Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Notes on archetypal criticism
Notes on archetypal criticism
Insight on the Life and Works of Julia Alvarez
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Notes on archetypal criticism
“Sometimes you have to do something wrong for a higher good” (43), these words are spoken by Minerva in the book In the Time of the Butterflies. All of the characters in In the Time of the Butterflies were entrapped by the dictatorial rule of Rael Trujillo but even though one may be scared to, they sacrifice themselves for their family. In the Time of the Butterflies is well known as a fictional novel that takes place during the real historical period of the Trujillo Era in the Dominican Republic. These qualities have helped reader learned more about the Dominican Republic during that time along with the brave action of the Mirabal sisters. Julia Alvarez was born on March 27, 1950 in New York.
Overall the outcomes of women in resistance is very positive. Though getting to there goal had cost the lives of many women and the torture of thousands. Without their sacrifices and the help from some countries such as East Timor, Greece, or USA get to where they are today. East Timor had finally gained their independence after the massacre of thousands that was covered up, but brought to the world from the resistance. World powers saw what actions and took action in gaining their independence back as well as supporting them military.
In the novel In the Time of the Butterflies, Julia Alvarez uses Minerva and Dede to discuss gender roles because both the characters of Minerva and Dede respond to gender roles in completely different ways. To begin, once the challenges of Trujillo become more intense, Dede finds herself unable to handle it, “She shuts her eyes tight and wished blindly that everything would turn out all right” (pg. 78). This statement is important because it illustrates the gender roles women should take on throughout the novel. Specifically, this quotation shows how Dede hopes for her husband find a solution to the issue at hand, as she closes her eyes instead of facing the problem. Alvarez uses Dede to exemplify the characteristics a woman should acquire,
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.
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.
Coelho promotes this thought of change numerous times throughout the story through the use of literary techniques. However, two of the strongest examples of this are through his usage of metaphors and foreshadowing during Santiago’s quest for the treasure. A metaphor is defined as a comparison between two things that are otherwise unrelated. For example the text says, “The desert is a capricious lady, and sometimes she drives men crazy.” The author used this to define the importance and how dangerous the desert can be for travelers.
Religion in The Butterflies The theme of religion is found throughout the book In the Time of the Butterflies. Julia Alvarez uses the theme to give life and development to the characters as well as advance the story. It provides a brighter more pure side to contrast the events of the Rebellion and Trujillo’s actions. Religion also keeps the people of the Dominican Republic together providing guidance for them.
Marxist Criticism focuses on class struggle and power structure in a literary piece (Davidson). In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez can be analyzed using Marxist Criticism to show how power is maintained in the novel. Trujillo maintains his power by convincing girls to live in his homes, jailing citizens who try to overthrow him, and killing citizens that he has large problems with. Trujillo uses his authority to make all of his citizens obey him so that he can keep his power, or else they must deal with severe consequences. Trujillo acts this way to prove that he is the man in charge and ultimately prove that he is unbeatable.
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 Canary and The Heart A story contains much more than just the words presented on the page. There are deeper meanings, hidden facts and underlying messages. At the heart of this idea is symbolism. Symbolism, as defined by the Oxford English Dictionary, is the practice of representing things by symbols, or of giving a symbolic character to objects.
Authors use symbolism to explain an idea or concept to their readers in a poetic manner without saying it outright. In “The Myth of Daedalus and Icarus” by Ovid, the author uses the wings and the sun to symbolize how the protagonist’s pride led to his downfall. In, “To A Friend Whose Work Has Come to Triumph'' by Anne Sexton, the author uses the sun and the wings to symbolize how the same protagonist’s pride led to his heroic doing. The protagonist, Icarus, interacts with these symbols through his adventurous and daring actions. The authors use analepsis and figurative language to develop the feelings about the protagonists’ pride.
Butterflies Reflection In The Time of the Butterflies I am exposed to many different viewpoints. An important one being Minerva Mirabal. This novel takes me through the crazy lives of the Mirabal’s. This family is in a personal war against El Jefe Trujillo.
This is shown when the characters in this novel speak out against a concept they know nothing about. Therefore, the literary terms an author uses can make an immense impact to the connections the reader makes to a novel, and help to shape a theme that is found throughout
A broad range of literature depicts the lead protagonist as an honorable, selfless and courageous character, despite difficulties, bound to succeed in what they pursue. These common traits define the archetypeyl hero. However these characters contain no flaws and nothing representing the 'human condition' therefore appearing alien like towards their audience . The Anti-hero contains heroic morals, but is plagued with flaws that often lead to the characters downfall. They are considered highly relate-able and appealing towards their audience due to the features of the ‘human condition’.
Throughout history, women have made a name for themselves. By rising up and fighting for something that they believed in, the Mirabal sisters made a name for themselves in the Dominican Republic and in Julia Alvarez’s novel In the Time of the Butterflies. By applying a theory to a novel, readers can relate the book to the world they are living in today (Davidson). Feminism can be defined as a dynamic philosophy and social movement that advocates for human rights and gender equality (“Feminism”). Feminist Theory involves looking at how women in novels are portrayed, how female characters are reinforcing stereotypes or undermining them, and the challenges that female characters face (Davidson).