In the Time of the Butterflies is a historical fiction novel by Julia Alvarez based on events that occurred during the rule of Trujillo in the Dominican Republic. This book shows the hardships the Mirabal Sisters had to go through while being part of an underground effort to overthrow the dictatorship of Trujillo. It also shows that ultimately, it was their courage that brought upon their own death. Alvarez wants us to understand anyone and everyone has the potential to be courageous. Minerva is able to show her courage at a dinner party thrown by Trujillo, the dictator at the time. At the party she went to reluctantly, Trujillo asks Minerva to dance. Knowing of Trujillo’s offensive past with females, she is hesitant to accept, but says
Minerva and Maria Teresa are two characters in Julia Alvarez’s In Time of the Butterflies. Minerva is one of the four main characters of the novel, as well as Maria Teresa. Minerva is the second youngest of the family and is very caring and kind. She was talking to her friend Sinita, who was one of the girls she met at school, and told her, “Tell me Sinita, maybe it’ll help” (Alvarez 16). Her friend Sinita told her the story about her brother’s death and Minerva felt sympathetic for her lost. Maria Teresa is the youngest of the Mirabal sisters and the ...
Within the novel, “In the Time of the Butterflies,” Mate, Minerva, Dede, and Patria had to create decisions to overcome obstacles that would transform each of their lives. Throughout the book, all of the sisters changed somehow. They all grew up, matured, and saw things how they never viewed before. While looking at these things at a different perception, they learned to make decisions that were sometimes brave and sometimes cowardly. Each of the Mirabal sisters had to choose whether or not to be fearful and give up, or be courageous and stand her ground, or make sacrifices to show her strength throughout the novel.
Julia Alvarez’s In the Time of the Butterflies is an account of the four Mirabal sisters’ lives in the Dominican Republic during Rafael Trujillo’s dictatorship. Three of the Mirabal sisters - Minerva, Patria and Maria Teresa sacrificed their lives in the name of freedom by participating in the underground movement which opposed Trujillo’s dictatorship. Their participation in the revolution was a threat to Trujillo’s power and this resulted in the three sisters being killed. The novel tells the story from the point of view of each of the four siblings. The sisters, also referred to as, “The Butterflies,” each had a different approach to dealing with life under Trujillo’s reign. Minerva, the first person from her family to join the revolution, was motivated by principles and she contributed consistently to the revolution. Dede is the only survivor from the Mirabal sisters’ family, this is because she did not participate in the revolution. However, she takes care of the deceased children and tells the story of
In any culture women are often confined by expectations of womanhood. In both stories the female characters challenge those expectations. The main characters of In the Time of the Butterflies are all females who stand up for what they believe in and don’t give up. “’What if I can’t’ Dede’s voice shook. ‘Jaimito thinks
“had to be brave for Sinita.” (19). This “hero’s attitude” is further evident in Minerva’s interactions with her sisters. One poignant example of this heroism is seen when Maria Teresa confronts minerva about why she was going to secret meetings at Don Horacio’s house, and asks her why she's doing such a dangerous thing. Minerva responds that she wants maria teresa to grow up in a free country, perfectly illustrating how minerva is willing to sacrifice herself so that the people around her can grow up in a better
The Mirabal sisters from the Dominican Republic, known as the butterflies, fought against the regime of the cruel dictator Rafael Trujillo. They were murdered on November 25, 1960, for their activism and work in the anti-Trujillo movement known as the Fourteenth of June. Their sacrifice is still recognized today, 57 years later, and has had a lasting impact on human rights activism throughout the world. Their brutal assassination led to a regime change and eventual assassination of President Trujillo, recognition of the power resistant movements hold and world-wide awareness of violence against women.
Daily News On November 25, 1960, three of the four Mirabal sisters were sentenced to death by vicious Trujillo. Ever since their assassinations, the Mirabal Sisters have become the “symbols of popular and feminist resistance.” The Butterflies got involved in surreptitious activities against the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo.
