Time Of The Butterflies Figurative Language

Thomas C. Foster’s How to Read Literature Like a Professor allows people to take books that they normally wouldn’t think to analyze in a certain way and opens a whole new spectrum on literature. In the TIme of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez connects with the idea and principles of Foster’s book if you take a deep look in the book you are reading. Like Foster says in chapter seven or the bible, In the Time of the Butterflies is a literary work able to connect with this chapter, having a bible reference to extend or emphasize the story thematically.

I have noticed several influences in In the Time of the Butterflies, primarily gender inequalities and political tensions. Alvarez also does a great job incorporating the Dominican Republic’s traditions and religion. Unfortunately, this article did not have much relating to the politics in this novel’s time period, but did mention quite a few examples of gender inequality. The first sign of gender inequality I saw in this novel was rather subtle, “a car slowed, and the boys inside called out compliments. Sister scowled fiercely at them…” and based on the Sister’s response to this, I believe ‘catcalls’ would be a better term instead of compliments (Alvarez, 27). The article transitioned to family and mentioned that children stayed in their

As the great Arnold Schwarzenegger once said, “Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength.” The book In the Time of the Butterflies is about a family of four girls who are living in the Dominican Republic under a very dangerous dictator. They rebel against him and the government to join a revolution along with many other people from the Dominican. In In the Time of the Butterflies, Julia Alvarez uses the characterization of Patria to demonstrate the danger of passive religious belief.

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.

Death is a word associated with loss, grief and sadness, but in the novel In the Time of the Butterflies we see death in a whole new perspective; martyrdom. Strong, independent, caring, honest, and having firm beliefs are all characteristics we see in a martyr especially in Patria. In the novel we explore the wonders of Julia Alvarez’s writing and get to witness Patria as a martyr and an individual who fought for the right of women against a dictator: Trujillo.

“Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.” (Andre Gide) In the novel, In the Time of the Butterflies, written by Julia Alvarez, four sisters are led through a risk infested journey in which they must overcome hindrances with hollow consequences. This historical fiction novel takes us through a rollercoaster of events, incorporating everything from the partialities towards women, to life below the oppressive administration of the Dominican Republic’s dictator, Rafael Trujillo. The events painted by the four sisters give us some insight as to the positives and negatives of life in the Dominican Republic. As the novel progresses, we see the diversity in relation to the

If the average person wanted to stand up to adversity, would they have the courage to do it? In the historical-fiction novel, In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez, the four Mirabal sisters (Dedé, Minerva, María, and Patria) stand up to adversity and join a revolution against the tyrannical Trujillo regime in the Dominican Republic. In their own time, all of the sisters gain the courage to join the revolution and attempt to remove the Trujillo regime from power. The Mirabal sisters commitment to their cause raises the questions: What is courage, and which sister best exemplifies the qualities of courage and why? Courage is an individual who defends their beliefs and does not fail because of fear. Minerva best exemplifies courage through her selfless composure, resilience, and defiance to the Trujillo regime, and her inspiration to others.

The novel In the time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvares is an incredible story about four sisters , known as the Mirabel sisters from the dominican republic. They want to over throw the Evil dictator rafael Trujillo. As a result of the deaths of the three sisters Dede is left to tell the story of her sisters and continues to keep the story alive. The author tells the story in a way where you can see how each sister shows courage and purpose. One of the purposes used in this novel was to show how important it is to help and care for others just like the Marible sisters cared for each other.

Role models are essential figures to have in life. They practically obtain the power of controlling their so called “worshippers”. The followers of this role model strive to mimic their mentor, attempting to become the person that, in their eyes, is faultless. However, knowing the human nature, people have imperfections. These flaws may not be seen by the admirers at first, but once it is revealed, the almost god-like image of the mentor is destroyed. A few instances of this situation can be found in Julia Alvarez’s novel, In the Time of the Butterflies. From the father of the Mirabal sisters to the father of the Dominican Republic, they disappointed their fans when their true colors were shown. So as pure as the mentor may seem in the eyes

Julia Alvarez's In the Time of the Butterflies tells the true story of the Mirabal sisters and their journey to overthrow Trujillo. After their deaths, the Mirabal sisters became a symbol of women struggle for the Dominican Republic. Throughout the book, it becomes apparent that women have fewer rights than men. For example, the novel depicts Minerva's struggle to get a law degree ( ) and Dedé struggle to join the rebellion due to gender roles. This only made me think and question gender roles in the Dominican Republic during Trujillo's dictatorship. Traditionally, the Dominican Republic has been a society where males are the head of the household and there is a long history of machismo (male pride). This ideology during Trujillo's dictatorship

Even though the acts of the Mirabal sisters are based on true events, Julia Alvarez gives a fictional voice to capture and remember the spirit of their memory and carry out their legacy. Alvarez argues “a novel is not, after all, a historical document, but a way to travel through the human heart” (Alvarez 324). Alvarez successfully does this in her historical fiction novel, In the Time of the Butterflies, by enticing her readers and transporting them as if they were a part of the Mirabal family.

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.

History may define the identity of a nation, but its progress and social change makes the nation a legacy. The way society is systemized today is the result of a millennia of years of victories and failures. Social change is a blessing of humanity where the basic traits of expression, belief, greed and cruelty unite to determine the fate of society. Julia Alvarez’s In the Time of Butterflies illuminates the early to middle 20th century Dominican Republic society, where the Mirabal sisters, Dedé, Maria Teresa, Patria, and Minerva, are agitators of revolution after seeing dictator

“In the Time of the Butterflies” by Julia Alvarez fictionalizes the harrowing lives of the Mirabal sisters, who came to represent an underground resistance against the dictator of their native Dominican Republic, Trujillo. Though the Mirabal sisters were indeed real and parts of Alvarez’s novel reflect true events, this is a fictionalized account of what these sisters faced throughout their lives. Readers know from the beginning that three of the four sisters will not survive the regime, but they were shown to be noble warriors for their people throughout the novel regardless. Alvarez utilizes immersion, tension, and point of view to weave a unique story of survival and strength in the face of opposition.

After living a difficult childhood life, Julia Alvarez wrote a book to represent and explain her strenuous childhood. Since In the Time of Butterflies was a representation of Alvarez’s life, she incorporated themes that she felt were attached to her childhood. In her life, family was a major