Conversation so far:
what is the listener referenced in the ode to billie joe, listener and author views on the story article?
Questions arose among listeners.
what were the questions?
what did Billie Joe and his girlfriend throw off the Tallahatchie Bridge, and why did Billie Joe commit suicide.
were the questions ever answered?
Although she knew definitely what the item was, she would not reveal it, saying only "Suppose it was a wedding ring.
what were some other views?
She named flowers, an engagement ring, a draft card, a bottle of LSD pills, and an aborted baby as the most often guessed items.
were any of them found to be true?
Those questions are of secondary importance in my mind.
did billie joe have any input?
When Herman Raucher met Gentry in preparation for writing a novel and screenplay based on the song, she said that she had no idea why Billie Joe killed himself.
Are there any other interesting aspects about this article?
The story of Billie Joe has two more interesting underlying themes.

Question: what were the themes?
Self-contained rewrite: What were the other two underlying themes of Ode to Billie Joe?