Imagine a man who is the intimidating dictator of the country, and has intentions to hurt and kill anyone who stands in his way. Now imagine leading a revolution against this dictator, becoming one of his obstacles. This was how Minerva, Patria, Dede, and Maria Teresa Mirabal lived their lives. These girls lived in the Dominican Republic during the time when Rafael Trujillo was the dictator. They led a revolution against him, which ultimately sabotaged their lives. The oppression from the Trujillo regime proved to be more successful than the Mirabal sisters’ fight against him in Julia Alvarez’s In the Time of the Butterflies because of the way Trujillo controlled the sisters’ lives, denounced their religion, and eventually murdered them. While …show more content…
Trujillo deliberately had them assassinated because of the revolution they led. He also planted Rufino to help with this operation. Rufino was planted as a fake companion so he could build trust from the sisters. Although he worked for Trujillo’s regime, he acted kind towards the girls and built a friendship with them. In the end, the reader can infer that this was all part of a trap. Trujillo knew exactly where Rufino would be driving that car on November 25, 1960 and sent someone to murder Minerva, Patria, and Mate. This had a lasting impact on the family, especially Dede. For the rest of her life, she had to live with this yearning to have more time with her sisters. Dede missed them greatly, and it took a toll on her constantly having to tell their story to strangers. Although the girls are remembered as heroes, it does not make up for the fact that they are gone. Their children have a void in their lives, missing their mothers. The murder of the Mirabal sisters was devastating for not only the family, but to the whole country. The country lost their revolution leaders and it confirmed that Trujillo was winning the
The proletariat's fear of Trujillo helped facilitate the hegemony in their society, furthering the difference in class power between Trujillo, and the rest of the Dominican Republic. This is how Trujillo was able to stay dominant and in a position of power for such a long period. In the quote, Maria Teresa said that she was “wanting to be safe” (227). Maria Teresa wanted to be safe because she knew that she was already in danger, due to Trujillo filling her with terror by putting her in prison. Trujillo putting the Mariposas in prison acted as a warning of what he could do to them, their parents, and their families.
I believe Trujillo became frustrated and impatient with Minerva’s
In the Dominican Republic between the 1930s and 1960s, there was a family of sisters who was determined to make a change for the people of their country. Trujillo was an unruly, brutal, vicious dictator who ruled with an iron fist. Under his rule, anyone who would step out of line would be killed. This would include spreading word about how he ran his country. Trujillo made sure he knew what everyone was doing by deploying spies near most homes and businesses.
Trujillo has cracked down on the revolution and the men are now sitting hopeless in jail. Patria is worried about the wellbeing of her beloved 18 year old son Nelson. “My heart was beating fast. I knew once I said it I couldn’t take it back. Oh Lord, release my son, I prayed.
The courageous acts of the Mirabal sisters Harrison Thomas In the novel in the time of the butterflies, Julia Alverez the author shows how the Mirabal sisters were extremely determined to take down Trujillo and his dictatorship. Throughout the novel the Mirabal sisters Dede, Minerva and Patria were all seen participating in the rebellion using courage by their side to do numerous things. Some off these things consist of slapping Trujillo, running away from armed guards, and even sneaking out every night to keep the secret away from Dede’s husband. Finally, the sisters are all seen caring and looking out for each other all throughout the book using courage to help make their decisions.
It provides a role in character development shown predominantly in Patrias character. It shows the extent of Trujillo’s actions against the Dominican people by showing Patrias desperateness for her son. These examples depicted in the book show how the theme of religion has an impact on In the Time of the
Courage Courage is strength in the face of pain. Julia Alvarez portrays different types of courage in her novel, In the Time of the Butterflies. The novel is set during the time of Trujillo's dictatorship in the Dominican Republic. As a result, some of the Mirabal sisters; Minerva, Maria Teresa, and Patria, to take a step in joining a revolution against him.
