in the time of the butterflies patria essay

In the Time of the Butterflies

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In The Time Of The Butterflies Patria Essay

“That moment, I understood her hatred. My family had not been personally hurt by Trujillo, just as before losing my baby, Jesus had not taken anything away from me. But others had been suffering great losses…” (53).This quote had been stated by Patria in relation to religion. “I had heard, but I had not believed. Snug in my heart, fondling my pearl, I had ignored their cries of desolation. How could our loving, all-powerful Father allow us to suffer so? I looked up, challenging Him. And the two faces had merged!” (53), she went on. This image illustrates how Trujillo's system truly brunts the lives of Patria, her sisters, and their fellow people. To them, Trujillo is almost godlike. He usually gives them arcane commandments, smites those who contravene his power, and is delimited by wealth. Patria shows her disbelief in how callously God is behaving toward her because of her child's death. Throughout In the Time of the Butterflies, Julia Alvarez’s Patria Mirabal develops from an optimistic young Catholic girl to a woman who doubts; subsequently, that educators can further come to understand the influence of God on one’s actions. …show more content…

“So you could say I was born, but I wasn’t really here. One of those spirit babies, alela, as the country people say. My mind , my heart, my soul in the clouds. It took some doing and undoing to bring me down to earth” (44), is an example of her adolescent guiltless mind. “I’d see those boys and think, Ah yes, they will come to Sor Mercedes in times of trouble and lay their heads in my lap so I can comfort them” (45), Patria pictured herself being connected with boys in a saintly way to assist them through tough times. This excerpt informs educators that one’s Catholic upbringing usually assists them to spread peace to everything and everyone they

In The Time Of The Butterflies Family Loyalty Essay

They say about families that if you knock on the door, they have to let you in. Family will always be there no matter what. The book, In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez, tells the true story of the four Mirabal sisters, Patria, Dedé, Minerva, and María Teresa and their fight for freedom against the harsh dictator, Trujillo, in the Dominican Republic. In the book, Alvarez uses the theme of family loyalty to show that no matter what happens families fight and work for each other because they’re family no matter what. This ethic of loyalty to each other is shown throughout the book from the time when life is uncomplicated and simpler, to the most dangerous moments of the political resistance. The sisters never give up on each other and their families.

What Does In The Time Of The Butterflies Represent

In the beginning of the book when Patria was young, she is described as and acts very religious. When Patria went to Sor Asuncion’s office, she thinks:

The Significance of Gender Roles in Julia Alvarez's Novel In the Time of the Butterflies

• 1 Works Cited

Out from the kitchen and into the world, women are making a better name for themselves. Although humankind tends to be male dominated, men are not the only species that inhabit the world that they live on. In Julia Alvarez's novel In the Time of the Butterflies, the women of the Dominican Republic are expected to grow up to be housewives and lacking a formal education. Women may be cherished like national treasures, but they are not expected to fulfill their truest potentials as human beings.

In The Time Of The Butterflies Essay

The Dominican Republic’s dictator Rafael Trujillo had thousands of people killed because of their disobedience to him. From the 1930s to 1960s the country was under the control of Trujillo. He had taken control of the Dominican Republic and used his power against people who decided not to follow him and his laws. The four Mirabal sisters, Minerva, Patria, Mate, and Dede were all risking their lives because of their involvement in the underground, against their harsh dictator. In the book In the time of the Butterflies, the four Mirabal sisters perspectives are impacted by the underground movement against Trujillo because of each of their involvement with the revolution.

Death Of The Butterflies Patria Quotes

“That moment, I understood her hatred. My family had not been personally hurt by Trujillo, just as before losing my baby, Jesus had not taken anything away from me. But others had been suffering great losses” (Alvarez, 1994, p. 53). This quote had been stated by Patria in relation to religion.

Analysis Of In The Time Of The Butterflies

In the Time of the Butterflies during the 1940s, in the Dominican Republic, the ruler or dictator Rafael Leonidas Trujillo punished people if they didn’t do as he told them and plenty of other cruel things. He ruled for about 30 years, so the people were tortured for quite a long time. He became the dictator by eliminating everyone who had power above him. He even married his wives just to use them to get the the top and control everyone. It was just an unfair way to handle things and an unfair country overall. In her book, “In the Time of the Butterflies,” Julia Alvarez incorporates the history of the famous Mirabal sisters by telling the history of their life and how it was back then for their Dominican Republic country. Julia Alvarez

In The Time Of The Butterflies Male Dominance Essay

Throughout history women have always been minimized from social, sexual , and political aspects juxtaposed to men. Just like in the novel  In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez, the author uses the Mirabal sisters to demonstrate the inequalities set in the Dominican Republic. The dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo causes the Mirabal sisters to come together and overthrow Trujillo’s regime.Trujillo. Rafael Trujillo was despised by many yet many were forced to worship him like some type of paragon. As the novel progresses, illustrations of male dominance often appear throughout each chapter. The Mirabal sisters: Minerva, Patria, Maria Teresa and Dede each demonstrate the ability to overcome stigmas in order to obtain freedom.

