Out of the Dust Written by Karen Hesse

Out of the Dust is a novel written by Karen Hesse. It is set in the American state of Oklahoma. Hesse uses a variety of techniques such as themes, characterisation, setting, style, language and the way she structured her narrative to give insight into the life of her characters.

Karen Hesse has used an underlying theme of forgiveness to shape meaning in Out of the Dust. Throughout this novel we learn the importance of forgiveness and how it can impact on our relationships. For a long time Billy Jo can forgive neither her father nor herself, but after escaping 'out of the dust', she returns home and we then learn that she has forgiven both her father and herself when she states "I am forgiving him, step by step, for the pail of kerosene. I am forgiving myself for all the rest". Out of the Dust helps us to understand, just as Billy Jo had to understand, how to forgive and move on with life. The whole book was about forgiveness, every relationship, not only the relationships between the people, but the relationships between the people and land.

Out of the Dust was set in an Oklahoma, during the time of the Great Depression. The depression was a time of great financial hardship, poverty and low employment. Families split because quite often they weren't earning enough money where they were so the father would leave home in search for a job elsewhere sending money home for the family. The soil in Oklahoma during this time was dry and loose because of early farming techniques used. When faming first begun the people ripped out all the grass and trees to make way for their crops, but in doing so made the soil loose, because no rain came for a long time the wind pick up the loose dust and so making dust storms. Wheat crops failed to grow; farmers had to watch their lives and their crops blow away before their eyes in the dust.

Hesse takes us on a journey through the changes that occur during the 2 years of Billy Jo's life. She describes herself at the beginning of the book as a "redheaded, freckle faced, narrow hipped girl with a fondness for apples and a hunger for playing fierce piano" .with this description we have a clear image in our minds of what Billy Jo looks like. She shows us how Billy Jo discovers how to forgive her father and most importantly herself. At the beginning of the novel we meet a piano-loving young girl. We travel through the heart wrenching hurdles that she has to face. When Billy Jo burned her hands, her dreams of playing the piano were burned with them. At one point Billy Jo wants to escape 'out of the dust' but then wisely says "I can't get out of something that's inside me". We learn as Billy Jo has learnt how to make the best of situations and that dreams may not turn out how we want them to.

Hesse's choice of writing style, free verse, allows her to portray a more personal view, allowing