The Mirabal sisters were revolutionaries who opposed the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo. During the revolution, they were given the code name “Las Mariposas”, or “the butterflies”. The term “mariposa” suits each sister in a different way. Patria, Dedé, Minerva, and Mate Mirabal each have their one reason to be compared to a butterfly. The nickname “mariposa” shows who the Mirabal sisters are; they transformed from domestic, innocent mothers and wives into brave, defiant martyrs for national freedom.
Trujillo was a dictator who wanted to rule everything in Dominican Republic. Literally, he wanted to control everything including people’s thought. People who disagree or set themselves against him would end with tragedy. “The Reign of Trujillo was not the best time to be a
Julia Alvarez’s In the Time of the Butterflies is a work of historical fiction set in the Dominican Republic that focuses on the four Mirabal sisters who bond together to rebel against the corrupt leader of their country, Rafael Trujillo. The four Mirabal sisters, Patria, Dedé, Minerva, and María Teresa form closer relationships with each other as they figure out a way to bring down the tyranny of Rafael Trujillo. Although they have a mutual goal, each of the Mirabal sisters has different feelings and thoughts throughout this time period. The theme of coming-of-age and identify is best exemplified through the character of María Teresa, known as Mate, through the ways she matures throughout the novel and becomes her own person who stands up for what she believes in.
Trujillo gets worried when he learns about the 14th of June Movement because he knows that the goal of the movement is to overthrow or kill him. One by one, he starts jailing members of the movement, as well as ransacking or destroying their homes. At Patria’s house, Trujillo has the SIM tear “...the house apart, hauling away the doors, windows, the priceless mahogany beams of Pedrito’s old family rancho” (Alvarez 192). The way that he messes with those involved in the movement is cruel. After having their homes ransacked, Trujillo jails only the Mirabal husbands, which makes the sisters think they are safe.
In paragraph 27 it states ,”there were still old cronies of the dictator around who would love an excuse to go after my family after my father ,after her ,” the cronies were loyal servants to the dictator even when he was dead so alvarez's mother thought they were still in danger of being captured or killed ,because of the cronies the mother would live in fear unlike alvarez who didn't fully believe they would come after them . Alvarez wrote her novels knowing they may wreak havoc on her family members who were still in the dominican republic and maybe her parents and sisters. In paragraph 29 and 30 it talks about the last novel she wrote about the island and how her mother thought about it ,”I don't care what happens to us i'm so proud of you ,” her mother says ,alvarez wrote the novel at the risk of her family but her mother and her new the story had to be told and the things the people had to go through
For them, the cost of leaving everything behind is less important than not having freedom. Under Trujillo's rule, no one in the Dominican Republic was free. Papi and some of his friends have been planning on assassinating the dictator to ensure their families a life of freedom in the future. They end up going through with the plan, and when they come back, Mami asks him if it was appropriate to celebrate. “It is true Carmen, true, true, true.
She understands Trujillo is not a man of principles, rather someone who follows rules that he pleases. 21-year-old Mate is later recruited to a national underground by Minerva and her husband, Manolo and remains undercover while living with Sonia, her collegiate roommate and revolutionary friend. Mate jokes about neighbors suspecting scandalous actions are conducted in their apartment and says, “Now I can finally use my talents for the revolution”(143). She is now at a point in her life where she does not care about what others think of her, unless it is someone she could potentially marry. Mate has always been in love with idea of having a husband, and after meeting revolutionary engineer Leandro, she marries him.
After reading In the Time of the Butterflies, one can clearly see that Dominican-American author Julia Alvarez thoughtfully and purposefully incorporated a plethora of symbols throughout the story in order to carefully craft her novel. From instances as large as the title of the novel, to concepts as simple as the weather each day of the narration, Alvarez shows deep consideration in utilizing the literary device of symbolism consistently throughout the story. Alvarez took the time to deliberately focus and place emphasis on the element of symbolism in order to not only recognize Dominican culture, but to highlight the journey of the Mirabal sisters as they left their mark on society and fought back against the oppressive Trujillo regime. As