Out of the Dust is a series of free verse poems written by Karen Hesse. Billie Jo relates the trials and struggles of growing up on a wheat farm in Oklahoma during the Dust Bowl years of the Great Depression. This touching novel conveys the heat, dust and wind of Oklahoma that tore at the farmland and hearts of the people.
Class,
ReplyDeleteAs we read this novel together, I would wish that you look to make connections to your lives with regard to the events and characters in the story. I will be posting a series of questions to which you are expected to thoughtfully respond. Happy Blogging!
1. How do you think living with all the dust would affect how you would feel?
If i would live in the dust i would feel very Filthy, dirty, sordid and grimy, all the time, no matter how many times i shower, clean my room or wash my clothes. In fact there is no point in cleaning the house so often because its only a matter of time until a blanket of dust has builded up again.
ReplyDeleteI would smell and taste dust, on the apples hanging from the trees, on the freshly sliced bread in the kitchen and imagine i wouldn't even be able to let my soup cool down without having to swallow some dust with it.
Something i really detest is having dirt under my fingernails after playing with earth, in the dust this would be inevitable. This all must be horrible for people who are allergic to dust, how can they endure it? Even if i am not allergic, i would probably be sneezing all the time, trying to calm the tickling in my nose.
I am not saying that it is impossible to live in the dust, but that it would be very difficult and unpleasant for me, as i am not used to it.
Daniela,
DeleteGood use of new vocabulary and language e.g. sordid, detest, endure...trying to calm the tickling in my nose...
Love the use of imagery - "trying to calm the tickling in my nose."
Experimenting with language - way to go, Daniela!
Wait miss do you mean feel in an emotional way?
ReplyDeleteBoth ways, I would say. Physical feelings (for both pain and pleasure) is bound to affect ones mental state as well. One cannot separate physical from emotional (mental) pain.
DeleteLiving with all the dust would affect me in different ways. The dust may be and annoyance at times but it is not always a horrible creature trying to torture you in any way possible. To me the dust would actually be a wonderful oppirtunity to strenghten up, endure, and work hard through the difficulties of the dust.
ReplyDeleteThrough out the dust storms and aftermaths of the dust storms, I would learn how to survive and be strong, and I would also experience a feel of adrenaline and excitement. Though many people would hate the dust, I, for one, would take it as an experience and learning oppurtunity, To have to help around the house and swallow dust from the air and in my food, would help me adapt to the situation and be used to the digestion of dust. If people can eat cockroaches, why not dust?
I have a few spelling mistakes but for some reason I could not edit the mistakes so i had to leave them there.
DeleteHope this problem has been fixed now. Do let me know that the Preview page is now functional. So the process should be - you think through the question, you post, you preview, you edit, you revise and then hit the publish button. Any bumps along the way? Do bring it to my notice...
DeleteHave fun!
I like the way you look on hardship too as a learning experience. That is indeed true - however frivolous or difficult the event there is always a takeaway from it. This is indeed a good perspective to life and living.
DeleteLiving around all that dust is unimaginable for me. I have really bad allergic reaction to even the smallest amount of dust, I would most probably not physically survive in that kind of condition. I will get really frustrated with all that dust and it would be torture for me.
ReplyDeleteDear Gautham,
DeleteI am certain you are not as soft as you describe yourself to be. We live in India and we are all quite hardy considering the amount of dust, smoke and smog we breathe in each day. But yes, the Dust Bowl is far worse!
Remember it is not just physical strength but mental strength too that is required to live in such harsh conditions!
If I would live in the dust i would already run away from the dust. The only thing what I eat will be the dust and the only thing what I feel will be the dust.
ReplyDeleteI guess no one could survive or live happily in the dust, because there are some people who are allergic to the dust. I'm not allergic to the dust but still it's hard to live in that contition.
The most irritating pain will be that my body will be in all that dirty dust. That makes me sick. The only sound that I make will be sneezing and coughing sound.
I don't mean that I can't live in the dust, I mean living in the dust is possible but it's going to be very difficult for me to live in.
I totally agree that life in the Dust Bowl will be hard and rather difficult but when you love the land you were born in and have the courage to stay there 'no matter what' - you will give it all it takes to live and survive.
DeleteThat is what Billie Jo and her father are living through to stay on.
living with dust that covers every possible part of body, would really affect me mentally and physically in ways i can't possible imagine. BUt my father always says look at everything in a positive way, it helps solve the problem and i strongly believe in that saying. and it first i had to think real hard to look at this in a positive way, but then it hit me, since there is so much dust there has to be a lot of wind and with a lot of wind, the area has huge potential for wind farms, and when there is so much demand for energy, that means money, and over time i would hopefully make lots and lots of money. and live miserably with the dust in luxury.
ReplyDeleteThat is a wonderful attitude and one that all of us could adopt. The ingenious idea that you have come up with with harnessing wind power is amazing. I see a entrepreneurial streak in you. Nice!
DeleteLove the juxtaposition of words at the end of your post "live miserably with the dust in luxury."
I think living in the dust would really be a problem. Like everyone has said it would be very filthy. Everytime you clean yourself, you would get dirty all over again. Just walking outside the house would be a challenge because you would get dust in your eyes immediatly.
ReplyDeleteEmotionally though I think the dust would bring me down even more. The reason is because I wouldnt be able to step out of the house all the time and when you are outside you get the feeling of freedom. The dust would make me lose hope in everything because I would feel like I am traped in a cage and I will never be able to come out unless a miricale occurs.
Yes, agreed a hard life indeed but life does go on as 'normal' as possible - families live, love, sing, argue, dance, and do all the normal things one can continue to do. Indeed stay as positive as possible to stay on because of the love for the land and their reluctance to abandon it and go to greener pastures like California.
DeleteIt is hard for me to imagine living in the dust as I am very fortunate right now not to experience it. Yet, I would always think about the people less fortunate then I am. If I was trapped and imprisoned by dust then all of my emotions; happiness and gratitude; would be replaced by emotions such as anger, stress, and persevered. Every time I would read the book, the story and language makes me think more about the things that I am grateful for.
ReplyDeletemade a mistake with "persevered". Supposed to be "perseverance".
DeleteYes, we truly need to count our blessings.
DeleteGood use of very vivid language, Nathan - 'trapped and imprisoned" allows me to see the hopelessness of the situation.
Love the takeaway for you from this story - that there is much we/you could be grateful for!
Happy that you are reading and editing carefully and noticing spelling errors.
DeleteYes, I noticed it should have read as 'perseverance' too.
Love the last line you posted Akane - "I respect Billie Jo's courage and the hardships which she has to overcome." One does come away with a feeling of admiration of the family that lives on despite such intense pain and discomfort. Obviously, they totally love the land they live in and will not give it up for anything!
ReplyDeleteCourageous... indeed!
Well as for me living in the dust will be hard would fine dust everywhere you go, in the kitchen, the living room, the dining room, and also the toilet.
ReplyDeletei would be breathing in dust which is very unhealthy and unhygienic. Just imagine yourself eating your favorite food and you find dust and sand in your food... that would be so disgusting
Hats off to Billie Jo and the people of Oklahoma...
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ReplyDeleteSharon,
DeleteBest to edit your posts carefully before hitting the 'publish' button. Am delighted you are in the blog-o-sphere realm.
Continue Blogging!