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In The Time Of The Butterflies Theme Essay

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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.

From the beginning of the novel to the end, Mate has come from from being the innocent little girl who writes in her journal to a young woman following in the footsteps of her sisters to make a change for the better in her country. Mate has just made her first communion, and she realizes that she is much more mature than most of the other kids her age. She is writing all of her personal thoughts in a diary that her older sister, Minerva, has given to her. Mate says, “I don 't know …show more content…

With the guidance of her three older sisters, Mate has formed her true identity. Mate does not back down for what she believes in, no matter what the consequences are. She has used this quality to make a positive change for her country, her family, and herself. In the Time of the Butterflies has larger implications on the world as a whole because standing up for one’s beliefs is something everyone should try to do. This book inspires others to stay strong and not back down no matter

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Do you have secrets that you would never tell anyone else? In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez formats Maria Teresa’s chapter as a diary to offer the reader a more personal connection to the character and her life story. Maria Teresa, who is eleven and twelve in this chapter, confides in her “Little Book” and tells it things that she would never tell others, like how she cries when others laugh at her (Alvarez 31). Through the reader being able to read her diary, they know something that Maria Teresa’s family and friends do not know giving the reader a more intimate connection with the character. It also allows the reader to become more invested in the story because they now want to see if any of Maria Teresa’s secrets have

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In the Time of the Butterflies, characters are seen making morally challenging decisions. Maria Teresa, Mate, is the youngest Mirabel sister. She is described as virtuous and fears elementary things. However, Mate and Minerva are held captive in prison. Fortunately, The OAS Peace Committee schedules to interview a prisoner in each pavilion, Mate has been selected.

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In the Time of the Butterflies is a historical fiction novel written by Julia Alvarez. The book focuses on the lives of the four Mirabal sisters who were killed on November 25th, 1960 as a result of organizing against the government. Throughout the novel, the sisters are oppressed and hurt by the many men in their lives. The book takes a view that is not very tolerant of men. The men often do things that hurt the women in their lives, such as physically hurt them, cheat on them, or control them against their will.

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As the historical fictional work of Julia Alvarez in In the Time of The Butterflies goes on, Alvarez is actually the interview woman, telling the story through the interviewer’s eyes. In the beginning, Papa predicts Dede’s future and not any of her sisters’ futures which inform readers that not only are all the sisters’ special but that Dede has her part to continue the legacy of her sisters. After living under the control of Trujillo, an evil and corrupt president, the sisters risked their own lives by starting rebellions and joining movements secretly against Trujillo. Dede, who didn’t join the rebellion, watched helplessly as her family fell apart: First, with the death of Papa, and later on the deaths of her sisters who were arrested. These sisters were nicknamed Mariposa which means butterflies to show how fearless they were to stand up for their beliefs.

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In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez portrays the Dominican Republics in a time where Rafael Leonidas Trujillo is the ruthless dictator. Throughout the novel, Trujillo accentuates the idea of manipulation by controlling all aspects of Dominican life and manipulates Dominicans from an early age by alluding himself to be the ideal leader. In the beginning of the novel there is a passage from a textbook that is meant for young Dominican children: “All through nature there is a feeling of ecstasy. A strange otherworldly light suffuses the house smelling of the labor and sanctity.

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How far would you go to stand up for what you believe in? In the time of the butterflies by Julia Alvarez is a novel that tells the story of four sisters in the Dominican Republic who get involved in a movement against regime of Rafael Trujillo. With each sisters perspective, it is clear the harsh ways Trujillo’s regime has impacted people in the Dominican Republic lives over the years and how people have rebelled against it. Each sister has sacrificed so much to just to stand up for what they believe in and stand up against Trujillo. In Julia Alvarez’s novel In the Time of the Butterflies, she depicts the Mirabal sisters as revolutionaries through the characteristics of bravery and commitment.

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The historical fiction novel In the Time of the Butterflies written by Julia Alvarez illustrates how important historical and political shifts in a government affect the lives of the characters in a society or culture. The characters in this society are punished for acts of rebellion because of Trujillo’s ruthless dictatorship. The sisters

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In the Time of the Butterflies Courage In this essay I will be talking about how Dede’s, Patria’s, Maria’s courage changes throughout the book, what events caused it, what courage means to them, and how they show courage in the book. First we will focus on Patria’s courage. Some of the events that help Patria develop courage is that she realizes that she’s not living free. She figures out that her family and her friends are being lied to that

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In the novel, In the Time of the Butterflies, the author, Julia Alvarez, uses the Mirabal sisters to show how the sanction of a man changes the outcome of their

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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.

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Mate described him as the “sweetest man's face"(141) she had ever seen, and she thought to herself, “I didn't know what he was talking about, but I knew right then and there, I wanted to be a part of whatever he was.” (142) Mate has always been a romantic so she thought by joining the revolution she could be with Palomino. A demonstration of Mate’s guileless is when she told herself, “I don't want to be babied anymore.

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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.

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