Conversation so far:
How does the story begin?
It reveals a tale, mostly in the form of brief dialog extracts by the narrator's family at dinnertime, on the day that a local boy.
What did the local boy do?
jumped to his death from a nearby bridge.
Why did he jump?
the suicide and other tragedies are contrasted against the banality of everyday routine and polite conversation.
Who are other characters in the song?
The song begins with the narrator, her brother and her father returning, after agricultural morning chores, to the family house for dinner (on June 3).
What did they do next?
After cautioning them about tracking in dirt, "Mama" says that she "got some news this mornin' from Choctaw Ridge" that "Billie Joe McAllister jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge".
How did the family react>?
At the dinner table, the narrator's father appears unmoved and almost dismissive; he comments that "Billie Joe never had a lick o' [meaning, any] sense.
Did the brother have anything to say?
Her brother seems somewhat taken aback ("I saw him at the sawmill yesterday ...
And now you tell me Billie Joe has jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge").
Was anyone actually upset?
The only person who seems genuinely upset is the narrator.
Her mother - who eventually notices the narrator's abrupt and complete change of mood at the news .

Question: What does her mother do?
Self-contained rewrite: In Ode to Billie Joe, what does her mother do?