In The Time Of The Butterflies Analysis

Julia Alvarez’s novel In the Time of the Butterflies shows the lack of fairness in society and the importance of maintaining a strong family bond. Trujillo was not fair between men and women and granting men the rights to do whatever they want. The Mirabal sisters’ revolutionary against president Trujillo and fighting for freedom of the country and its people. In Saudi Arabia women are now granted to drive, but there some other things that men can do but women cannot. The Mirabal family has a strong maintain of a family bond. Minerva is one of the four sisters who is brave and had the courage to stand for others and started the revolution against the president.

Butterflies Quotes

“Chapter Nine: Dede” “‘Tell the butterflies to avoid the road to Puerta Plata. It's not safe.’ The butterflies, Lord God, how people romanticized other people's terror!” (Alvarez 199). " The irony of Dede’s distressed response to being called a “Butterfly” characterizes her nervousness and reluctance to being a national icon.

Essay on In the Time of the Butterflies Patria

“The moment I understood her hatred, my family had not been personally hurt by Trujillo just as before losing my baby. Jesus had not taken anything away from me. There was the Perozos, not a man left in that family and Martinez Reyna and his wife murdered in their bed and thousands of Haitians murdered at the border. Making the river they say still red. I had heard but not believed. How could our all loving father let us suffer? I looked up challenging him and the two faces merged” (Alvarez 53).

In the Time of the Butterflies Essay

Furthermore, the tyrannical ways of Trujillo are palpable in the quote, “They stripped me down to my slip… I had never known such terror.”(Alvarez 254) Here, Maria Teresa is being tortured in order to persuade her husband into doing something. Clearly these acts are unacceptable to us, and it was definitely viewed as immoral to Alvarez. The reproving manner is evident here as Alvarez is trying to instill some provocative thoughts in the reader by giving us examples as to the severity and atrocity of Trujillo’s methods. Her use of phrases like these are definitely justified as in reality, Trujillo is doing bad things and should be considered a dictator. Eventually, it comes down to the underlying idea that Alvarez uses words like “terror” and “fear” to connect to the savage ways of Trujillo, making the dictatorial theme apparent.

Time Of The Butterflies Ethos Pathos Logos

In the Time of the Butterflies, Minerva learns the truth about Trujillo from Sinita. Up until this point, she has always thought that he was a good president, but she understood more after Sinita told her about how her uncles, father, and brother died. The author uses many different strategies to help explain the text more such as pathos, diction, and lots of imagery. The author uses pathos to appeal to the reader and show how Trujillo is a bad guy.

How Does Brian Caswell Tell The Reader About Being Different

What Does Brian Caswell want to tell the reader about Being Different In the novel, A Cage of Butterflies? What Does Brian Caswell want to tell the reader about Being Different?

The Time Of The Butterflies

Rafael Trujillo, a Dominican dictator, developed a harsh reputation as being one of the most violent and domineering leaders of South America in his thirty-one years of power. In The Time of the Butterflies, Julia Alvarez provides insight into the effects of Trujillo’s infamy by sharing the stories of three Dominican sisters and their struggles to gain independence and speak their truth. The Dominican-American author dramatizes the lives of the Mirabal sisters, three historical women who were assassinated in 1961, for their involvement in the anti-Trujillo movement. Roberto Gonzalez Echevarria, a Cuban critic of Latin American literature, provides a bias insight with regards to the novel.

“In the Time of the Butterflies” takes place in the Dominican Republic in the 1960s. The author, Julia Alvarez is a native of the country, but moved to the US at a young age. She first heard about the sisters roughly around 1986 and instantly felt the need to share their story with the world. In the book, Alvarez tells the story of the Mirabal sisters and their fight for freedom against the Dominican dictator Trujillo. Rafael Trujillo reigned for about 30 years until his assassination in May of 1961. Trujillo’s reign of terror began in 1930 and the violence soon followed. The self centered dictator changed the names of cities and murdered roughly about 20,000 Haitians from the neighboring country. The book not only tells the sisters’

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In the Time of the Butterflies

By julia alvarez, in the time of the butterflies essay questions.

What is the purpose of Alvarez's use of violent imagery?

The violent imagery that permeates the entire novel demonstrates the constant presence of Trujillo in his authoritarian regime, with a constant threat of violence everywhere. It is apparent already in the first chapter, as Enrique Mirabal jokes about how quickly he had four daughters: "Bang-bang-bang, their father likes to joke, aiming a finger pistol at each one, as if he were shooting them, not boasting about having sired them." The joke is about their births, so the foreshadowing of their deaths is ironic. During the ill-fated centennial performance, when Ramfis jumps up to grab the bow from the approaching Sinita before she reaches his father Trujillo, he moves "quick as gunfire." Violent diction is particularly significant in Chapter 6: as Enrique Mirabal leads Minerva down the driveway into the garden, "The moon was a thin, bright machete cutting its way through patches of clouds." This metaphor is continued when Minerva describes its light as "sharp," foreshadowing the slap she is about to receive from her father.

