In The Time Of The Butterflies Book Report

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

“‘The butterflies are sad today,” he noted. That made me sit up and dry my tears. The butterflies were not about to give up! We had suffered a setback but we had not been beaten.” (Alvarez 269). The reader can clearly see that Minerva Mirabal is exceptionally courageous. She did not give up, even when it got hard. When she heard that her husband may be killed in jail, she realized she had to fight to save him instead of dwelling in her sadness. Minerva kept fighting Trujillo for their independence. She did not want him to win and take her loved ones away. Minerva understood that if she gave up, she would never succeed. This is shown when she decides to return to her old, courageous self, and not let Trujillo putting her and her husband in jail, make her weak. Without courage, Minerva Mirabal would not be able to fight her battle in finding her freedom. Minerva realized that without courage she couldn’t succeed. In the end, Minerva chose to fight back, even with the consequences she endured.

The phrase problem solver has the definition in the phrase. A problem solver solves problems. Problems can also turn into major issues. An individual's acknowledgement to issues in their life can expose their true inner persona. In the books In The Time of The Butterflies and Macbeth there are many problems that the characters face.

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.

Minvera Mirabal stood as a symbol of revolution to those who wanted to see the downfall of Rafael Trujillo. Her and two of her three sisters were advocates of the revolution until the sad ending of the story in which the three sisters were killed in a car crash. But before the ending of the Mirabal sisters can be discussed, the life of Minerva and the point she developed her political principles must be addressed.

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 book, In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez, the four Mirabal sisters were forced to live under the political oppression of the Dominican dictator Trujillo. Despite, the thematic changes that occurred in the book, there are other information about Dominican Republic that one can further understand. The recurring topics in the book were political oppression and traditional religious practice/ beliefs. There is evidence that shows the life of people who are living under the fear of the dictator and how the religious beliefs and traditional views on women scoped the society during that time period.

Minerva with her revolutionary fever and contagious spirit seems unstoppable for a time in her fight against Trujillo’s regime. Despite warnings to watch out for her safety and well being, Minerva continued to push boundaries and dared to go where all other Dominicans feared to go. Patria was the religious, faithful sister, who showed her hidden boldness starting a Christian revolutionary group and joined with Minerva. Maria Theresa was the happiest, the most upbeat, Mirabal sister. In the beginning, she was only along for the ride, but as she continued to work towards the change for her country, she became more and more inspired and touched by her own goals. Lastly, Dede was always the most cautious and careful sister. She was one who remained uninvolved with her sisters’ revolution. Dede had warned the others that were danger and that should not go up to the secluded prison. She and although her sisters tried more than once to include her in their cause, she refused. –From Smith In The Time Of The Butterflies (http://www.blogger.com)

Julia Alvarez’s book, In the Time of Butterflies, is the detailed retelling of how four sisters lived through an oppressive dictatorship. Throughout the book each sister goes through a great deal of hardships both mentally and physically. The Mirabal sisters’ throughout the book sacrifice so much, by doing this it shows their determination towards receiving their freedom, and their courageousness.

The Mirabal sisters were instrumental in the toppling of Rafael Trujillo’s regime in the Dominican Republic. Julia Alvarez uses Las Mariposas to exhibit different ways in which people can become politicized in times of revolution. She uses these women for several reasons: they are well known, and while they all had the same up bringing they all hold different values. The Mirabal sisters became politicized in different ways and for different reasons. Minerva became a revolutionary when she saw that her country was unjust. Mate became a revolutionary when she see’s that love is not alienated in the rebellion and that her help is needed. Patria became a revolutionary when her faith was rekindled and her faith becomes apart of the revolution.

In the novel, In the Time of the Butterflies, by Julia Alvarez, there are many aspects that have an effect on courage. Each of the four Mirabal sisters have their own moments of courage that are unique in different ways. Throughout the novel, the Mirabal sisters’ motivations to become involved in the revolution all emerge from their influential friends family members, and their desire to protect and impress those people. Although Patria’s motivation to have courage and take part in the Revolution involves her family, the main cause of Patria’s collaboration is due to a spiral of events and her strong faith.

After talking with Father Gabriel at communion, Minerva thinks, “I hid my anxieties and gave everyone a bright smile. If they had only known…how much it took to put on that hardest of all performances, being my old self again.” (Alvarez 259). Minerva’s candid diction of “hid,” “only,” “known,” “how much,” “hardest of all performances,” “old self,” and “again,” reveal not only how much she is willing to do for the revolution, but also her courage. It is not through a lack of fear that she puts on “that hardest of all performances,” but it is her courage in spite of her fear that makes her astonishing.Furthermore, Minerva’s use of “gave,” “everyone,” and “bright smile,” highlights her bravery, because she is willing to overcome her insecurities and self-doubt, if only for a moment, so that she continues to inspire the Dominican people. In all self-knowledge and bravery, it is evident that she is solely a human woman; she is simply someone who is hurting and afraid, but she has the courage to give “everyone a bright smile” to inspire the people and keep the revolution alive, no matter “how much” it hurts to be her “old self again.” By becoming the symbol of the revolution, Minerva reveals her exemplary

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.

This second journal is based on chapters five to seven of In The Time of the Butterflies. I think that these chapters are very important for the plot of the novel. Chapter five is from Dede's perspective. In this chapter, Dede and her sister Minerva meet a man named Lio, and he is a revolutionist like Minerva. They fall in love, but Minerva does not want to admit it. Later, Lio decides to move to a safer location because his protests are getting him in trouble with the government. He writes a letter for Minerva and gives it to Dede so that she could bring the letter to her sister. However, Dede reads the letter and finds out that Lio wants to ask Minerva to move with him, so Dede burns the letter to keep her sister safe with her family. I think

“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’