Barbara Kingsolver’s Flight Behavior (2012) is a novel of clashing ideologies. On one side the reader sees the ideologies of Ovid Byron the “‘[e]ntomologist . . . [who] ‘did [his] graduate studies at Harvard’” (Kingsolver 120) and who is trying to figure out “‘why a major portion of the monarch population that has overwintered in Mexico since God set it loose there . . . would instead aggregate in the southern Appalachians’” (122). The other ideology that is pitted against that of Byron’s is that of the Feathertown populace which is an overtly religious town where most things are attributed to God’s plans or in the case of Dellarobia Turnbow finding the butterflies as “‘a miracle’” (Kingsolver 54). The third main ideology that is seen in …show more content…
For example “[t]alk of a [t]own” (Kingsolver 74), “[n]ational [p]roportions” (104) or “[c]ontinental [e]cosystem” (215) yet she is able to bridge between the vast and the vague with Dellarobia and her family’s life. What Kingsolver is presenting to her readers could be a real life situation in where a family is not well of or is stricken by poverty has to buy “‘the store brand’” (Kingsolver 168) because it is cheaper. And then this family is stricken with a “miracle” and become famous overnight. There are many “rags to riches” stories in our popular culture and one that comes to mind in recent events is the “walking man of Detroit” also known as James Robertson. The media “jumped” onto this story and only look at the “good” aspect of the story which is “[m]ore than $350,000 in donations poured into a “GoFundMe” account set up for him. A local Ford dealership gave him a flaming-red Taurus loaded with options” (LeDuff ‘Detroit's 'Walking Man' Walks On). These “rags to riches” stories make readers feel good when they read them as it shines some hope on society. But what many people tend to forget is that “[t]here are miracles, but there is also daily life to be lived” (Browning ‘The Butterfly Effect’). This paper will discuss some aspects of daily life in Feathertown – specifically some major events that surround Dellarobia – and how it relates to Dominique …show more content…
With all these people who are freely entering her life she now has to make way for them and has to try and keep up appearances. For example she tried to refuse the interview on the basis that she did not want the journalist “into her trashed house” (Kingsolver 200). Another example is when she invites Dr. Byron for dinner and is undecided on what to make him and settles for a “tuna casserole” (Kingsolver 115). That incident takes place early on in the narrative yet even though Dellarobia has become somewhat of a celebrity amongst many people she still has this insecurity about what shape her house is and if it is representable. And even though she is “famous” she still feels inadequate and inferior to those around her because her fame did not get her “[m]oney . . . [or] [a]ny say over anything” (Kingsolver 303). Even though she desired to be the centre of attention in her community it was obvious that Dellarobia did not want the whole world to descend upon her and her family. This contradiction in character Kingsolver presents in Dellarobia shows how human she