How does Alvarez address becoming a woman?

In Chapter 2, the title of the section "Complications" refers both to Minerva's becoming a woman physically, since this is the euphemism Sor Milagros uses for menstruation, and to growing up emotionally as she learns about Trujillo's evil for the first time the night she begins to menstruate. Maturation involves developing a more critical eye regarding oneself and one’s leaders and authority figures. The two forms of growing up are linked with a simile; as Minerva listens to Sinita's story, "the aching in my belly was like wash being wrung so tightly, there wasn't a drop of water left in the clothes." Patria observes her daughter, Noris, becoming a woman in Chapter 8. When Noris meets her after the mountainside is bombed, Patria notices "a change in her, as if her soul had at last matured and begun its cycles." This imagery recollects Chapter 2, in which Minerva begins her "complications" both physically and emotionally as she realizes the country is in danger, and the power and evil of Trujillo. It also is reminiscent of Maria Teresa, who in her diary entries as a young girl yearned to discover her soul.

How does the theme of entrapment symbolize the authoritarian regime in the Dominican Republic?

The dire situation of the Dominican Republic is particularly apparent through the symbol of a cage. When Minerva describes wanting to leave home to go to school, she considers herself trapped at home, and she views going to Inmaculada Concepcion as a kind of escape. She sees her own situation mirrored in that of the rabbits in their pens, but she realizes that she is nothing like a rabbit when the rabbit that she tries to let free refuses to leave the cage. As for her, "I'd just left a small cage to go into a bigger one, the size of our whole country." In the epilogue, the theme of entrapment is apparent in Dede's reaction to the telegram Mama shows her on the morning after the girls' death. It says that there has been a car accident and that they should go to the hospital in Santiago, meaning that the girls might be alive. "And my heart in my rib cage was a bird that suddenly began to sing. Hope!" The conceit of a cage can be applied to the whole island of the Dominican Republic or to one’s personal feelings. Dede has been trapped by her own fear, and the telegram gives her a bit of short-lived hope. There is also something safe and protective about a cage—regardless of the regime, thoughts are free inside oneself—and militarily, the revolutionaries from other countries are at first repelled by the Dominican Republic’s protective forces. Thus, perhaps the rabbit demonstrates some wisdom in choosing to remain entrapped and safe from harm. Yet, the difference with Trujillo’s regime is that the cage door is not open; there is not a choice.

Describe the relationship between Maria Teresa and Minerva.

Maria Teresa's devotion to and admiration of Minerva is apparent throughout her diary entries. After all, it is Minerva who gave her both her first and her second diaries, encouraging her to reflect as a way to "deepen one's soul." She demonstrates her commitment to Minerva by lying for her, corroborating her story that their Tio Mon is ill, to protect Minerva after she has been caught sneaking out of school. In lying for Minerva, Maria Teresa becomes involved in her older sister's revolutionary activities indirectly. It is the beginning of their downfall, and this is expressed as a simile of jumping into water together.

The reader also learns about many important events in Minerva's life through Maria Teresa's diary entries. For instance, we learn in Maria Teresa's report about the speech at Salcedo Civic Hall that Minerva has gained permission to attend law school. We also learn about Minerva's marriage to Manolo, the birth of Minou, and Trujillo's denial of her license to practice law upon graduation from law school.

The symbol of thread appears in this chapter, when Maria Teresa is discussing the connection between people with Magdalena. They decide, "There is something deeper. Sometimes I really feel it in here, especially late at night, a current going among us, like an invisible needle stitching us together into the glorious, free nation we are becoming." Being stitched together does not mean they are the same, however. When she finds out that she and Minerva are each sentenced to five years, Minerva's reaction is to laugh, but Maria Teresa's is to cry.

In Chapter 11, Maria Teresa decides to go against her sister's wishes and does not give the OAS the letter of her personal account. She explains, "The second note with my story was lodged further up in my braid. Maybe it was the sight of that ribbon Santiclo had given me when I was so broken, [but] I just couldn't take a chance and hurt my friend." This decision demonstrates an important difference between Maria Teresa and Minerva: Minerva tells her little sister, "This isn't personal, Mate ... This is principle," but Maria Teresa sees Santiclo as more than just a symbol of what they are revolting against, because she sees him as a person and refuses to risk his being punished or even shot.

How is the weather used to reflect the narrative?

