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Literary Techniques Used In Julia Alvarez's In The Time Of The Butterflies

589 Words3 Pages

Liliana Villa In this section of In the Time of the Butterflies, Julia Alvarez uses various literary elements specifically interior monologue, and figurative language to show how Mate discovers she is willing to sacrifice herself for the movement. Mate was taken by officers in hopes she could be used as persuasion towards Leonardo through torture. When Leonardo tells the officers to leave her out of it, the officers in turn beat Leonardo. Mate, being in shock, began screaming for them to stop, she claims “It felt like my very own stomach was being punched”, which shows at first Mate was only thinking about what was happening to her own life. She was not concerned about the consequences her actions could have carried for the people in the movement. However through the use of interior monologue, Mate realizes something. For example on page 255 the use of interior monologue with the line “I was so tempted to say, Ay ---, save yourself, save us. But I couldn’t. It was if that would have been the real …show more content…

For example the last sentences of the chapter were, “Then Bloody Juan gathered up my clothes, but I wouldn't let him help me. I dressed myself and walked out to the wagon on my own two feet.”, which shows Mate didn’t regret what had happened nor felt sorry for herself. This is because her walking “on my own two feet” shows she will carry the strength it takes to support the movement. Alvarez effectively used interior monologue and figurative language to show how Mate is willing to do what she feels necessary to support the movement such as sacrifice. Mate at first was only concerned about the wellbeing of her husband since they were in a place of complete vulnerability. However towards the end the reader is left with seeing Mate as a person who will do anything to support the movement she is apart of. In the end of the passage, Mate changes from selfish to

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