Module 3: Poetry - OUT OF THE DUST

BIBLIOGRAPHIC DATA:

Hesse, Karen. 1997. OUT OF THE DUST. New York: Scholastic Press. ISBN 0590360809

PLOT SUMMARY:

What would life have been like for a girl in her early teenage years on her family’s farm in the Oklahoma dust bowl during the Great Depression? This verse novel exposes both the expected hardships and the unexpected tragedies through a series of haunting and emotionally charged poems written from the perspective of fourteen-year-old Billie Jo. With almost constant dust storms brewing, Billie Jo’s family has little hope for their wheat crops and desperately struggles to make ends meet. When a tragic accident takes the life of her pregnant mother and unborn baby brother, Billie Jo and her father find life on the farm almost unbearable. There is hope in the end as the devastated father and daughter find a way to reconnect and reclaim their happiness.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS:

Billie Jo’s character is profoundly important to the heart of this story. All of the poems are written from her point of view, and readers will easily identify and sympathize with her simple yet powerful language. Readers will instantly like Billie Jo for her honesty, passion, and bravery, and her positive qualities will draw readers further into each successive poem.

The tragic yet realistic plot of this story will undoubtedly create a powerfully emotional reaction in readers. From dealing with the devastation of drought and frequent dust storms to feelings of guilt revolving around the horrific accident that kills her mother and unborn brother, Billie Jo’s early teenage years prove to be extremely difficult. Billie Jo cannot even find comfort in her true passion, playing the piano, because of the terrible burns she suffered from the flames that took her pregnant mother from her. Inevitably, Billie Jo reaches a breaking point and runs away from her family’s farm, leaving her grieving and distant father alone. Billie Jo’s adventure leads her to conclude that there is no better alternative to the life she had, and she returns home to discover that her father has a new woman in his life. While adjusting to all of life’s changes, Billie Jo and her father begin the process of healing, forgiving, reconnecting, and finding happiness in the aftermath of their terrible circumstances. Each individual poem carries the plot further along, and readers are left with the complete picture of the narrative at the end.

Billie Jo’s tragic story takes place in the Oklahoma dust bowl during the years of the Great Depression. The setting plays an enormous role in the story, and the drought and dust even feel like tangible characters themselves at times. Hesse successfully delivers a harsh yet accurate look at the life of a farmer and his family during this difficult time period.

An underlying theme delivered in the poems is the importance of maintaining hope. Billie Jo’s father never gives up on his farm, and Billie Jo finds some of her father’s perseverance in herself despite the bleakness of her situation. Readers will be encouraged by her ability to look ahead with hope and strength.

Hesse’s incredible style uses concise, simple language to pack a powerful emotional punch. The choice to relate the story through a series of poems enhances the depth of the tale and exposes Billie Jo’s feelings more openly than writing a traditional novel would have.

The poems are free verse poems, allowing the rhythm of the poems to feel very natural and conversational. Hesse’s careful arrangement of lines and spaces emphasizes certain words and phrases, enhancing the emotional quality of the language used. The word choice, rhythm, and emotional imagery combine to leave readers feeling as though they are right there in Oklahoma with Billie Jo. The poem “Midnight Truth” offers a good example of the amazing combination of these elements in its second stanza: “I could’ve loved her better. / She could’ve loved me, too. / But she’s rock and dust and wind now, / she’s carved stone, / she’s holding my stone brother.”

While the book is the length of a typical novel, the individual poems are fairly concise. Readers will be pleasantly surprised by the amount of emotion and thought-provoking substance Hesse is able to pack into such few words. The content of this story is aimed at middle school students and up, and even adults will appreciate this emotional story. This verse novel would make a great addition to any young adult collection, and this story has the potential to popularize poetry among young adults. After reading OUT OF THE DUST, I am certainly looking forward to reading more of Karen Hesse’s verse novels.

REVIEW EXCERPTS:

From BOOK REPORT (November/December 1997):
“While billed as a novel and clearly a narrative, the entire book is formatted in prose-like free verse poetry structure, which enhances the accessibility, the clarity, and haunting nature of its storyline. Targeted toward junior high students, the book would be a wonderful addition to any supplemental reading list about the Dust Bowl, and could also be useful as a model of the close link between poetry and prose; as a coming-of-age story; and as a novel to be read solely for its own merit. Out of the Dust should not stay on any shelf long enough to gather dust. Highly Recommended.”

From BOOKLIST starred (Vol. 94, No. 3 (October 1, 1997)):
“The story is bleak, but Hesse's writing transcends the gloom and transforms it into a powerfully compelling tale of a girl with enormous strength, courage, and love. The entire novel is written in very readable blank verse, a superb choice for bringing out the exquisite agony and delight to be found in such a difficult period lived by such a vibrant character. It also spares the reader the trouble of wading through pages of distressing text, distilling all the experiences into brief, acutely observed phrases. This is an excellent book for discussion, and many of the poems stand alone sufficiently to be used as powerful supplements to a history lesson.”

From PUBLISHERS WEEKLY (January 11, 1999):
In a starred review of the 1998 Newbery Medal winner, set during the Depression, PW said, "This intimate novel, written in stanza form, poetically conveys the heat, dust and wind of Oklahoma. With each meticulously arranged entry Hesse paints a vivid picture of her heroine's emotions."

CONNECTIONS:

*Awards:
1998 Newbery Medal Winner
Notable/Best Books (A.L.A) 1998

*Other verse novels by Karen Hesse:
Hesse, Karen. 2001. WITNESS. New York: Scholastic Press. ISBN 0439272009

Hesse, Karen. 2003. ALEUTIAN SPARROW. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books. ISBN 0689861893

*Activities:
This book would be a great choice to share with students during a unit on the Great Depression. It would certainly add authenticity to that time period and allow the students to imagine life during the Great Depression more completely.

This novel is also a great way to introduce students to a type of poetry they may have never encountered before. Verse novels like OUT OF THE DUST are an excellent way to engage reluctant readers and show all students how powerful and enjoyable poetry can be.

Students could also be encouraged to write verse novels about their own lives, modeling after Hesse’s diary-like poetry style.

*Websites:
http://www.childrensliteraturenetwork.org/aifolder/aipages/ai_h/hesse.html
http://www.kidsreads.com/authors/au-hesse-karen.asp