Introduction
Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse is a literary work that has excelled in communicating various themes to represent a story and educate. Through the book, Hesse is seen advocating for family and its importance at a time when the cases of divorce had increased significantly in the United States. In addition to portraying it as an important unit in society, she communicates other major themes such as loss, grief, and environment. This paper aims to convey the ideas and themes shared by Karen Hesse in her literary work.
Discussion
The main themes in Out of the Dust include family, loss, forgiveness, and the environment. The author’s thematic messages communicate the power of the human spirit to endure as well as transcend the pain that accompanies tragedy and adversity (Hesse 7). Throughout the book, loss and grief are the predominant themes. Billie Jo and her father suffer several losses throughout this literary work by Hesse (Hesse 7). She loses her best friend, Livvie, when Livvie’s family shifts to California, away from the dust. Apart from that, she loses her mother, whom she greatly misses, and her newborn baby brother when they die. She cleans the dust and mud out of the house since her parent would have cleaned in case she was alive.
The author uses Billie Jo’s mother’s absence and regrets Billie Jo to show how important the family unit is to the lives of people. She used to enjoy certain activities with her mother, which she can no longer do. She has thoughts about talking to her mother concerning daily events, but then “she remembers” that she is dead (Hesse 6). Individuals are blaming Billie Jo for her mother’s death, which results in her losing self-respect and blaming herself. The author carefully uses every point of this character’s life in the book to communicate the theme of loss and grief. Most times, an author can settle for different characters in a story to express an idea. Even if this is helpful, it could be challenging for someone attentive enough to grasp how a message is delivered to the reader (Alexander and Connie 54). Using a single being, allows Hesse to highlight various ways loss happens and the impact.
Billie Jo’s hands are burned badly due to an accident that killed her mother, which is the source of her grief. The author introduces the reader to the possibility that Billie Jo’s grief might last longer. This is clear as it is stated that her hands are scarred after trying to stop the flames from burning her mother. Normally, after experiencing such burns, there are marks left on someone’s body. In the case of Billie, it is her hands that will serve as a daily reminder of what happened. The reader is made to understand that some problems happening in life might have a long-lasting effect on someone’s life. This is the reason that the author mentions that Billie Jo regrets not doing certain activities with her dead mother. Additionally, before her mother’s demise, she used to be known for her brilliance in playing piano. According to Hesse (9), after the occurrence, people view her as a “poor motherless thing.” This is a label that she is forced to carry for the rest of her life.
In addition to representing the themes of loss and grief through Billie Jo’s character, the author shows the importance of expressing another minor theme such as anger, which may help in giving a complete understanding of the story. It is normal that when someone is grieving, another emotion that they may feel is anger. Hesse (10) states that Billie Jo experiences the same and states that “I am so filled with bitterness…from the absence of Ma.” She knows that she is motherless and blames the situation on herself and her father. She is angry since the latter has distanced himself from her. Additionally, while trying to save her mother from fire, she lost her ability to play piano, which was her way out of the Dust Bowl. As she works through her new norm, she starts to accept what happened, which is the beginning of healing. Most of the time, when people undergo difficult circumstances that affect them psychologically, specialists track progress by determining if the victims are finally accepting what occurred (Mason et al. 151). The benefit of this is that other emotions and blame cease to exist in their hearts.
Billie Jo soon understands that the reason behind her father’s distancing himself from her is that he was grieving as well. To manage the pain, he endured at the time, he had to go to a bar while his wife was bedridden. After she starts healing from grief, she is at a point to comprehend that her father did the best he could at the moment. Additionally, despite overwhelming losses, Billie Jo forgives herself and her father. The latter can forgive himself, too (Hesse 11). The author has used these experiences to show the importance of merging two different fields, that is, literature and psychology. The two characters lose much when a woman and a newborn baby die. Their first response to the situation is to blame themselves and others due to anger and regret (Greenglass et al. 239). However, after they can manage the situation better and think, they receive emotional and mental healing.
Another major theme expressed in the book is family through Billie Jo’s family. Hesse (11) suggests that the family changes drastically by stating “…in just a couple months after the baby is born, those apples will be ready…” Despite this, they continue to conduct normal activities, which include her father farming and mother cooking, baking, and ensuring that Billie Jo completes her homework. After the tragedy, there is a great void in her and her father’s lives. They sit across from each other in the house in a manner they seem like strangers. The author explains that they are a family but one that is undergoing transition. The previous one consisting of Billie Jo’s mother and the newborn baby, is no longer in existence. When Billie Jo returns home after escaping, she talks with her father. They recognize that they are connected rather than divided by the accident. Therefore, they redefine their association and family and ultimately become comfortable with one another. Soon, they add Louise to the family as she is engaged to Billie Jo’s father.
The author has utilized the above-mentioned instances to explain the unit called family. It is difficult in times of trouble to understand each other since everyone is trying to deal with the present issues (French et al. 284). However, although it may seem difficult to connect while everyone is coping with their losses and grief in their unique ways, family members will likely reunite (Nugent 68). It is a unit that provides more than safety, as the connection to a specific problem brings togetherness since all are suffering from the same occurrence.
The third major theme is the environment and the impact of the surroundings on the people residing in the Dust Bowl. The drought that happens in the place and dust storms result in poverty since the conditions destroy wheat crops. In turn, the poor financial situation of the people decreases their morale and leaves them depressed. Living in the area under the circumstances creates tremendous hardships for everyone. The animals die, for there is nothing they can eat or drink, and dust and dirt exist everywhere. According to Hesse (15), the main character’s father shows a sense of humor and comments, “The potatoes were peppered plenty.” In this case, he is trying to turn a difficult situation into laughter or providing hope, as the dust is the pepper in his joke. Billie Jo exhibits fear as she does not understand how they are going to live without food.
People in the Dust Bowl are nevertheless able to live there, farm, and find happiness despite all of this. The author illustrates sadness as part of life and the joy that people can have when the suffering is gone when they can forgive, and when they are surrounded by loved ones (Schwedt and Janice 2). By utilizing the setting of the Dust Bowl, the author desires that the reader appreciate their current environment.
Conclusion
The paper has communicated the ideas and themes shared by Karen Hesse in her literary work that can be applied to any society. For instance, the family unit becomes a major theme in the story after a tragedy happens. Billie Jo’s mother and newborn brother die after an accident, which leaves her and her father in a difficult state, both mentally and emotionally. Although they initially choose to deal with their issues separately, they find healing when they unite at such a difficult time.
Works Cited
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Greenglass, Esther R., Lisa Fiksenbaum, and Ronald J. Burke. “The relationship between social support and burnout over time in teachers.” Occupational Stress. CRC Press, 2020, p. 239-248. Web.
Hesse, Karen. Out of the Dust (Scholastic Gold). Scholastic Inc., 2012. Web.
Mason, Tina M., Cindy S. Tofthagen, and Harleah G. Buck. “Complicated grief: risk factors, protective factors, and interventions.” Journal of social work in end-of-life & palliative care, vol. 16, no. 2, 2020, p. 151–174. Web.
Nugent, Connie. “The Dust Bowl.” The Southwest Respiratory and Critical Care Chronicles, vol. 6, no. 22, 2018, p. 68-69. Web.
Schwedt, Rachel, and Janice A. DeLong. “Out of the Dust (Revised)”, 2021, p. 1-3. Web.