How Does Flight Behavior Explore the Point of View of American Climate Change Deniers?

In Barbara Kingsolver’s Flight Behavior, many of the characters’ disbelief in climate change stems from a complex mix of cultural, social, and economic factors that shape their understanding of the world. Set in rural Tennessee, the novel demonstrates how people’s worldviews are influenced by community values, religious beliefs, economic hardships, and a lack of access to scientific knowledge. Through characters like Dellarobia and her neighbors, Kingsolver sheds light on why many Americans do refuse to believe in climate change.

One of the main reasons for disbelief in Feathertown is cultural. The community is skeptical of ideas that come from outside their close-knit circle. For mar them, climate change is an irrelevant and abstract scientific concept. Dellarobia states, “People didn’t want to believe that things they couldn’t see could be real. They trusted in what they could touch: family, faith, friends, church” (Kingsolver 122). Climate change is presented as a distant and intangible threat. The people of Feathertown do not view climate change as part of their immediate experiences, and thus it is easy to dismiss. For these characters, trusting external sources, like scientists or the media, feels unnatural.

Economic challenges in Feathertown further the skepticism toward climate change. Most residents of the town are economically dependent on agriculture and logging, industries that would be directly impacted by environmental conservation efforts. These economic constraints make it difficult for them to prioritize the distant impacts of climate change over immediate survival. Cub demonstrates this idea when he considered logging the forest with the butterflies, saying, “Well, hon, it’s money we need” (43). For people like Cub, the idea of changing their way of life for climate preservation seems like an unrealistic privilege that they can’t afford. Kingsolver uses the Turnbow’s economic hardships to highlight how financial insecurity can make it challenging for American communities to engage in climate preservation.

Religion also plays a central role in Feathertown, as it is a framework that often conflicts with scientific explanations. The characters interpret extreme weather events as miracles from God and not as evidence of climate change. For example, when the Turnbows tell Pastor Bobby about the butterflies, he says “Sister Turnbow, your family has received special grace.” (72). Pastor Bobby suggests that the event is part of God’s grace rather than an indicator of climate change. This belief system makes it difficult for the townspeople to accept scientific ideas that contradict their faith. In many cases, science and the concept of climate change is perceived as a secular narrative that undermines religious explanations.

The lack of accessible education on climate science further contributes to the disbelief. Many characters in the novel lack access to academic and informational resources relating to climate change as a result of poverty. This gap in education leaves the community vulnerable to misinformation and makes scientific concepts seem foreign. Kingsolver demonstrates how the absence of accessible education on climate change creates a barrier that leads to disbelief and mistrust.