. She also made everything around the family sad like with the locusts and the apple trees.
The events that happen are very morbid and descriptive, which gives you a sense of what the depression was like.
ReplyDeleteBetween starvation and death I believe the author was trying to express how normal life was during the depression.
I think the Apple trees symbolise Billy Jo and her mothers hope that things will get better. Billy Jo's mother has been nursing the apple trees for as long as she can remember, and after her fathers crops being ruined by the dust, the apple trees were the only thing that had survived.
ReplyDeleteThe apple trees are one of the only things that she and her mother could relate too. After her mother got burned, Billy Jo has felt that she couldn't recognize her mother anymore. The devouring of the apples symbolized the final connection between Billy Jo and her mother being eaten away to nothing. It also symbolises Billy Jo's hope getting devoured. And to make things worse, her mother died giving birth to her brother before she could even tell her.
I really like how you described your Question and how specific you were.
DeletePages 123-149
ReplyDeleteLook at page 139 and its' poem. Tell me what this poem and description means to you. What connections can you make?
Pg. 128- says "at ease with myself". What you do think this means?
Work to answer the questions and then respond to at least one other person.
This poem to me means that there is still hope to find another mom, because it sounds like the dad wants to be around those women and Billie Jo is ok with it because they bring food.
ReplyDeleteI think "at ease with myself" means that Billie Jo wants to feel ok with who she is, and be comfortable with who she is and how she does things.
Alexa, I agree that Billy Jo is feeling that there is hope to find another mom with all these women around her father. But, another thing to think about is that Billy Jo also might not feel comfortable with the women coming over to her house with food. My reason being, she might feel uncomfortable that her father is just going to 'move on' after so much loss in the family. But overall, I 100% agree with your answer. Great Job!!!
DeleteI think that this poem means that Billy Jo could be having some mixed emotions. 1. being that she is probably happy that she is getting out of her chores because of her hands. 2. being that she might feel uncomfortable at the same time because of her father spending so much time with the ladies. I think she might feel as if her dad is going to just 'move on' after so much loss in the family. One connection I can make with Billy Jo is her 'happiness' in the women coming over. Personally, I really like it when people come over because I get out of my chores for a little bit. It's not usually cooking, but other chores.
ReplyDeleteI think "at ease with myself" means that Billy Jo just wants to be happy with the way she is and does things. I think she also wants to prove that she can still do something like playing the piano without people thinking "poor thing", or "she plays like a cripple."
Elizabeth, I really like that you talk about his father 'moving on'. And described what Billie Jo is felling and what his father is feeling.
DeleteElizabeth, I agree with what you said about her being upset/uncomfortable because she feels like her dad is just moving on after her mothers death, but I don't think that she's happy just because she gets to get out of doing chores.
DeleteThis poem means maybe that Pa is looking for another wife and a mom for Billie Jo. If I were Pa I would feel the need to get a Mom for Billie Jo because he has no relationship with her, leaving her by herself.
ReplyDeleteWhen she says at ease with myself it means comfortable with herself and allow the fact that her hands are burnt and that she is more then that and she,and everyone should look past her hands.
I agree, and would like to add to Raania's post as on page 139 it says "But I do mind his spending time with all those
Deletebiddies.". This shows that Bille Jo is not comfortable with Pa spending time with other women.
I agree, but with everything her father has done i'm not so sure he wants to get a wife for her good, other than that its great.
DeleteI feel that Bille Jo thinks she should be at ease with the fact that Pa wants to move on with other women but she almost thinks as if Pa is trying to replace Ma by hanging out with other women.
ReplyDeleteShe doesn't feel like she is playing as well as she could be and she wants to prove to herself she can still play.
I agree with you that she wants to prove that she can still play the piano. When she says she feels "at ease", I think it shows that she is comfortable with how she is playing. She learned you just have to accept yourself where you are and keep trying to get better.
DeleteI think that this poem describes two feelings that she is having about her father hanging out with all of these women. For starters, she likes getting out of chores mainly because of her scarred hands hurting when she does the dishes and cooks. On the other hand she doesn't want her father to hang out with other women, because she's not ready to move on from her mother, and she doesn't think that her father is either. I think she also kind of thinks that these women are a distraction from her mothers death.
ReplyDeleteOn page 128, when it says "at ease with myself", I think that Billy Jo was talking about how, when others would finally be at ease with her and accept her and her scarred hands, she could finally accept herself for who she really is.
This poem means seems like billy jo is hoping for another mother but she nows it couldn't be like her old mother. At ease with myself, means she's fine and she is not going to get mad at herself.
ReplyDeleteThats me.
ReplyDeleteThe poem on page 139 describes how Billie Jo doesn't want Ma to be replaced by the people at night school. She appreciates that they bring food because then she doesn't have to cook with her blistered hands, but it means more to her that Ma is not replaced. I have a connection to this because there are times when I want something small, but it might cause another outcome that is more important to me. When I drive to soccer sometimes I want to stop to eat, but if we do I feel stressed out about being late to the game. It's not worth it to stop, just for a snack.
ReplyDeleteOn page 128, when it says, "at ease with myself", it means that Billie Jo doesn't have any conflicts in her thought at that time. She feels like she is good enough even though her hands are scarred.