Sandra Benitez was born in Washington D.C. on March 26, 1941. Her birth name is Sandy Ables, she had lived her childhood in Mexico and El Salvador where her father served as a diplomat. When Benitez was a teenager she was sent to live with her grandparents up north where she had become “Americanized”. In 1979 she had left her job and had began to attend a creative writing course. “Her first novel, a murder mystery set in Missouri, was never published. She brought the novel to a writer’s conference
examine the number of times she crossed paths with Trujillo and came out on top. Or alive. That's pretty important. As stated by Minerva, "El Jefe takes my hand. "May I have the pleasure?""(Alvarez 65). In this example, Minerva meets the infamous Rafael Trujillo face to face. And he asks her to dance with him. The fact that she didn't try to escape but faced him head on is a testament to her character. "I can see my hand in a slow motion rise-a mind of its own-and come down on the astonished,
Mirabal Heroines Believing that there are things worth risking your life for is a quality that is well respected. The Mirabal sisters are all considered heroines for their work against Trujillo. Three of them even died for this cause. Minerva Mirabal is a heroine because of the way she stood up to Trujillo. She is respected throughout the Dominican Republic. In every aspect of her life, she worked against him for the good of her country. Her heroic life was especially shown by her friendships, her
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
Butterflies, Minerva Mirabal is the main character because she is the first person to open up the eyes of her family members to the true injustice being committed in her society. This novel takes place in the Dominican Republic where a dictator named Rafael Trujillo controls everything and everyone. Growing up during this time Minerva has always had a restless and rebellious urge to fight for what she wants. In The Time Of The Butterflies, Minerva is the main character because she believes that her actions
The Dominican Republic, and its owner, Rafael Leonidas Trujillo All throughout the 20th century we can observe the marked presence of totalitarian regimes and governments in Latin America. Countries like Cuba, Chile, Brazil, Argentina, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic all suffered under the merciless rule of dictators and military leaders. Yet the latter country, the Dominican Republic, experienced a unique variation of these popular dictatorships, one that in the eyes of the world of those
This book by Julia Alvarez takes place in the Dominican Republic during the time of Trujillo, the dictator of the country. The readers are introduced to a family of four sisters and their parents and are able to read about their experiences throughout their lives and how their oppressive government affected them. The four sisters names are Patria, Dede, Minerva, and Maria Teresa. As the reader progresses into the book, these names start to form characters and personalities that, quite frankly, are
The novel In The Times of the Butterflies, by Julia Alvarez, consists of a frame narrative told by the only Mirabal sister to survive the reign of Trujillo, Dede Mirabal. This story takes place in the Dominican Republic all the way back in 1938, leading up to the “present” time in 1994. At this time in the Dominican Republic, the country is being ruled by a man named Trujillo, and he is making their homeland an unsafe and horrible place. The Mirabal sisters’ participation in the political movement
Is Dede a Hero? What is a hero? Many people think instantly about, police officers, fire fighters, or perhaps a person that saves the day such as “Batman” or “superman”, but in reality a hero are not just people that save the day or other from harm. A hero can also be your parent, or parents that are there for you through your good and bad or even right and wrong days; or your brother or sister that perhaps worry about you and is determine to teach you well, this way you do not commit the same
Hitler, Joseph Stalin, and Pol Pot are amongst the group of men who have tormented, traumatized, and scarred innocent citizen into living a censored life because of their dictatorship. However, for Julia Alvarez and her family their dictator’s name was Rafael Trujillo. Trujillo caused Julia, her family, and other Dominicans to live life in fear.Similar, to this dictator was Alvarez’s mother answer to all of Julia’s questions “No flies fly into a closed mouth.” which basically means to be silent. Coincidentally
Julia Alvarez in the short story, Liberty, depicts that a little girl whose family killed the Dictator of the Dominican Republic his name was Rafael Trujillo's. Alvarez doesn't really ever denied this story's truth and she doesn’t really say it's true. The author's point of this video is to show the audience about the things some people will do to get into the United States of America. The author speaks in an informative tone for the audience to hear her and understands what she is saying. This story
Throughout the novel, In The Time of The Butterflies, three sisters are able to experience Trujillo’s dictatorship. The novel is set during the years 1943 through 1994 in the Dominican Republic. The novel follows four sisters throughout their lives and describes how each sister joins the revolutionary cause at the time. In the novel, In The Time of The Butterflies, three sisters are able to exhibit courage in their own way which allows them all to join the revolution against Trujillo. Maria Teresa
Alvarez, uses the Mirabal sisters to portray different paths to resistance against political oppression, and illustrates why these sisters decided to go up against the dictatorship. Minerva is the first sister to learn the truth about the evil dictator, Rafael Trujillo. She is the second youngest, and is the most intellectual, as well as the most outspoken of the four sisters. After hearing that her school friend Sinita’s brother was killed by Trujillo, she decides to join the underground resistance. I
“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life…Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition” (Steve Jobs). In The Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez, the Mirabal sisters are the valiant protagonists who display immense courage to overthrow a sadistic regime in the Dominican Republic run by President Trujillo. Trujillo’s regime treats women with great inferiority, and disappears
Patria Mercedes Mirabal is the oldest of the Mirabal sisters. Her and her sisters grew up under Trujillo’s dictatorship. Throughout the book she is the most religious Patria had a decision to make whether to follow her beliefs or join the revolution that was rising up. Her mother describes her as always being a generous young lady. Slowly she grows and also her desire to become a nun. Patria and Minerva go to Inmaculada Concepcion as boarding students. Patria is an idealistic young Catholic girl
of their family members. As the plot of the story develops through the perspectives of the Mirabal sisters; Dedé, Patria, Minerva and Maria Teresa, it becomes evident that the girls, along with their families, are struggling with the harsh rule of Rafael Leonidas Trujillo. In response to the conflict, the sisters establish hatred towards their ruler and decide to join an underground revolution which fights against his severe regime. The girls recruit most of their family except Dedé and her husband
In Julia Alvarez’s, In the Time of the Butterflies, the three butterflies hold a strong personality each unique to one another, guiding them through the revolution. Patria becomes cautious, measuring each action making sure if it’s smart and safe. Mate has an imaginative brain, with a strong will to hold on, she withstands torture without cracking and fights against the regime as she still grasps onto her innocent playful attitude. However, Minerva displays a strong head, her words and actions demonstrate
candidates for his job. Trujillo is just like these famous dictators, just like Minerva compares him to them during the book In the Time Of the Butterflies. Just like those dictators, he had his method of making himself look good by manipulating history. Rafael Trujillo’s power influenced a lot of groups during the time of his rule . The groups that got most affected by Trujillo's regime where religion, education and gender roles. One of the few things that all of the Mirabal sisters have in common are
Butterflies, tells the story of the Mirabal sisters and their unusual demise. In the 1960's Dominican Republic, three of the sisters, Minerva, Maria Teresa, and Patria Mirabal, are members of the underground movement against the rule of the dictator, Rafael Trujillo. The story leads the reader to how they were ambushed on a small road and murdered, though it was unjustly covered up as an accident. Alvarez’s novel is made up of three different sections, with a finishing epilogue at the end. Each chapter
In the Time of Butterflies, A Latin American masterpiece, we read the story of 4 sisters (Minerva, Dede, Maria and Patria) in a time of dictatorship by Rafeal Trujillo. The story portrays the struggles the sisters go through as they are ordered to be killed for their resistant against their leader who they find to actually be a killer. Throughout the book we see multiple themes presented such as Family, Religion, feminity and violence. Throughout this story we see the importance of family especially