When Sor Asuncion calls in Patria to have a talk about listening for her calling from God, the storm that Patria sees brewing outside is a metaphor for her earthly calling, at odds with her desire to be a nun: "I could see just outside the window the brilliant red flames lit in every tree, and beyond, some threatening thunderclouds." When Sor Asuncion tells her to pray to the Virgencita for guidance, she "saw the first zigzag of lightning, and heard, far off, the rumble of thunder." She takes it as a hint that she is not meant to become a nun. As Patria prays with Sor Asuncion, she remembers, "I tried hard but I could not keep my eyes from straying to the flame trees, their blossoms tumbling in the wind of the coming storm."

The ominous events of the Discovery Day party are also mirrored by the weather's progression to a rain storm. When they arrive at the party, "there is a strong breeze, announcing rain." When Minerva mentions Lio's name, "suspicion clouds the gaze" of Trujillo's face; and when she refuses to dance with Manuel de Moya initially, "a cloud of annoyance crosses his face." When Minerva slaps Trujillo, it is like the clap of thunder that begins the storm: "and then the rain comes down hard, slapping sheets of it." In the midst of the storm, her family is the ship that steers her to temporary safety: "Dede and Patria are turning in all directions like lookouts on the mast of a ship."

How does Patria's view of Trujillo as like God change?

Throughout the novel, Patria compares Trujillo to God, specifically Jesus. In Chapter 4, while Patria lies beside Minerva in the hammock, they look at the pictures of Jesus and El Jefe hung side by side. Minerva notes, "They're a pair, aren't they?" This inspires Patria to question why God would allow their country to suffer so at the hands to Trujillo. When she looks up to challenge the picture of Jesus, "the two faces had merged!" This experience points out the Godlike role that Trujillo plays; he is omniscient, with his spies, penetrating everyone in the country, making almost everyone into his "disciples" or spies. In Chapter 10, Patria says, "Maybe because I was used to the Good Shepherd and Trujillo side by side in the old house, I caught myself praying a little greeting as I walked by." She wants her family back from him, and "prayer was the only way I knew to ask."

But when Patria arrives at the capital for the release of Nelson, she feels no kinship toward him—quite the opposite: "The more I tried to concentrate on the good side of him, the more I saw a vain, greedy, unredeemed creature. Maybe the evil one had become flesh like Jesus!"

How are traditional views of women challenged in the novel?

The theme of the role of women emerges for Patria in Chapter 4, as she worries about Minerva getting worked up about the government. She says to her little sister, "It's a dirty business, you're right. That's why we women shouldn't get involved." But Minerva argues "that women had to come out of the dark ages." Speaking to the interview woman, Dede addresses the theme of the role of women. She says, "'Back in those days, we women followed our husbands.' Such a silly excuse. After all, look at Minerva. 'Let's put it this way,' Dede adds. 'I followed my husband. I didn't get involved.'" She is aware that she was using the traditional female role as an excuse for not supporting her sisters, something for which she still feels guilty.

How does Lio Morales affect the relationship between Dede and Minerva?

There has always been tenseness between Dede and Minerva. Their personalities are at odds: Minerva is full of questions and mischief, while Dede is much more organized and chooses to smile and dismiss things without stirring up trouble. But it is Lio who brings out Dede's resentment toward her sister. Though she loves Jaimito, Dede is jealous of Lio's interest in Minerva. She sees them as a glamorous couple doing exciting things, while she and Jaimito are expected to end up together. She exposes them hiding in the bushes together, and she even burns Lio's letter intended for her sister. Dede tells herself it is to protect Minerva, but it is clearly also borne of jealousy that her sister might get involved in such a daring adventure with Lio.

Describe how Alvarez creates the feeling that death is lurking in Maria Teresa's diary entries.

Death seems to lurk throughout Chapter 7 in particular. Of course, Enrique Mirabal has actually died, and Maria Teresa's recurring dream revolves around a coffin. But she also uses language that calls death to mind; the chapter opens with her statement, "I feel like dying myself!" When she comes back to her diary on July 3, she writes, "Diary, I know you have probably thought me dead all these months."

How is Patria tied both to heaven and to earth?

As narrator, Patria uses similes and personification that connect her both to heaven and to earth. For a while she is torn between becoming a nun and becoming a woman focused on earthly matters. When Padre de Jesus tells her he cannot help her because he, too, is lost, she says, "I was shaking like when a breeze blows through the sacristy and the votive candles flicker." She is in the position of the prayerful candles, being shaken by nature. When she is overwhelmed by the beauty of Constanza, she personifies the land and nature as if it is tied to God: "Purple mountains reaching towards angelfeather clouds; a falcon soaring in a calm blue sky; God combing His sunshine fingers through green pastures straight out of the Psalms." Pedrito ties Patria to earth. She is attracted to him for his animal-like qualities, and when he proposes to her he pours dirt into her hand. This is also evident in the language she uses to express how she is not worried about him like she worries about her sisters: "Pedrito didn't worry me. I knew he would always have one hand in the soil and the other somewhere on me."

Patria's struggle to reconcile heaven and earth comes to a climax in Chapter 9 as she breaks down on Mama's front lawn. She tears up the grass from the ground around her, screaming. Dede gets down on her knees and puts the ground back in place, and "in a soothing voice, she reminded her sister of the faith that had always sustained her." Dede leads Patria in reciting the Credo, helping her find refuge in heaven when Pedrito, who connects her to earth, has been taken from her.

In the Time of the Butterflies Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for In the Time of the Butterflies is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

How does pedrito describe himself?

From the text:

"You are not getting a fancy, high-talking man in Pedrito Gonzalez," he said rather fiercely. "But you are getting a man who adores you like he does this rich soil we're standing on."

What is the SIM?

It is the servicio de inteligencia militar.

While Minerva is dancing with Trujillo, she thinks, "I see how easily it happens." What does she mean?

I believe this alludes to Trujillo's flirtacious behavior and his ultimate effect on women.

Study Guide for In the Time of the Butterflies

In the Time of the Butterflies study guide contains a biography of Julia Alvarez, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About In the Time of the Butterflies
• In the Time of the Butterflies Summary
• Character List

Essays for In the Time of the Butterflies

In the Time of the Butterflies essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez.

• Minerva's Struggle
• Patria's Eternal Courage
• Mirabal Martyrdom in In the Time of the Butterflies
• Altruistic Obsessions: Tragic Flaws in 'The Boy in the Suitcase' and 'In the Time of the Butterflies'
• Out of the Frying Pan into the Fire

Lesson Plan for In the Time of the Butterflies

• About the Author
• Study Objectives
• Common Core Standards
• Introduction to In the Time of the Butterflies
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Related Links
• In the Time of the Butterflies Bibliography

Wikipedia Entries for In the Time of the Butterflies

• Introduction
• Connection to historical events

In the Time of the Butterflies

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A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-3

Chapters 4-6

Chapters 7-9

Chapters 10-Epilogue

Character Analysis

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Discussion Questions

Beginning with Sinita’s stories and moving on to the Mariposas’ experiences with him, discuss some of the ways Trujillo consolidates his power in the novel. How is he able to control everyone so completely?

Describe each of the Maribal sisters, focusing on the defining characteristics that are attributed to them in the novel. How does the narrative form of each sister (for example, Mate’s diary) reflect their character?

How does Patria’s faith evolve over the course of the novel? Giving specific examples, how does her faith contribute to her joining the movement, and what is the deciding factor, if any?

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In The Time Of The Butterflies By Patria Teresa Analysis

Show More Transformation of Patria and Maria Teresa – Literary Analysis In The Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez takes the reader through the lives of the Mirabal sisters as they are living in the Dominican Republic under the rule of Trujillo and leads up to the death of the three sisters, which, was ordered by Trujillo on November 25, 1960 (“In the Time of the Butterflies”). Trujillo was a dictator who controlled his country in every aspect and exterminated those who opposed him including three of the Mirabal sisters who are “symbols of both popular and feminist resistance” (Rohter). Over the course of the novel, Dede and Minerva transform in a variety of ways with societal and governmental changes; however, Patria and Maria Teresa transform …show more content… As a child, and especially being the youngest, Mate was forced to listen to her family and follow their decisions however, as she matured and formed into her own person she can finally rely on herself and her own understanding. Minerva tries to sway her into going with her decision but when Mate speaks up and argues Minerva shows how “it was no longer so easy for me to talk that one into anything” (Alvarez 261). This is a huge turning point in Mate’s growth because she is finally independent. The reader can analyze how Mate is like other heroines who have busted out of their cocoons and formed into beautiful butterflies. This shows the reoccurring theme of butterflies symbolizing freedom and when Mate finally shows her dominance and independence in her life, this butterfly is set free from the sheltering of the cocoon of her family and Trujillo’s attempts at silencing her voice. Along with being independent, Mate and her sisters refuse to let themselves be given opportunities different than others, therefore, declining an advantage from prejudice. Mate states how while in jail the Mirabal family “couldn’t be free unless everyone else was offered the same opportunity” (Alvarez 236). Maria Teresa is a people person and the idea of being pardoned for a crime that other people have committed and being free due to favoritism is not a good one amongst the …show more content… While Patria has high faith and remained true to it for most of the way, Mate sprung out of her shell and became an independent woman. These two sisters both demonstrated feminism in its highest forms especially in the Dominican Republic because “problems are most often viewed as pathological and characteristic of the individuals directly affected rather than the larger framework”

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Minerva Mirabal's Courage In The Time Of The Butterflies By Julia Alvarez

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Analysis Of Patria In In The Time Of The Butterflies

“Faith is seeing light with your heart when all your eyes see is darkness.” This quote perfectly describes Patria who is one of the sisters in the book, In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez. This novel takes place in the 1900’s in the Dominican Republic while it was under the rule of Trujillo. Trujillo ran a dictatorship in the Dominican Republic for over 30 years with strict rules and harsh punishments. The story follows the real lives of the Mirabal sisters and each chapter is through one of their perspectives.…

Imagery In The Time Of The Butterflies

Imagery is a technique frequently used by authors in order to promote the theme(s) that they are attempting to convey to the reader through their work. It is the use of figurative language to represent objects, and communicate ideas to the reader so that they may mentally visualize them, and understand themes in the work of literature. Generally speaking in literature, the reader may only recognize or relate to a few of the themes that the author is portraying through contrasting imagery, but to the author, all of the themes may be of importance. In The Time of the Butterflies, Julia Alvarez conveys many themes through the use of imagery, including sacrifice, feminism and religion. Alvarez uses contrasting imagery to develop the story’s theme…

In The Time Of The Butterflies Essay Introduction

Another inspiration to Alvarez’s work would be the Mirabal sisters—Patria, Dedé, Minerva, and María Teresa. Three of the sisters were killed by Trujillo’s henchmen after leading an underground uprising in the Dominican—the same one that Alvarez’s father belonged to—shortly after the family moved back to the United States (Kapai). Growing up and hearing their story had always left Alvarez feeling unsettled. She would later say, “My three sisters and I had made it. Three of those four sisters had not.…

Gender Roles In Woman Hollering Creek By Sandra Cisneros

Born in a family of Mexican immigrants, Sandra Cisneros discovers her niche in the American literature by writing from her experience as an immigrant growing at the confluence of two cultures. Until her teenager years, Cisneros’ family moves back and forth from Chicago to Mexico, making her feel not integrated in either culture. As Robin Ganz declares, Cisneros “derived inspiration from her cultural specificity and found her voice in the dingy rooms of her house on Mango Street, on the cruel but comfortable streets of the barrio, and in the smooth and dangerous curves of borderland arroyos” (1). In her short story, “Woman Hollering Creek”, Cisneros describes the life of a Mexican woman, Cleofilas that marries a man from “el otro lado” in the…

The Time Of The Butterflies Movie Analysis

In The Time of The Butterflies the book, like the movie is about four sisters who are set out to change the way their country is set up. During this time the Dominican Republic is dictated by Rafael Trujillo, also known as El Jefe, who to everyone around them is a man who needs to be worshipped and respected. All the sisters exhibit courage in their own way and take part in a revolution that are shown individually in both the book by Julia Alvarez and the movie directed by Mariano Barroso. Throughout the book the points of views vary within the sisters but in the movie the whole story was told in Minerva`s perspective.…

Gender Roles Of Women In A Cooking Lesson By Rosario Castellanos

Many of the Latin American stories consist of depicting death, loss, oppression, and in some odd ways the obstacles in love. Everything unfolds in a surreal way while others convey magical realism into their plots; making each spun tale more alluring and breath taking. In the nineteenth century Latin America was transitioning from a world where society was its people spoke out and rebelled against those of higher authority with the goal of gaining freedom. However, for the most part there was a lot of terrorizing of the town folk, torture and death as far as the eye could see.…

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In the Time of the Butterflies essay

The book “In the Time of the Butterflies” was created by Julia Alvarez. It was published on 1994, and uses the Dominican Republic as its setting. It is a fictional story which uses historical realism as its plot. Alvarez, was an original New York City native, but moved to the Dominican Republic with her family in her younger years. She bore witness to a dictatorship and a movement that battled to depose the power hungry leader. It did not take long before they were forced to flee back to New York for their protection.

She grew up in New York, mastering the English Language, but never forgot, the incidents that occurred in the Dominican Republic. She chose to write its story; the story about the dictator, the Mirabal sisters, and the Butterfly movement (The Gale Group, 2002). The Dominican Republic was all about Rafael Trujillo during the twentieth century. He was a dictator who ruled its islands from the 1930s up to the 1960s. He was controlled by gluttony, desire, and power, and captivated his people with unthinkable viciousness and malice.

It was because of this dictatorship that the Las Mariposas or The Butterflies arouse. Three sisters; Maria Teresa, Minerva, and Patria Mirabal, battled the onslaught of Trujillo’s reign, with absolute perseverance and determination, putting aside the risks that their actions bring. The Butterflies were an epitome of bravery and sacrifice to the people of the Dominican Republic (The Gale Group, 2002). The book “In the Time of the Butterflies,” does not merely focus on the Mirabal sisters, but gives emphasis on the whole ambiance of the Dominican Republic.

Julia Alvarez gives the readers of her book an overview of their way of life, and what the Trujillo regime did to its people, and what was left for them to work with. She makes us feel the setting of the Dominican Republic, the people, and their government (Gale, 2005-2006). After experiencing the dictatorship herself, the author had been long enthralled by the story of the Mirabal sisters. After interviewing the fourth and only living Mirabal sister; Dede, she found all the pieces needed for her to create the masterpiece “In the Time of the Butterflies.

