Another character that Kingsolver uses to illuminate the effects of climate change on various social classes is a male protestor, Leighton Atkins, who is campaigning in Dellarobia’s hometown of Feathertown. Mr. Atkins, in meeting Dellarobia, is embarrassed to be suggesting that Dellarobia should cut down on the numerous environmentally harmful privileges listed in his ‘Sustainability Pledge’ pamphlet, many of which Dellarobia has never had the opportunity to indulge in. For example, Mr. Atkins suggests Dellarobia “bring [her] own Tupperware to a restaurant for leftovers” to which Dellarobia replies “I’ve not eaten in a restaurant in over two years” (Kingsolver 327). As it turns out, Dellarobia, as well as the majority of the population of
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Atkins’ character continues to bring attention to Dellarobia’s shockingly small ecological footprint through his irrelevant suggestions. Kingsolver’s employment of Mr. Atkins creates the impression that although many individuals in poorer American societies do not contribute to climate change to as great an extent as many Western individuals do, they do not escape the effects. Moreover, I would argue that in many cases those who contribute the least emissions and use the least amount of resources are often affected the greatest. This is largely because they do not have the financial means required to adapt adequately in times of disaster as previously observed by the migration of the Delgado’s earlier in the novel. Mr. Atkins’ interactions in Flight Behaviour highlight the vulnerability of lower class families as well as those in less developed countries. Furthermore, Kingsolver uses the depiction of the citizens of Feathertown during Mr. Atkins interactions to represent the American lower classes and their relatively small environmental impact and large …show more content…
The characters that Kingsolver uses to represent this anomaly are Nelda and Myrtle, two of a group of women from England who have arrived in Feathertown to participate in a sit in and protest global warming. Kingsolver insinuates that both women are aware of the bigger picture of climate change, but they have curiously taken to knitting small butterflies as their coping method. Dellarobia thinks to herself, “[they are] citizens of their own cheerful universe despite their full awareness of its unraveling.” (Kingsolver 340). It is suggested that much of their cheerfulness may be a result of their own financial stability. Dellarobia’s thoughts also reveal that the women must have the necessary financial stability to be able to engage in such frivolous activities such as knitting butterflies, “There had to be someone at home to pay that bill. Fathers or husbands.” (Kingsolver 341). Their financial status allows the ladies to fly around the world chasing the butterflies and approaching the matter in a leisurely fashion. While the British knitters may not experience the urgency and pressure of climate changes first hand, one can infer from their monetary status that they have contributed more to environmental changes than lower class individuals such as Dellarobia. The
Atkins’ character continues to bring attention to Dellarobia’s shockingly small ecological footprint through his irrelevant suggestions. Kingsolver’s employment of Mr. Atkins creates the impression that although many individuals in poorer American societies do not contribute to climate change to as great an extent as many Western individuals do, they do not escape the effects. Moreover, I would argue that in many cases those who contribute the least emissions and use the least amount of resources are often affected the greatest. This is largely because they do not have the financial means required to adapt adequately in times of disaster as previously observed by the migration of the Delgado’s earlier in the novel. Mr. Atkins’ interactions in Flight Behaviour highlight the vulnerability of lower class families as well as those in less developed countries. Furthermore, Kingsolver uses the depiction of the citizens of Feathertown during Mr. Atkins interactions to represent the American lower classes and their relatively small environmental impact and large …show more content…
The characters that Kingsolver uses to represent this anomaly are Nelda and Myrtle, two of a group of women from England who have arrived in Feathertown to participate in a sit in and protest global warming. Kingsolver insinuates that both women are aware of the bigger picture of climate change, but they have curiously taken to knitting small butterflies as their coping method. Dellarobia thinks to herself, “[they are] citizens of their own cheerful universe despite their full awareness of its unraveling.” (Kingsolver 340). It is suggested that much of their cheerfulness may be a result of their own financial stability. Dellarobia’s thoughts also reveal that the women must have the necessary financial stability to be able to engage in such frivolous activities such as knitting butterflies, “There had to be someone at home to pay that bill. Fathers or husbands.” (Kingsolver 341). Their financial status allows the ladies to fly around the world chasing the butterflies and approaching the matter in a leisurely fashion. While the British knitters may not experience the urgency and pressure of climate changes first hand, one can infer from their monetary status that they have contributed more to environmental changes than lower class individuals such as Dellarobia. The