Analysis Of In The Time Of The Butterflies By Julia Alvarez

In the book Alvarez informs us that this takes place during Trujillo 's reign over the Dominican Republic in the 1930’s to the 1960’s. Throughout history dictators have risen and fallen all across the world. Many have been seen as evil, and sometimes good to others, but no matter what a persons view tend to be there are some who even consider them god. Due to a dictators extensive powers and complete control over every aspect of a persons life this is what comes to be. Trujillo is just the same, at first his true motives were questioned and it wasn’t apparent to all what he really was. As the Mirabel sisters grow up it becomes clear that Trujillo is in control of more of their lives than it may seemed. Trujillo leads a complete authoritarian rule over the Dominican Republic with spies everywhere, this can suggest that he trying to assume the role of a terrible god, who is always watching and ready to punish. While all

It didn't form an emotional connection, and it focused less on the Mirabal family and more on the interaction between them and the revolution and the regime. The experiences and journal writings in the narrative make it unique and intriguing to the readers, which the movie seemed to lack. The narrative was written by all four sisters, so the reader received their point of view on things, in contrary the movie seemed to be portrayed through Minerva’s point of view. Consequently, it didn't give Patria, Dede, or Maria Teresa a voice in the movie. All the sisters were involved with the revolution, but it wasn't really shown well in the

All four sisters reject their stereotypical role as women in the society by standing up for their beliefs and the revolution. When Minerva said,” It’s about time we women had a voice in running our country,”(Alvarez ?Chapter 1?) shows how outspoken she is about her country. The way Minerva demands equality shows the influence that men have over women in the Dominican culture. During the 1960s, the men expected women to be housewives, and to just cook and clean. In the book when Jaimito says,” The Mirabal sisters like to run their men, that was the problem. In his house, we was the one to wear the pants.”(Alvarez, 176-177) That shows that men expect women to be below them.

In some cases butterflies represent beauty, freedom, and imagery. In the Time of the Butterflies, by Julia Alvarez, The Mirabal sisters represent honor and freedom by the way they react in the book. An example of Minerva Mirabal exemplifying freedom is when she says, “I stare at Manuel de Moya as if pinning him to the wall. ‘I’d sooner jump out that window than be forced to do something against my honor’” (111). This quote explains how Minerva will stick for her true roots, and will not ever do anything to dishonor her family. Minerva and the rest of the Mirabal sisters do what they think is right and will do whatever it takes to stay true to what they believe in. Another example of the Mirabal sisters representing a butterfly is when

Dedé Mirabal was the sister who survived and persevered through constant grief and loss. She felt forced to fake a smile and pretend that her life was perfect. On page 65 it states, “I’m my own person. I’m tired of being the daughter of a legend,” (Alvarez.) Most of her life she was overlooked because of the death of her sisters, but she was a hero too. Despite the marvelous life’s that her sisters lived , she was forced to live most of her life without them. Dedé is a symbol of the one who was left behind. Her sisters’ left her to live in their legacy. She had a lot to live up to, but managed to rise above and make a name for herself.

In the novel In the Time of the Butterflies, written by Julia Alvarez, one of the main characters, Minerva, shows many different types of courage throughout the whole story. The novel is about the true story of how a family is dominated by their countries dictator and the daughters attempt to free themselves and their family.

In the Time of the Butterflies, written by Julia Alvarez, creates a fiction story about the true events of the Mirabal sisters and taking over the Dominican Republic’s government. In the Time of the Butterflies contains the classic war between passion and responsibility. Personal causes, love, a desire for revenge, determination to redress a wrong, or other emotions or drives conflict with moral duty. In In the Time of the Butterflies, many characters confront the demands of a private passion that conflicts with his or her responsibilities. Patria, the oldest Mirabal sister, struggles with her faith, and deciding whether to join the revolution with her sisters, or to follow her faith. Patria’s religion was an important aspect of her life since she was very young and throughout the course of the story, she attains and loses her faith in God.

To begin, Dede’s ability to support and stay in contact with her sisters without getting too involved with the dangers of the government allow her to stay safe, as well as tell accurate stories from the time of Trujillo’s reign. Through all the struggles her sisters undergo, Dede still supports and cares for them. Even after her sisters are freed from jail, Dede still finds herself in the habit “of staying over the nights before our visits. She said she had to be at Mama’s early the next day anyhow to help with all of the children once we left”

Likewise, another factor that assists in Trujillo’s persistent control of the Dominican Republic is his abuse of power. Rules are restrictions and too many rules lead to the entrapment of citizens. Julia Alvarez specifically utilizes the word “weakness” to portray the character trait that the majority of the citizens possess. In the word “weakness,” one thinks about not-strong and lack of courage. In essence, no one has the courage to stand up to Trujillo. For example, we see the common trait through the quote, “People who opened their big mouths didn’t live very long.”

The murder of the Maribal sisters has given the world an inside view on the lives of the sisters. Trujillo‘s evil dictatorship impacted the lives of the dominican people and left a scar on their hearts forever. Since the assassination of Trujillo, the sisters have been recognized through their poems, letters, and books. Larry Rohter, author, explained in a 1997 New York Times article that “the sisters were known in their days as members of the anti-Trujillo underground, into symbols of both popular and feminist resistance.” This explains the power and freedom the sisters were able to achieve for themselves and for the Dominican society. The sisters fought for freedom continuously and were able to defeat a dictator with their power of

The beginning of the book starts out when the Mirabal sisters, Patria, Dedé, Minerva, and Maria Teresa,

In this extraordinary novel , you are taken on the journey of the Mirabal sisters during Trujillo's reign. First you are introduced to Dede the only surviving sister. She is having flashbacks to when her sisters lived, while doing an interview. The interview starts off telling about the girls early years. When Minerva convinces her Papa to send them away for school she meets Sinita. Minerva shares her beliefs and knowledge of Trujillo and how she is sure he was responsible for the death of her family. When Minerva and and her friends are asked to perform a play for Trujillo himself they quickly accept. When performing Sinita pulls a fatal stunt, she tries to attack Trujillo with a bow and arrow. Minerva had to quickly pull the play back

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’

The Mirabal family, heroes of the Dominican Republic, revolutionized the Dominican dictator by overthrowing him. Minerva, María Teresa, Patria, and Dedé Mirabal were the leaders each putting their life at risk to fight for what they believe in. The four sisters worked together in order to make a difference, all putting a bountiful amount of courage, some more than others, so that they can put an end to the dreaded dictator’s reign, with the help of Julia Alvarez, spreading the word in her book In the Time of the Butterflies.