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” Alvarez gives a timeline of events, showing to us the three Mirabal sisters childhood, life, death, and memory. Through her book, she explains to us the negative impacts that the Trujillo dictatorship gave to its country. She also indicates the steps that the Dominican Republic is taking, after the death of Trujillo. “In the Time of the Butterflies” is not just the story of the Las Mariposa’s, but also the story of the Dominican Republic; its people, their sufferings, their trauma, and their arising after the fall of its dictator (Gale, 2005-2006).

Hispaniola is domicile to both the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The Dominican Republic can be located at the Caribbean islands and is known to be a Latin American country, it is said to be the “mother of all lands. ” The Republic suffered from the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo for the majority of the twentieth century. Under the support of the United States, Trujillo dominated from 1930 to 1961 (Forrest). He gained massive power and wealth at the sacrifice of his people while repressing all his enemies. He was assassinated by Dominicans of rich stature that were not happy with his rule.

During his reign, Trujillo was obsessed with power, and a group of Dominicans dared to overthrow him. Alvarez and her family were part of that movement, and show the valor of her people through this story (Forrest). The main characters of the story are; Patria, Dede, Minerva, and Maria Theresa. These girls were of beautiful physical physique, born at the Dominican Republic on a small farm in Oja de Agua. They heard their calling while attending school. It was there they realized that they must bring down the dictator of their country.

When they reached maturity, they joined a movement that was against Trujillo The three sisters and their families battled constantly, and did not give up though everything seemed to be against them (Wotring). Maria Theresa, Patria, and Minerva died on November 25, 1960 after visiting their husbands in prison, by the fists of Rafael Trujillo’s assassins, three helpless women that were beaten to death while riding a car, by a group of superior men. The death of the Las Mariposa’s was not set aside by the people of the Dominican Republic, it served as an awakening.

It was a catalyst for the people of its islands to battle and finally overthrow the dictator. The Butterflies were a representation of dignity, pride, and resistance (The Gale Group, 2002). It is amazing how these sisters and the people of the Dominican Republic found the strength to fight the Dominican dictator, after living in fear for more than thirty years. They rebelled against the leader, knowing that their lives and their families were in great danger. That took great courage and strength, something that is not normal. The reason for this is probably because they were tired of the oppression that they have been experiencing for years.

Like a feline who scratches its predator when it is cornered, the rebels used their fear as a weapon against the dictator. It is true, that rebels are not born to become one, but they are made. Rafael Trujillo himself, created these rebels, by depriving them of their freedom. The rebels and the Butterflies were made unknowingly by the dictator, because they were sick and tired of the life that was given to them by Rafael Trujillo. In the book, we can see that Patria, Mate, and Minerva went different experiences in their lives, to make them ready for the destiny that was given to them.

The sisters did not choose their fortune, they realized it. They were like any other girls who were born and raised in a loving family, educated, and understood the values and ethics of the world. The biggest difference that made them different from any other normal girls is the setting of their lives. They were born inside a dictatorship; they felt pain, humiliation, and loss in their lives. All of these were needed, to make these women the heroines that they became. All three heroines underwent individual experiences that shaped them to become the women that they were.

Minerva for instance was the most educated and the most politically minded of the sisters, witnessed how her classmate was abducted by Rafael Trujillo and was made to be one of his mistresses. She saw how her friend was left hopelessly alone in Miami, waiting for the leader, at a very young age. Ever since then, Minerva became fearful of the leader, and even went so far as to tie her breast so that the incident that happened to her friend will never happen to her (Rich, 2002). “I could feel my breath coming short again. At first, I had thought it was caused by the cotton bandages I had started tying around my

chest so my breasts wouldn’t grow. I wanted to be sure that what had happened to Lina Lovaton would never happen to me. But every time I’d hear one more secret about Trujillo I could feel the tightening in my chest even when I wasn’t wearing bandages. ” – Minerva (Alvarez) Patria Mirabal on the other hand chose to join the rebellion group, after realizing that the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo was threatening the two most important things in her life; her family, and the church. She was the eldest and most implausible of the three sisters to join the underground movement.

But her spirituality and love for others became her source of strength to battle the dictator (Rich, 2002). “I got braver like a crab going sideways. I inched towards courage the best way I could, helping out with the little things” -Patria (Alvarez) The Youngest sister, Maria Theresa was not as strong as brave as Minerva and Patria. Julia Alvarez even reveals her fear and terror in the book. Her youth brought to her naive ness, blinding her about the truth of Rafael Trujillo. She was influenced by her family to join the movement, not really sure of what she was getting herself into.

