Out of the Dust

Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the bulleted outlines below. Cite details from the text over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. The environment plays a major role in the novel: the power of the dust storms, the lack of rain followed by nourishing rain, the death of crops, and the apple trees.

• What type of character is the environment? (topic sentence)
• Include details and analysis of at least three scenes to develop your characterization of the environment.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, explain a lesson readers can learn from the environment in the novel.

2. In just four words, the title Out of the Dust offers powerful insight into the novel and its characters.

• What is the significance of the title? (topic sentence)
• Fully support your argument with at least three details from the text and clear reasoning.
• In your conclusion, answer the following question: How does the title offer warning and/or advice?

3. The characters struggle a great deal in the novel, yet hope still exists.

• Is the novel more hopeless or more hopeful? (topic sentence)
• Incorporate at least three specific examples and clear explanations of how each supports your arguments.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, evaluate the message the novel sends about hope.

Full Essay Assignments

Student Prompt: Write a structured and well-developed essay. Include a thesis statement, at least three main points supported by text details, and a conclusion.

1. Karen Hesse wrote Out of the Dust in verse form. How does this format affect the novel? What ideas about Billie Jo do the shorter lines and chapters build? How does the verse format help develop the mood and tone? What ideas about the setting do the verses reveal? Focus on some key sections of the novel to support your analysis. Where is this format most effective?

2. Closely re-read the final part—Part 8. How does this section build one of the main themes of the novel? Consider Billie Jo’s words as she reflects on changes in her life. What is her tone as she describes her days at this point? Analyze some of the literary strategies Hesse incorporates: line length, syntax, symbolism, repetition, or others. How does style work to build theme?