The “Butterfly’s Tongue” is a film directed by Jose Luis Cuerda that transports us to Spain during the Second Spanish Republic and draws a clear and authentic image of the years before the civil war and the transition to it. The main focuses of the film are education, the new generations, and the continual battle (first "civilized" and then violent) between two completely contrasting ideologies for trying to control these two fundamental social elements. Cuerda masterfully manages the scenic positioning of her characters in several of the scenes to demonstrate this ideological struggle. An undoubted demonstration of this is the arrangement where the little Moncho (Manuel Lozano) is in the midpoint, while Don Gregorio (Fernando Gomez) and the
She had an outright hatred for the man, and wanted nothing more than to see him fall. Although each of the sisters acted courageously, Minerva Mirabal was the most outwardly brave and dogmatic of the Mirabal sisters. Without her absolute intolerance for living in the subjugating circumstances, the revolution may very well have not occurred. Minerva was well informed of politics and the law through her studies and had no plan to sit around idly and let Trujillo continue his reign of terror. She was not only courageous in that she attempted to overthrow Trujillo, but she risked her life and the safety of her family for something much bigger than herself. She was willing to risk it all in order to free her family and the people of the Dominican Republic. “I asked Minerva why she was doing such a dangerous thing. And then, she said the strangest thing. She wanted me to grow up in a free country” (Alvarez,1.3.100). Minerva uses her little sister as motivation to continue seeking justice, she wants very badly for her sister to grow up in a free country. This devotion to the revolution was proven when Trujillo backed Minerva into a corner at one of his dinner parties, Minerva acted out of instinct and slapped him, articulating her notion of not taking any of his zealous ploys. Despite the fact that her actions against Trujillo are wayward and risky she has no intention of stopping until justice is
Her strong belief in rising against the Rafael Trujillo regime influenced numerous decisions brought upon her. When Minerva’s attendance was specifically requested, “El Jefe” attempts to charm her and implies that he would like to “conquer” her while dancing at his private party. Minerva then wittily replied, “’I’m afraid I’m not for conquest”’ (Alvarez 99). This quote demonstrates that Minerva was assertive and did not give in easily. She was aware of Trujillo’s imperious ways and certainly knew what he was capable of. She then proceeded to slap Trujillo at his attempt to seduce her. This decision influenced Minerva’s life because she was now a sworn enemy of the regime. This momentous event ignites a flame inside Minerva because she was now more determined to revolutionize and fight for the rights of the people in the Dominican
Trujillo is worshiped and praised by most everyone in the Dominican Republic. Minerva knows that his doings do not deserve to be praised, and she does something about it. The first time Minerva truly confronts Trujillo is when the Mirabals are invited to a dinner hosted by Trujillo. When they arrive to the dinner, Minerva discovers that Trujillo has invited her to his table. She does not have the comfort of sitting with her family but instead is put in the spotlight right next to him. Eventually Minerva dances with Trujillo. While they are dancing together, Trujillo makes some very vulgar remarks about Minerva. Clearly Minerva is not comfortable with his comments. Then Minerva does the unthinkable. She slaps Trujillo in the face. Minerva says, “I can see my hand in an endless slow motion rise- a mind all of it’s own-and come down on the astonished made-up face.” (Alvarez 100). Minerva shows a great deal of courage when she slaps him in the face. Most people wouldn’t even think about standing up to Trujillo because they know the power that he holds over them. Minerva
Later on in the scene, Trujillo tries to drug Minerva. He has done to many young women in the past and his objective is always to rape them. Alvarez uses imagery to show how the other sisters try to warn Minerva of the danger she is in. Minerva tells us “Dede catches my eye… She touches her glass and gives me the slightest nod. Don’t drink anything you are offered, the gesture reminds me. We’ve heard the stories. Young women drugged, then raped by El Jefe” (Alvarez 95) This small gesture Dede gives Minerva shows us how lucky Minerva is to have her sister watch out for her and to have Dede as another strong woman by her side during this dance where Trujillo could take advantage of her. It also shows us Trujillo’s evil, and the extent he was willing to go to in order to get his way. This proves Trujillo is a corrupt man. In addition to this, the pills handed to Minerva by Don Manuel are symbols of corruption, with those pills and the help of his SIM, Trujillo has drugged many young women and taken advantage of them. After Minerva is given this warning by her sister Trujillo’s partner, Don Manuel, asks minerva to dance. When she refuses due to a headache he jumps at the opportunity to drug her by offering her Calmantes (headache pills like “advil”) that he could easily swap out for drugs. she refuses saying she already has her own pills that patria hands to her very quickly
Ann Rinaldi has written many books for young teenagers, she is an Award winning author who writes stories of American history and makes them become real to the readers. She has written many other books such as A Break with Charity, A Ride into Morning, and Cast two Shadows, etc. She was born in New York City on August 27, 1934. In 1979, at the age of 45, she finished her first book.
"The Death of the Moth," written by Virginia Woolf, explains the brief life of a moth corresponding with the true nature of life and death. In this essay, Woolf puts the moth in a role that represents life. Woolf makes comparisons of the life outside to the life of the moth. The theme is the mystery of death and the correspondence of the life of the moth with the true nature of life. The images created by Woolf are presented that appeal to the eye. For instance, the moth's body during the death is appealing to the eye. The image makes the reader more interested. The essence of true life is energy. As Woolf describes, "I could fancy that a thread of vital light became visible. He was little or nothing but life" (Woolf 427). The thread of vital light represents the energy.
Minerva does not try and escape even though she “is always sad like a house on fire—always something wrong. She has many troubles, but the big one is her husband who left and keeps leaving” (Cisneros 63). Minerva is clearly unhappy, but because she is accepting of her role and she will not leave him. She does not have the power to leave her husband and if she tried she would probably be beaten or worse. Esperanza wants to help Minerva but there is nothing that she can do for her: “Next week she comes over black and blue and asks what can she do? Minerva. I don’t know which way she’ll go. There is nothing I can do” (Cisneros 63). Esperanza knows that she cannot do anything for Minerva. It will take the power of Minerva removing herself from the abusive situation to actually save herself. Minerva having no power in her marriage is a clear relationship back to the theme of women accepting their role with men as their superior.