| Characters | Objects and Symbols | Billie Jo | Politics | Historical Facts of the Dust Bowl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Have a rabbit killing contest
What do Mr. Noble and Mr. Romney do to take care of the rabbit infestation?
|
The piano
What is arguably the most precious object in this novel? It's a key element in Billie Jo's life, and it represents her Ma, her yearnings for freedom, her acceptance of herself, and means to escape real life.
|
The panhandle
Where do Billie Jo and her family live in Oklahoma?
|
Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Who was elected president in 1932?
|
Both!
Was the Dust Bowl a natural or man-made disaster?
|
|
Aunt Ellis
What is the name of Pa's sister who comes to take baby brother away but arrives too late?
|
The dust
What is a never-ending obstruction to a good life? It is an obstacle to everything Billie Jo yearns for.
|
Heaven
What does Billie Jo call playing piano on stage?
|
The New Deal
What was the name of Mr. Roosevelt's plan to provide relief and recovery for the American people?
|
Drought, poor farming practices (over-plowing and planting), wheat prices plummeted due to the Great Depression and stock market crash
Name two causes of the Dust Bowl.
|
|
Goes on a drinking binge
What does Pa do as a result of Ma's injuries?
|
Spots
What does Billie Jo's father have on his face?
|
With the plates and glasses upside down
How does Billie Jo have to set the table during the Dust Bowl era?
|
California
Where did many farmers relocate to during the Dust Bowl?
|
Trees
What did Mr. Roosevelt suggest farmers plant to help with dust storms?
|
|
Franklin
What is the name of Billie Jo's baby brother?
|
The pond
What is a symbol of the big hole left in Daddy's heart by the deaths of Ma and Franklin?
|
Of flames
In Billie Jo's dream, Ma give birth to a baby what?
|
Roosevelt called for trees to be planted across the Great Plains to protect the land from further erosion.
What was the Shelterbelt Project?
|
Dust pneumonia was caused by breathing in the tiny dust particles.
What health problems were associated with the Dust Bowl?
|
|
Traces of Ma
What does Billy Jo think her father is looking for when he looks at her?
|
Ma's and Franklin's graves
What is like holy ground to Billie Jo? Even though in the end she is willing to let Louise into her life, she refuses to let Louise come here.
|
How Billie Jo threw the bucket of kerosene
What do the neighbors talk about after Ma's funeral?
|
It allotted money for refinancing mortgages to help farmers facing forclosure
What was the Emergency Farm Mortgage Act?
|
The worst "black blizzard" of the Dust Bowl.
What was Black Sunday?
|
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