The theme is to give a second chance.For Instance after the accident he turned kind and many children still feared him.So he made it up to them
A dependent clause is a clause that cannot stand on its own and make sense which is why it requires an independent clause to give it meaning.
The answer is definitely: "And so it piled up to the ceilings" since the author is using exaggeration as a literary technique to make the situation seem even worse than it is.
I hope this answer helps you :)!
