View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Why was Ma saving the dimes?

2. What does Billie Jo think about as she sits in front of Ma's piano?

3. Who is Louise?

4. Which of the following is not on Billie's Jo's list of things she is thankful for at Thanksgiving?

5. What does the passenger leave Billie Jo when he goes?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Billie Jo admit to herself about her mother's death, her father's indifference toward her and her need to escape this life?

2. Who are the unexpected tenants of the schoolhouse for a couple weeks?

3. Who is Louise?

4. Explain Billie Jo's cautious optimism where Louise is concerned.

5. Why are the migrant workers leaving the area in such large numbers?

6. How does Billie Jo finally come to terms with the dust and its full impact on her life?

7. What is the content of the letter Aunt Ellis sends to Billie Jo?

8. What does Billie Jo think her father is looking for when he looks at her?

9. Why is the lack of cranberry sauce such a poignant lack at Christmas dinner?

10. How does Doc Rice treat both Daddy and Billie Jo?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Who is Louise and what is her role in the family? Is Billie Jo right to be cautiously optimistic about Louise's presence in her life? Explain.

Essay Topic 2

OUT OF THE DUST is a verse novel. Explain the concept of what a verse novel is and cite examples that support your answer.

Essay Topic 3

Billie Jo becomes an outcast due to her hands being deformed after the fire. How does she manage through this stigma? How does she wish people would treat her? Explain.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 887 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample