Flight Behavior

Content Warning: The novel and this guide contain discussions of child death/miscarriage, alcohol addiction, and suicide.

The monarch butterflies are a symbol of change, resilience, and hope, particularly with regard to Dellarobia and her life but also within the broader context of climate change and Nature, Life, and Rebirth. Dellarobia’s discovery of the insects fuses her fate with their own, and there are numerous parallels between the two, from the flame-red color of her hair to the bright orange butterflies that fill the forest. At the start of the novel, Dellarobia is headed up the path to end her marriage: to ruin her reputation and do something about the trap she finds herself in. This scenario is not unlike the butterflies, who have roosted in the wrong place and are facing a perilous future. As the cold weather settles in, many of the butterflies die. This imagery symbolizes Dellarobia’s personality and spirit, which have been slowly dying during her 11 years of marriage. Through the butterflies, Dellarobia finds a passion, a way to succeed in life, and the courage to break away from her bonds. Then, like the newborn butterflies, she will fly to the next stage of her existence.