How Flight Behavior Introduces Immediacy to the Climate Crisis

In Flight Behavior, Barbara Kingsolver tackles the pressing issue of climate change through the eyes of Dellarobia Turnbow, a woman in rural Appalachia who discovers an astonishing migration of monarch butterflies to her mountainside. The butterflies, which would typically set course for Mexico, have diverted to her Tennessee home—a phenomenon rooted in environmental disruption. This miraculous sight ignites a flurry of wonder and worry, with scientists warning of the disaster that has forced the butterflies from their natural habitat. Kingsolver uses Dellarobia’s discovery to illustrate the often-overlooked impacts of climate change on both people and wildlife, especially in economically disadvantaged communities. Dellarobia, like many in her town, initially has little understanding of climate science. As she learns about the butterflies’ plight, she also gains insight into the broader environmental issues affecting her world—droughts, extreme weather, and shifting ecosystems that alter daily life in subtle but unignorable ways. The butterflies become a symbol of both beauty and ecological peril, capturing the ambivalence with which the community views their arrival. When discussing climate change, it is easy for people to ignore the severity of the issue because the most impactful effects of global warming are not presently taking place. For example, the most dangerous heat waves, droughts, and crop deaths have not happened yet. It is more feasible for climate deniers to claim the phenomenon is not even real because they cannot see it; it isn't tangible. However, with something as real and present as a swarm of butterflies, Kingsolver is able to bring immediacy to the problem. Everyone around Vacca Vale can see the butterflies and they cannot deny their presence. Through vivid descriptions and scientific realism, Kingsolver invites readers to consider how people in rural areas are often among the first to feel the impacts of climate change, even if they aren’t its primary drivers. Flight Behavior thus becomes a call to action, challenging readers to confront the realities of climate change and inspiring empathy for those who are most vulnerable to its effects.