Dellarobia greets Cub in the doorway, “’We’re celebrating the true meaning of Christmas’” (Kingsolver 179). An ironical comparison ensues between Cub’s definition of Christmas and the money on the tree. Dellarobia transfers the meaning of Christmas from financially based to one that is more experiential, memorable, and gleeful by decorating a tree with “ornaments” and throwing a Christmas party. The Christmas party provides Dellarobia as a way to close some of the class gaps in the Christmas experience. In rural Feathertown, Tennessee, Kingsolver’s “Flight Behavior” exposes the impact commercialism perpetuates on the class difference in Christmas purchasing power and its true meaning for low-class families. Kingsolver’s choice of setting and financial circumstances advances the character development of the Turnbows through the use of social commentary on the lucrative commercialist world. As a reader, one contemplates the value of commercial goods and the meaning of Christmas in their own family and socioeconomic
Dellarobia greets Cub in the doorway, “’We’re celebrating the true meaning of Christmas’” (Kingsolver 179). An ironical comparison ensues between Cub’s definition of Christmas and the money on the tree. Dellarobia transfers the meaning of Christmas from financially based to one that is more experiential, memorable, and gleeful by decorating a tree with “ornaments” and throwing a Christmas party. The Christmas party provides Dellarobia as a way to close some of the class gaps in the Christmas experience. In rural Feathertown, Tennessee, Kingsolver’s “Flight Behavior” exposes the impact commercialism perpetuates on the class difference in Christmas purchasing power and its true meaning for low-class families. Kingsolver’s choice of setting and financial circumstances advances the character development of the Turnbows through the use of social commentary on the lucrative commercialist world. As a reader, one contemplates the value of commercial goods and the meaning of Christmas in their own family and socioeconomic