But soon realizes the wickedness of the leader. In one point of the story, she was electrocuted by the guards of Trujillo as her husband was helplessly watching her. Maria lived inside fear for so long, but was able to overcome her fright, and learned to over power herself (Rich, 2002). “Everything just looks a little different. I see a guardia and I think, who have you killed…. I see the picture of our president with eyes that follow me around the room, and I am thinking he is trying to catch me doing something wrong.

Before, I always thought our president was like God, watching over everything I did” – Maria Theresa (Alvarez) Conclusion Julia Alvarez was able to create a beautiful story which showed to us the rich culture and history of her people. She showed to us their sufferings and hardships, through the story of the butterflies. She brought to us the trauma that the ruthlessness Dominican dictator; Rafael Trujillo brought to the Dominican Republic The heroism of the three sisters, teaches us how strong the will of the people can become, that it is so strong that it can bring down Gods.

The Mirabal sisters searched deep inside of them, and conquered their uncertainties. They lived, battled, and died for their country. It was the force of the dictator against their spirit. Julia Alvarez delivered to us the story of the people of the Dominican Republic, through the exquisite legend of the “Las Mariposas. ”

References: Alvarez, Julia. In the Time of the Butterflies. 1995. Forrest, Dave. “The Dominican Dictator: Rafael Trujillo” Gale, Thomson. “In the Time of the Butterflies Study Guide. ” 2005-2006.

Essay of the Month: “The Butterfly” The Yorkshire novelist’s 1842 essay on the “inexplicable problem” of nature from The Belgian Essays

Emily Jane Brontë

In one of those moods that everyone falls into sometimes, when the world of the imagination suffers a winter that blights its vegetation; when the light of life seems to go out and existence becomes a barren desert where we wander, exposed to all the tempests that blow under heaven, without hope of rest or shelter—in one of these black humors, I was walking one evening at the edge of a forest. It was summer; the sun was still shining high in the west and the air resounded with the songs of birds. All appeared happy, but for me, it was only an appearance. I sat at the foot of an old oak, among whose branches the nightingale had just begun its vespers. “Poor fool,” I said to myself, “is it to guide the bullet to your breast or the child to your brood that you sing so loud and clear? Silence that untimely tune, perch yourself on your nest; tomorrow, perhaps, it will be empty.” But why address myself to you alone? All creation is equally mad. Behold those flies playing above the brook; the swallows and fish diminish their number every minute. These will become, in their turn, the prey of some tyrant of the air or water; and man for his amusement or his needs will kill their murderers. Nature is an inexplicable problem; it exists on a principle of destruction. Every being must be the tireless instrument of death to others, or itself must cease to live, yet nonetheless we celebrate the day of our birth, and we praise God for having entered such a world.

During my soliloquy I picked a flower at my side; it was fair and freshly opened, but an ugly caterpillar had hidden itself among the petals and already they were shriveling and fading. “Sad image of the earth and its inhabitants!” I exclaimed. “This worm lives only to injure the plant that protects it.” Why was it created, and why was man created? He torments, he kills, he devours; he suffers, dies, is devoured—there you have his whole story. It is true that there is a heaven for the saint, but the saint leaves enough misery here below to sadden him even before the throne of God.

It was summer; the sun was still shining high in the west and the air resounded with the songs of birds. All appeared happy, but for me, it was only an appearance.

I threw the flower to earth. At that moment the universe appeared to me a vast machine constructed only to produce evil. I almost doubted the goodness of God, in not annihilating man on the day he first sinned. “The world should have been destroyed,” I said, “crushed as I crush this reptile which has done nothing in its life but render all that it touches as disgusting as itself.” I had scarcely removed my foot from the poor insect when, like a censoring angel sent from heaven, there came fluttering through the trees a butterfly with large wings of lustrous gold and purple. It shone but a moment before my eyes; then, rising among the leaves, it vanished into the height of the azure vault. I was mute, but an inner voice said to me, “Let not the creature judge his Creator; here is a symbol of the world to come.” As the ugly caterpillar is the origin of the splendid butterfly, so this globe is the embryo of a new heaven and a new earth whose poorest beauty will infinitely exceed your mortal imagination. And when you see the magnificent result of that which seems so base to you now, how you will scorn your blind presumption, in accusing Omniscience for not having made nature perish in her infancy.

As the ugly caterpillar is the origin of the splendid butterfly, so this globe is the embryo of a new heaven and a new earth whose poorest beauty will infinitely exceed your mortal imagination. And when you see the magnificent result of that which seems so base to you now, how you will scorn your blind presumption, in accusing Omniscience for not having made nature perish in her infancy.

God is the god of justice and mercy; then surely, every grief that he inflicts on his creatures, be they human or animal, rational or irrational, every suffering of our unhappy nature is only a seed of that divine harvest which will be gathered when, Sin having spent its last drop of venom, Death having launched its final shaft, both will perish on the pyre of a universe in flames and leave their ancient victims to an eternal empire of happiness and glory.

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