Out Of Dust Literary Analysis

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Hesse, in her book, “Out of Dust” highlights The Accident, a poem about a catastrophe that occurred during the Dust Bowl. This book is historical fiction, which is a story made up that is set in the past. Historical fiction can sometimes borrow real characteristics of a time period. Thus, in the beginning, Polly (Ma) and Bayard (Pa) were cultivating the crops again because the dust had blown them away. Then, Polly, who is also pregnant, gets burnt attempting to make coffee when her daughter, Billie Jo, throws fire out of the door. Finally, Polly and the unborn baby dies while she is giving birth to him. There was a horrendous accident that happened to Billie Jo and her Ma, Polly, which changed their family forever. According to Hesse, …show more content…

For instance, Ma had burns all over her body, which was so severe that no one could recognize her face. Simultaneously, Billie Jo and her Pa began going through a deep depression. As a result, Bayard used up all of the emergency money that he had found to go drink his troubles away. On the other hand, Billie Jo, attended to her mother’s needs, but felt awful because she thinks the accident was her fault. Consequently, “Ma died that day giving birth to my brother” (Hesse, 69). Afterwards, Bayard’s sister came to fetch the baby, but it was too late. “She came to bring my brother to Lubbock to raise as her own, but my brother died before Aunt Ellis got here” (Hesse, 70). Our female neighbors wrapped Ma and the baby in a blanket. Ma and the baby were buried together. Billie Jo named him Franklin, after the president. After the funeral, no one blamed Pa for putting the kerosene by the stove, nor did they mention Pa’s failure to help mom or use the emergency money for alcohol. Instead, they reminded each other that Billie Jo threw the pail of kerosene and that it was an accident. In summary, the entire family went through a great deal of unimaginable

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